The central message of Sugden's book is that work in special education should be interactive in nature. A child approaching a learning situation brings cognition and strategies and these should be used in enabling the child to be actively involved in the learning process.
Research on training programs for students with learning difficulties has usually focused on the development of social and behavioural skills and the acquisition of cognitive interventions and procedures. Originally published in 1989, this book attempts to apply the methods validated by research and synthesize the discoveries made in the psychological laboratory for the benefit of teachers in regular classrooms. It reviews the literature relevant to special needs teaching and traces the development of cognitive research as it applies to education. The authors propose a specific and practical teaching strategy which has been successfully used by those working with students with special needs. Starting from the basic belief that education is an interactive process between the participants, the authors have emphasised the role and responsibility both of the teacher and the learner. Their book should be of value to researchers and practitioners in psychology and special education.
"I wish I had this book when I started teaching! Every teacher starts out with an empty bag of tricks; it is nice to peek into someone′s bag!" —Nicole Guyon, Special Education Teacher Westerly School Department, Cranston, RI Classroom-tested strategies that help students with learning disabilities succeed! Teachers are often challenged to help students with learning disabilities reach their full academic potential. Written with humor and empathy, this engaging book offers a straightforward approach to skillful teaching of students with learning disabilities. Developed for K–12 general and special education classrooms, this resource draws on the author′s 30 years of teaching experience to help teachers gain a greater understanding of students′ learning differences and meet individual needs. Strategies are organized by skills—including reading, writing, math, organization, attention, and test-taking—helping teachers quickly identify the best techniques for assisting each student and encouraging independent learning. Readers will find: More than 100 practical strategies, interventions, and activities that build students′ academic abilities Recommendations on appropriate accommodations, assessment techniques, and family communication Support for complying with recent federal mandates related to learning disabilities, including the ADA, Section 504, and the reauthorization of IDEA 2004 Helpful guidance and stories from the author′s own classroom experiences Ready-to-use tools, forms, and guides Discover innovative, easy-to-implement teaching methods that overcome barriers to learning and help students with special needs thrive in your classroom.
How can teachers provide the best learning experiences for students with varying skills and abilities? Teachers have many common needs. Most work in a situation of high demands and expectations, but against a background that reflects a reduced valuation of their efforts. Originally published in 1993, the authors share some thoughts about contemporary teaching practice and suggest an approach – Process-Based Instruction – for a coherent cognitive education programme that draws on the literatures of educational psychology and educational theory and practice. The book is supported throughout with exercises and illustrations designed to help teachers apply new strategies to classroom practice, particularly in areas of the curriculum concerning problem solving.
The Concise Encyclopedia of Special Education, Second Edition is a comprehensive resource for those working in the fields of special education research and practice. Featuring reviews of assessment instruments and teaching approaches, legal issues, overviews of specific learning disabilities, dozens of biographies, and more, this complete desk reference is an indispensable guide for professionals, academics, and students alike. Named an American Library Association Top 25 Reference of the Year in its First Edition, The Concise Encyclopedia serves as an important reference for the education of handicapped and other exceptional children. Written and edited by highly regarded and respected experts in the fields of special education and psychology, this authoritative resource guide provides a reference base for educators as well as professionals in the areas of psychology, neuropsychology, medicine, health care, social work and law. Additionally, this acclaimed reference work is essential for administrators, psychologists, diagnosticians, and school counselors, as well as parents of the handicapped themselves. What's new in this edition Comprehensive coverage of new legislation such as Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act Cultural competence in Special Education, including new material on culturally/linguistically diverse students Many new entries including notable biographies, new service delivery systems, special education laws, new assessment instruments, cross-cultural issues, neuropsychology, and use of the Internet in research and service delivery. Some of the topics covered Academic assessment Achievement tests Addictions Bilingual education Child and adolescent behavior management Counseling with individuals and families with disabilities Early childhood education Gifted education Intelligence tests Mathematics disabilities Psychoeducational methods Rehabilitation Socioeconomic status Special education parent and student rights Traumatic brain injury
First published in 1999. Increased levels of interest in inclusive education for pupils with learning difficulties are set to continue and while much progress has been made, challenges remain in promoting full and meaningful participation for these learners. This book focuses, therefore, on the teaching and learning and processes which will facilitate organisational and curricular inclusion for pupils with learning difficulties within day to day classroom practice. using their understanding of current theory, the authors provide practical approaches to the analysis of teaching methods used with pupils with learning difficulties and the learning preferences, strengths and areas of challenge of individual pupils. They also discuss the various factors which impinge upon the development of more inclusive provision. These approaches will provide practical help to all those working with pupils with learning difficulties in a variety of contexts. The book will also appeal to those responsible for staff and school development, including the changing roles of specialist teachers and special schools, and for developing policy and practice with regard to inclusion.
