Dynamic testing (DT) is a testing approach that allows tailoring instructions to students’ needs. Previous research on DT has been mostly limited to studying its predictive validity in general domains. This study aimed to provide insights into the benefits of DT for planning individualized educational support. To that end, we developed a dynamic test of arithmetic skills for third graders with low math achievement. Math teachers were assigned to three experimental conditions in which they administered DT, a standard test of arithmetic skills, or no test and were asked to write individualized education plans (IEPs) for their students afterwards. A total of 99 IEPs were analyzed to discern patterns and variations across the conditions. Findings showed only a limited benefit of DT.
Students with learning and other education-related disabilities generally demonstrate low mathematics achievement. While this is a complex phenomenon, one related factor may be low teacher self-efficacy for teaching mathematics to these students. The current study was a preliminary investigation (N = 40) into (a) differences in self-efficacy between general, special, and dual-licensed educators and (b) correlations between teacher self-efficacy and student achievement. Findings revealed that special educators reported the highest self-efficacy for inclusive practice whereas dual-licensed teachers reported the highest self-efficacy for mathematics instruction. Correlations between teacher self-efficacy and student achievement were weak for general educators and strong for dual-licensed teachers (special educators not included in correlational analysis). Findings indicate the value of studying these constructs on a larger and more nuanced scale. Implications for practice include opportunities to merge knowledge of mathematics pedagogy with instructional practices for students with learning disabilities.
The number of students who are deficient in literacy is increasing worldwide, possibly exacerbated by concurrent behavioral difficulties. This international challenge leads to the question of how and when to support children. Support should start in kindergarten and be focused on the acquisition of phonological awareness. Based on this premise, we evaluated a German phonological awareness intervention with motivational reinforcers to help ensure an easier transition to school for at-risk kindergarteners with and without behavioral difficulties through improved recoding. A single-case study (N = 7) took place over a period of 10 weeks with three weekly intervention sessions. Results showed that all children improved in recoding with significant moderate to large effects and slope effects. Based on these findings, limitations and implications are discussed.
This systematic review addresses the research gap in understanding the efficacy of experimental interventions designed to improve the academic outcomes of English Learners with Learning Disabilities (ELswLD). After conducting a rich evaluation of reviews related to English Learners and to students who have disabilities, we contextualize the need for a review that examines intervention research for K-12 students at the intersection of these populations that are twice affected by language and language development intricacies. A four-step literature search process identified 15 studies examining the intervention of K-12 ELswLD published between 2002 and 2022. Specifically, among the 15 selected studies, three interventions addressed vocabulary learning, three focused on mathematics problem-solving skills hindered by English vocabulary, six targeted reading comprehension, and three aimed to improve writing skills. The studies were analyzed for their characteristics, including research design, participants, intervention strategies, intensity/duration, dependent variables, and results. We also discuss the practical implications from the selected studies. Research findings revealed limited research on specific intervention approaches for ELswLD and the scarcity of technology-enhanced intervention. This review synthesizes these findings and offers valuable insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to improve academic outcomes for ELswLDs. The interventions will be of interest to educators interested in language development that leads to improving academic outcomes of English learners with learning disabilities.
Little is known about how components of working memory (i.e., passive resonance of information in working memory, limited capacity working memory, and suppression of irrelevant information from working memory) impact near and far inferencing among adolescent readers. Using path analyses, the current study evaluated the relations of near and far inferencing, vocabulary, general knowledge, strategy use, and word reading efficiency as well as components of working memory among 1,085 students in Grades 7-12. Results indicated that near inferencing has the largest direct effect on far inferencing. Further, in a model that also included direct and indirect effects of cognitive processes on far inferences, results suggested that working memory (β = .08, p = .02), suppression (β = .07, p =.03), near inferencing (β = .25, p < .001) and vocabulary (β = .18, p < .001) had significant direct effects on far inferencing; whereas suppression (β = .13, p < .001), passive resonance in memory (β = .12, p <.001), background knowledge (β = .12, p = .005), and vocabulary β = .27, p < .001) had significant direct effects on near inferencing. In sum, results suggest that cognitive processes impact inferencing among adolescents.
