Karen Burstein

The Social-Emotional Side of Learning Disabilities: A Science-Based Presentation of the State of the Art:

For over 30 years, researchers have studied the social-emotional side of learning disabilities (LD). This article highlights the science-based research on three domains of social skills of children with LD: characteristics, interventions, and the impact of policy. The article concludes with concerns regarding the translation of research on social-emotional factors into practice and the likelihood that social-emotional problems are being adequately addressed in public schools.

Teacher-Selected Strategies for Improving Homework Completion

Three studies are reported in which we worked collaboratively with teachers across a 2-year period to systematically assess strategies to improve spelling and math homework completion and weekly quiz performance. Eleven elementary and special education teachers sorted 123 students into four groups: (a) students with learning disabilities and homework problems, (b) students with learning disabilities and no homework problems, (c) average-achieving students with homework problems, and (d) average-achieving students without homework problems. Teachers reviewed the extant research on homework, selected homework strategies, designed the methods by which they would implement and evaluate the effects of introducing the strategies to students, and evaluated the results. Three strategies resulted in significant increases in homework completion: (a) giving students real-life assignments (i.e., assignments that connected homework to events or activities in the home) plus reinforcements, (b) using homework planners, and (c) graphing homework completion. The interventions benefited students with learning disabilities and avaerage-achieving students with homework problems more than it did the average-achieving students with no homework problems. Two years following the end of the study, the team continues to use homework planners and graphing on a regular basis, and continues to work as a team on other projects.

Assessment of the Design Efficacy of a Preschool Vocabulary Instruction Technique

Broad-stroke approaches to vocabulary teaching in preschool include effective instructional elements, yet may be too ill-structured to affect the vocabulary learning of children experiencing serious delays. Using a formative research approach, this study examines the design potential of a supplemental vocabulary instruction technique that incorporated research-based instructional elements into a highly structured approach. The intervention design was tested for instructional potential and delivery in 12 Early Reading First classrooms over a 3-month period, and compared to a control group of children in like classrooms on effects. Fidelity of implementation was assessed on three levels of teaching staff: coach, teacher, teacher assistant. Pre/postintervention effects were measured using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-III) and a curriculum-based decision measure. Debriefings with teaching staff were content analyzed. Results show good fidelity of implementation across roles and strong learning outcomes; children responded well to the technique and made significant gains in their vocabulary (PPVT-III) and substantive gains in receptive and expressive vocabulary on a target set of words (curriculum-based decision measure). Additionally the technique appeared relatively easy to adopt and use routinely in the preschool setting. Although limited to an Early Reading First program setting, the design shows promise as a supplemental vocabulary instruction technique.

Young Children's Engagement With E-Books at School: Does Device Matter?

Differences between digital devices on children’s engagement with e-books are examined. The sample included 24 typical 4-year olds enrolled in Head Start. Over a 1-month period, video captures of children’s multi-sensory behaviors during shared reading at a tabletop touchscreen computer and teacher-facilitated book browsing with iPads and iPods were obtained. Data were coded on each child at 1-min intervals, examining the simultaneity of behaviors present, then aggregated to determine frequencies of each behavior by device and format. Differences between media devices on median percent of observation time were evaluated. Looking, touching, moving, and gesturing behaviors were significantly different among different devices. Large effect sizes indicated considerable variability attributable to the device. Mobiles support more looking and touching but less moving and gesturing than the tabletop touchscreen; none of the devices favored listening over another. Given the role of haptic perception in digital reading experience, access to mobiles may favor behaviors that support literacy motivation, sense of control, and interaction.

CLASS Reliability Training as Professional Development for Preschool Teachers

Use of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is increasing across the United States as an important indicator of the quality of programs for young children. Professional development is required to facilitate teachers’ understanding of the instructional behaviors upon which they will be judged. This study investigated the use of the CLASS reliability training process as initial professional development for preschool teachers participating in an Early Reading First project. Findings reveal that this use of the CLASS reliability training process did jumpstart changes in teachers’ behavior across the domains of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support, though the domains in which individuals were able to demonstrate the most improvement varied by teacher. These findings have implications for preschool teachers’ professional development as they strive to meet new standards built into many quality rating systems for programs in early childhood.

Print to Pixel: Foundations of an E-Book Instructional Model in Early Literacy

A four-component e-book instructional model in early literacy is presented, including (a) e-book quality rating, (b) physical space for e-book browsing/reading, (c) child engagement with e-books, and (d) shared e-book reading instruction. Small-scale formative studies on each component are reported that describe the research foundations and preliminary testing of each component in the preschool classroom setting toward the goal of preparing the model for replication and scale-up testing. Qualitative analytic techniques were used to formatively assess the functionality of the model in the preschool learning environment and to gauge its potential usability in early literacy practice. Results indicated the need for better quality e-books, more precise design specifications for an e-book nook in the classroom setting, more explicit teacher guidance for child engagement during e-book reading sessions, and stronger teacher training on “how to” use instructional procedures and skills in shared e-book reading. Functionality was increased by an explicit instructional procedure and evidence of positive child engagement; usability was demonstrated in the adaptability of the model in the early childhood setting. Further design research is needed to stabilize the model for more rigorous analyses.