Enhancing self-determination can improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities, yet there is limited guidance on how to integrate self-determination skills into academic interventions while preserving theoretical integrity and contextual fit. This study reports on the first two years of a multiyear project to adapt the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) for upper-elementary students with or at risk for reading disability (RD). Through iterative cycles of design and refinement, we developed the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction for Reading (SDLMI-R) while maintaining the original model's core components. We examined feasibility, acceptability, and promise using data from students, interventionists, and an expert teacher panel. Findings indicate that SDLMI-R lessons can be feasibly implemented, with evidence of students' participation in goal-directed processes and early indicators of self-determination. This work highlights the potential of integrating self-determination within reading intervention and offers a model for adapting theoretically grounded interventions for new populations and contexts.
Knowledge of mathematics vocabulary is important for conceptual understanding, yet little is known about how students' vocabulary self-efficacy corresponds to their performance or how accurately they judge their competence. This study examined relations between mathematics vocabulary self-efficacy (MVSE) and mathematics vocabulary performance (MVP) across four categories and compared calibration between students at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD) and their typically developing (TD) peers. Participants were 124 fifth-grade students. Structural equation modeling showed that each MVSE dimension was most strongly associated with its corresponding MVP domain; however, technical MVSE was also related to other domains. TD students often underestimated their competence in technical and symbolic vocabulary, whereas students at risk for MD more often overestimated their competence in subtechnical, symbolic, and general vocabulary. Calibration varied by vocabulary category and group.
The present study examined the use of calculation strategies from first to second grade and non-numerical risk factors for arithmetical difficulties (AD). Students ( N = 198) were grouped as follows based on their arithmetic performance in the third grade: AD and average- or high-achieving (AA/HA) students. Additionally, catch-up (CU) students were identified based on dysfluency in the first grade but typical performance in the third grade. Compared to the AA/HA group, the AD group relied more on counting strategies, while the AA/HA group used more fact retrieval. The AD and CU groups differed in reading fluency, visuospatial memory and reasoning abilities. The study concluded that, besides calculation strategies, early reading and cognitive skills can help identify students at risk for more persistent arithmetic difficulties.
Understanding science texts is a daily necessity in the twenty-first century. This poses challenges for many students, but students who are double identified as emergent multilingual learners with reading difficulties (MLs-RD) face compounded challenges with regard to specific science-related vocabulary. The current study examined the effect of Science Generation, a multimodal vocabulary intervention, on the acquisition of science and general academic words, science comprehension and science attitude by 10 middle school MLs-RD using a reversal single-case design. Students were divided into two groups based on grade level (i.e., Group 1: sixth grade; Group 2: seventh and eighth grades). A strong effect of the intervention was found for learning vocabulary words, but a small effect on reading comprehension. Further, students’ science attitude improved, and the intervention was rated favorably. Thus, the intervention appears to have promise for increasing science vocabulary among middle school students who are MLs-RD.
Anxiety impacts the emotional health and academic performance of students. Despite research showing that students with learning difficulties experience more anxiety than typically achieving peers, no systematic reviews have examined the effects of anxiety interventions for this population. This article presents a systematic review of anxiety intervention studies on students with learning difficulties (kindergarten to Grade 12), examining anxiety outcomes as the primary focus and academic outcomes as exploratory. The systematic search yielded eight qualified studies, revealing mixed effects on similar constructs. Anxiety outcomes were measured in all studies, and half reported significant reductions in anxiety symptoms after the intervention. Academic outcomes were measured in only three studies, with just one demonstrating a significant improvement in performance. The variability of findings and the limited number of studies make it challenging to draw robust conclusions. Future research should prioritize investigating the effectiveness of anxiety interventions for students with learning difficulties.