As teachers around the world deal with the challenges of inclusive education, they must find effective ways of enhancing their classroom teaching methods. What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education presents teachers with a range of evidence-based strategies they can immediately put into practice in their classrooms. This unique book will be an invaluable resource for educators who may not have the time or the inclination to engage with theory-heavy research, but who wish to ensure that their teaching strategies are up-to-the-minute and proven to be the most effective best practices. Each of the 27 strategies that this book comprises has a substantial research base, a strong theoretical rationale and clear guidelines on their implementation, as well as cautionary advice where necessary. In this new second edition, David Mitchell, a leading writer in special and inclusive education, continues to break new ground with revised and updated strategies based on evidence from the most recent studies in the field. From the myriad of related research available, only those studies with genuine potential for improving the practices of teachers and schools have been included, with the aim of facilitating high-quality learning and social outcomes for all learners in schools. Updates to this new edition include: four new chapters, on response to intervention, universal design for learning, inter-agency cooperation and one on the Finnish education system over 350 new references an even wider international focus, including evidence drawn from Asia references to recent developments in neuroscience a new companion website, with extra case studies, links to further reading, journal articles and videos, and an interactive quiz, at www.routledge.com/cw/mitchell This book will be essential reading for anyone with a vocational or academic interest in evidence-based special educational needs teaching strategies, whether a student in initial teacher education or a qualified classroom teacher, teacher educator, educational psychologist, special needs coordinator, parent, consultant or researcher. David Mitchell is an Adjunct Professor in the College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and a consultant in inclusive education. ‘This is the book I wish I had written, synthesizing an enormous literature focused on special needs students. It is robust, it is readable, and it is your right-hand resource. A stunner of a book.’ –Professor John Hattie, University of Melbourne, author of Visible Learning
Published in association with Special Children magazine, this practical and highly flexible resource pack is designed to offer help for all those mainstream teachers who may have children with various sorts of special educational needs in their classes. The pack is based on Special Children's `Back to Basics' series, but each section has been revised and extended to include photocopiable worksheets, checklists and practical advice for teachers in mainstream settings. Each section looks in detail at one of the key topics related to learning and behaviour problems. Each is based on a straightforward, four-stage `problem to solution' approach through which teachers can build a plan of action for looking at possible solutions to children's needs: 1. Clarifying the problem: who has the problem, and what sort of problem is it? 2. Collecting evidence: how serious is it, and what are the causes and effects? 3. Planning: what can be done, who will do it, when and how? 4. Action: converting the plan to action, monitoring and review In each chapter the discussion of planning strategies is supported by a case study example of its use in practice, together with materials for teachers to use and adapt in their own classroom contexts. Sections include: * literacy skills * maths skills * science * thinking and learning skills * dyslexia * handwriting * speech and language difficulties Published in a loose-leaf format, this pack provides invaluable source material for all classroom teachers, and will also be of help to special needs co-ordinators planning INSET work and whole-school approaches under the Code of Practice.