Demographic features of Americans with mild intellectual disabilities were estimated in an analysis of the National Health Interview Survey. Comparison on basic indices of adaptive functioning and socioeconomic status suggests a large cohort of Americans who share support needs and social and economic vulnerabilities with the mentally retarded.…

Addresses the problems of the slow learner, the student who does not achieve at the higher levels of the class. Discusses reasons for student failures. Suggests that all students are talented, so teachers must find ways to bring out the best in each child. (SG)

Constant time delay procedures were used to teach 15 multiplication facts in 1 hour to a 10-year-old student with mild learning handicaps and behavioral disorders. Correct levels of responding were maintained and generalized across persons and settings up to 8 weeks after training. (DB)

This study examined effects of contextualized math instruction on problem-solving performance of 17 middle school remedial students and 49 average-achieving prealgebra students. Results showed that both remedial and average students receiving contextualized-problem instruction outperformed comparison groups receiving word-problem instruction.…

Many technology features that were originally developed to help people with specific sensory impairments are now widely in use. Research is beginning to show the benefits of giving all students access to these capabilities. As such, educators should not hesitate to integrate technology features into instruction for students who struggle with…

Many aspects of the teaching of writing are examined in this publication. The seven articles explore the importance of writing and list possible teaching strategies, report on books for and about writing that are currently available, present and discuss children's writing samples, discuss ways of stimulating creative writing in the classroom,…

Examines the relationship between 14 social process variables and the reading performances of 180 slow learners, ages 7-15. Finds that two of those factors (brith trauma and being held back in school) emerge as predictors of reading comprehension, word recognition, and spelling. (RL)

When the parents and teacher of a minimally brain-injured kindergarten student understood that the cognitive style of this "slow learner" (inaccurately perceived as laziness or immaturity) required her to observe and evaluate before participating in a learning or social activity, they were able to enhance her learning style. (CB)

Discusses Direct Instruction (DI), its rationale, principles of curricular design, and presentation techniques. Presents research on the effectiveness of DI with disadvantaged and handicapped learners. Also offers criticisms of DI. (RAE)

Essay and annotated bibliography provide information on print sources and databases containing descriptions and reviews of tests assessing exceptional children and adolescents. These sources cover a large number and variety of instruments that may be used by teachers and diagnosticians in the areas of mental and physical handicaps and giftedness.…

The effectiveness of Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment program (FIE) in improving the cognitive performance of slow learners was tested for one year with low performing vocational high school students in Ontario (Canada). Improved cognitive performance was noted for FIE students, although changes in personality and attitude were substantiated…

The effect of group counseling techniques in reducing habitual truancy among a group of high school special education students was studied. It was determined that nondirect counseling methods--especially when combined with contingency contracting--were effective in increasing school attendance. (MH)

This study investigated the self-perceptions of 95 low-ability and 100 high-ability adolescents in a rural community of Jamaica, using a specifically designed survey that incorporated Jamaican culture. The survey examined the following categories: athletic competence, behavioral conduct, social acceptance, scholastic competence, physical…

Proposes using cookies (recipe included) and pizza to help Chapter I students, grades two through five, understand basic fraction concepts. (MKR)

This article examines characteristics of low-performing readers, especially their poor word recognition skills; compares approaches to teaching word recognition to slow-learning children; identifies characteristics of successful methods of teaching word recognition; and concludes that phonics-based, thoroughly systematic, direct instruction is…