This research evaluated the implementation of a climate science curriculum intervention for students in Grades 4 and 5, including those who were typically achieving and those with difficulties in mathematics, reading, or both. Pre- and posttests of measurement and climate change science concepts were administered at the beginning and end of each study. Study 1 consisted of 69 students in the control group (three classes) and 74 students in the treatment group (four classes). Study 2 included 50 students in the control group (three classes) and 46 students in the treatment group (three classes). Compared to Study 1, the curriculum was significantly modified in Study 2 to incorporate more interactive and arts-based activities. Dichotomous and continuous analysis approaches were conducted. Overall, the results of the analyses indicated that students in the treatment group, regardless of whether they had any learning difficulties, improved significantly in their understanding of the scientific concepts underlying climate change and global warming.
The field of specific learning disabilities (SLDs) has faced three kinds of challenges. Constitutional challenges arise from classification and definitional complexities, identification issues, comorbidity, and ontological debates. Internal challenges include the inherent difficulties of scientific thinking that compete with intuitionism and confirmation bias, the lack of randomized controlled trials to evaluate interventions, the low rate of replication studies, publication bias, and the gap between research on evidence-based practices and implementation. External challenges include philosophical movements in academia, primarily social constructionism and cognitive relativism. They also encompass broader social trends such as neurological reductionism, educational fads, and political conformism. This article specifically focuses on the influence of cognitive relativism in the field of SLDs. Despite these challenges, the field has made incremental progress by committing itself to scientific inquiry. The fundamental purpose of research is truth-seeking, aiming to expand the knowledge base on how best to support students with SLDs. The development of cognitive theories of dyslexia illustrates the refining nature of scientific inquiry as it moves closer to the truth. Upholding rigorous scientific standards is crucial for the future development of the field, providing effective support and consistently enhancing educational outcomes for students with SLDs.
This exploratory study investigated the self-reported reading difficulties and compensatory strategies of monolingual and bilingual adults with dyslexia. Twenty monolinguals and six bilinguals answered a questionnaire that collected socio-demographic data as well as information regarding their reading difficulties, experiences, and possible comorbidities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes were determined: (a) reading difficulties may be pervasive but can be circumvented with effective coping strategies; (b) individuals with dyslexia can succeed academically and obtain a university degree, but they most likely have to work harder than typical readers; (c) dyslexia has an impact on reading habits, and reading is a challenge; and (d) comorbidities are a part of life for people with dyslexia. Our results highlight the struggles that individuals with dyslexia continue to have, regardless of when they were diagnosed, whether they received literacy assistance, and whether they learned a second language. Most important, this study shows that individuals with dyslexia, both monolinguals and bilinguals, are able to use effective coping strategies and obtain academic and professional success.
Proportional reasoning and knowledge of fractions are critical skills for completing algebra successfully, yet many students with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) enter algebra classes without adequate prior knowledge of these skills. This study used a single-subject/case research, combined multiple-baseline and alternating-treatment design to determine the functional relation between the use of varied technology-based interventions (i.e., a virtual manipulative [VM], a technology-based graphic organizer [TBGO], and a combination of both [VM+TBGO]) and student accuracy in solving proportion word problems. Additional dependent variables included student independence and duration. Three high school students with MLD solved proportion word problems without assistance in the baseline phase and then randomly alternated between the three treatments during intervention. Overall, student accuracy and independence increased, and the time required to solve word problems decreased. All students preferred using technology to solve word problems and the VM+TBGO. Limitations, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Teacher judgments of students’ reading abilities in the elementary grades have been researched extensively, but less is known about how middle school teachers judge their students’ word reading, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. Such information could be useful when determining which students and reading components would be reasonable instructional priorities. Thus, the present study explored U.S. teachers’ accuracy at predicting the performance of students in Grades 6–8 on standardized measures of reading abilities. The multilevel analytic models accounted for the nesting of students (n = 97) within teacher raters (n = 12) at three middle schools in one school district. Results indicated that the teachers’ ratings of overall ability and their beliefs about the specific skills with which their students struggled were poor predictors of actual student performance. Although the small sample of teachers from one district in one country limits the generalizability of the results, the findings suggest that some middle school teachers’ judgments could misidentify students at potential risk for reading difficulties or misalign instruction with particular skill areas of need. The discussion addresses the importance of making efficient but accurate decisions about screening students for reading intervention and planning differentiated or targeted intervention.
