The goal of the current study was to compare two forms of dynamic assessment and standard assessment of preschool children's phonological awareness. The first form of dynamic assessment was a form of scaffolding in which item formats were modified in response to an error so as to make the task easier or more explicit. The second form of dynamic…

In response to a previous article, the paper discusses the distinction between basic and applied research, two contributions of applied research to theory concerning learning disabilities, and issues in metatheory development. (DB)

Fundamental assumptions concerning the cause of learning disabilities are described and criticized. At a broader level, research and theory in three different paradigms are discussed: (1) neuropsychological; (2) information processing; and (3) applied behavior analysis. Four recommendations for future progress in the conceptualization and…

The topical review provides a general framework for understanding memory problems in reading disabled children by considering some factors that can influence memory performance, including the status of basic processing operations, use of appropriate control strategies, and richness of the knowledge base. Also examined is the relationship between…

The paper reviews research which presents evidence that learning disabled (LD) children, like other groups that show performance deficiencies, do not spontaneously employ appropriate goal directed task strategies in many situations. (Author/PHR)

Problems in the application of traditional process-oriented approaches to diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities suggest a need to alter the manner in which these basic processes are conceptualized and measured. (Author)

In commenting on Linda Siegel's argument (in EC221505) that Intelligence Quotient is not causally related to reading difficulties, this paper argues that Intelligence Quotient is relevant to the definition of reading disabilities but that present knowledge may not justify its use in the selection of children for special services. (JDD)

The article examines the subgroup (15-20 percent) of learning disabled children who have problems with immediate verbatim recall of sequences of verbal information. Processing inefficiency in coding phonological language features leads to academic deficiencies in fluent word identification and word analysis skills. (Author/DB)

The study investigated the hypothesis that differences in performance between 19 poor and 19 good readers in the fourth grade on a rote memory task could be eliminated if both groups were induced to process the material to be remembered in the same manner. (Author/SBH)

The characteristics of recent research on learning disabilities were examined in a survey of all articles on learning disabilities published in eight major journals during the last three years. The content areas addressed in this research appear to have changed dramatically from research conducted prior to 1970. (Author)

A longitudinal (from kindergarten through grade 2) study with 244 children evaluated 3 hypotheses regarding the causal relationship between phonological processing abilities and reading acquisition. The study found a bidirectional relationship between phonological processing skills and reading skills and stability in individual phonological…

This commentary on a paper by Diane Sawyer (EC 602 748) on relations between various language skills and the development of reading ability addresses potential limitations in the implementation of structural equation modeling. The commentary concludes that the data presented by Sawyer do not support the interpretation that reading comprehension…

Sixty children (ages 8-10) with severe reading disabilities received daily intensive one-to-one instruction that differed in depth and extent of instruction in phonemic awareness and phonemic decoding. Both approaches were highly effective in improving reading accuracy and comprehension although measures of reading rate showed continued severe…