This review of the literature focuses on the effects of deinstitutionalization (moving from state institutions to community living arrangements) on the adaptive behavior of persons with mental retardation. The selection process for the 18 studies receiving in-depth review is detailed. Two tables detail changes in three categories of behavior for…

Information and accompanying exercises in this learning module are provided to reinforce basic reading, spelling, writing, and math skills while at the same time introducing the fundamentals of personal money management. Written at an elementary level, the module covers five areas of personal finance: (1) planning a household budget on the basis…

This book of instructional materials for adult basic education teachers is a collection of exercises and activities which involve the use of resources found in the everyday environment of adults, relate to adult coping skills, and provide students with practice in language and computation. Following a brief introduction and discussion of adult…

Explains the difference between everyday thinking and academic thinking. Maintains that children who experience academic learning problems may rely too much on everyday thinking skills. Relates examples of this problem in reading, mathematics, and science. (JDH)

"Pots of Gold" is a family finance research project delivered within Sure Start Children's Centre areas across Newcastle. It is funded by the DfES through the Basic Skills Agency and managed by Newcastle Family Learning Service. This project has been delivered in two phases, running from October 2005 to December 2006. Phase 1 ran from…

In educating children with disabilities, training for independence should begin early, and the "technology" may be very simple. This paper lists activities designed to increase gross, fine motor, cognitive, and eye-hand coordination skills needed for independent living. It encourages caregivers to engage young children in active learning…

This book aims to meet the needs of students who are beginning to learn English and to help them reach such goals as gaining an education, finding a job, continuing on to higher education, or functioning better in everyday life in the United States. The book stresses the basic language skills of vocabulary development, grammar, reading, writing,…

Media statements and pronouncements by leaders in various sectors throughout the nation confirm that literacy still means the ability to work with the printed or written word. It is also evident that the term literacy includes more than reading. Literacy encompasses writing, speaking and listening, computing, and even problem-solving skills.…

The paper describes common problems associated with special education curricula used in developing countries. Some of the problems are: (1) an emphasis on rote recall rather than comprehension and application of knowledge; (2) a focus on academic rather than functional skill training; (3) the teaching of generic, readiness, and preacademic skills…

The guide describes an approach designed to promote the basic skills of hearing impaired students Basic or survival skills are identified which cover the student's daily functioning at home, school, and in the community. The guide is aimed at the 10-15 year old hearing impaired student, but techniques are expected to be applicable to both…

A middle school program in Phoenix, New York, was planned to provide for trainable and low functioning educable mentally retarded students in an integrated setting. Cooperation between the planning team and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation resulted in a program for 13 students aged 11 to 14 with four major areas of concentration: social…

Career development, life skills, and basic skills were important emphases in the experience-based career education program installed at two Virginia high schools. The program, call ExCEL (Exploring Careers through Experiential Learning), aimed to provide student experience in community learning sites and to integrate this with acquisition of…

Designed to improve the change making skills of the special needs student, this set of activities on coin identification, how to make change, the dollar bill, and figuring change is the final unit of a nine-unit secondary level careers course intended to provide handicapped students with the knowledge and tools necessary to succeed in the world of…

The numeracy abilities of adults is now part of the 2002 International Life Skills Survey (ILSS) to be administered to representative samples of adults aged 16-65 in participating countries. The Numeracy Working Group has spent more than two years developing a conceptual framework based on the premise that numeracy is the bridge between…

A multiple-probe design across behaviors assessed the effectiveness of a simultaneous prompting procedure in teaching expressive identification of photos of community signs to two elementary students with moderate intellectual disabilities in a small group instructional arrangement. The procedure was effective in teaching both students the…