The Conference at the University of Oviedo, Spain, within the 44th Annual Meeting of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities, was an excellent opportunity to share knowledge, explore perspectives and reflect on the study of neurodevelopmental disorders in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The William M. Cruickshank Memorial Keynote Address, New Directions in the Study of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, covered a broad range of topics relevant to cognition, intelligence, and achievement. It also provided the opportunity to present parts of our current work pertinent to the study of neurodevelopmental dysfunctions and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) ITN Neo-PRISM-C project. The presentation began by focusing on what we study and how and why we study what we study about neurodevelopmental disorders. This was followed by a discussion about the brain and (learning) behaviour, accompanied by some relevant evidence on the neurological basis for reading difficulties, particularly the phonological and visual deficits pathways in the framework of the magnocellular deficit theory. The session concluded with a discussion of the comorbidity of various disorders and the use of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework as an alternative to the traditional diagnostic categories for the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Examples of how neuroscience research can contribute to this endeavour were also provided.
The primary aims of this mixed method study were to (a) examine the effectiveness of a brief inference intervention, (b) compare the types of knowledge-based inferencing errors less skilled middle grade readers make, and (c) evaluate if self-reported cognitive load relates to inferencing. Participants (n = 17) were randomly assigned to a graphic organizer-inference intervention (GO-Inference) (n = 9) or business as usual (BAU) condition (n = 8), and differences between groups were explored for each study purpose. Quantitative and qualitative results suggested that while less skilled readers in the GO-Inference condition made modest progress in forming knowledge-based inferences, they continued to struggle to distinguish relevant versus irrelevant information from text and/or retrieve knowledge necessary to form inferences. Students in the BAU condition were more likely to make errors such as providing irrelevant information or failing to respond. Additionally, students in the GO-Inference condition reported lower cognitive load during inference-making tasks.
We present results of an evaluation of the first year of a multi-year comprehensive middle school reading program. Four public middle schools in rural Virginia with large populations of students with limited reading proficiency participated in a study to determine the reading program’s impact. We evaluated 235 students with low reading achievement scores, including students with disabilities, to determine reading gains. The multi-year curriculum consisted of multiple components (word-level instruction, comprehension and vocabulary, motivation and engagement, and assessment) and seven related instructional units, each taught using explicit instruction. A quasi-experimental design was used to determine the intervention’s effectiveness. Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and comparison conditions on a standardized measure of reading achievement with some scores favoring the experimental condition. Results support, in part, the reading program’s promise to improve middle school students’ reading achievement scores at a level that may narrow the reading achievement gap.
Students with and without learning disabilities often struggle to learn a foreign language (FL). Teachers could benefit from a measure designed to screen and identify students at risk for FL learning difficulties. In this study, we examined the reliability and validity of scores from four curriculum-based measures (CBM) as potential indicators of English FL learning: reading aloud, maze selection, and English-to-Dutch and Dutch-to-English word translation. Participants were 133 Dutch students in Grade 8. Criterion variables were English course grades and scores on a standardized achievement test (Cito-VAS). Alternate-form reliability ranged from r = .77 to .87. Correlations between CBM and criterion measure scores ranged from r = -.04 to .65. Scores from maze selection and reading aloud alone predicted English-language proficiency better than a combination of scores from the four measures, explaining 29.7% and 23.6% of the variance, respectively. Implications for the use of CBM for FL screening and progress-monitoring are discussed.
Analysis of data from single-case intervention studies commonly involves visual analysis. Previous research indicates that visual analysis may suffer from low reliability and unpromising error rates. We investigated the reliability and validity of visual analysis and explored to what extent data trends affect judgments. We administered a within-subject experiment in which 186 teacher-education students visually analyzed specifically constructed single-case graphs that included either an intervention effect, a trend effect, both effects, or no effect. Participants identified intervention effects in 75% of the graphs, regardless of the existence of a trend. Type I error rates were low (5%) in graphs without a trend but increased fivefold (25%) for graphs with a trend. Inter- and intra-rater reliability was low, particularly when a trend was present in the data.
As researchers come to recognize the origins of dysgraphia, we can better suggest optimal approaches to remediation. In defining dysgraphia, we review the writing process, research on the development of writing, and various factors related to either spelling difficulties, visual-motor difficulties, or both, that might interfere in the process of writing. We conclude by exploring some potentially helpful remediation techniques that should be considered as educators, clinicians, researchers, teachers, and parents work together to ameliorate the potentially devastating consequences of dysgraphia.
