This idea offers tools and suggested processes to encourage parent participation in (IEP) Individualized Education Program team meetings. It considers aspects of team culture using three examples to illustrate how the meeting environment, culture, and language can discourage parent participation. Suggestions for changing team practices follow.…

Discussion of due process rights for children with disabilities considers common issues leading to due process requests, due process procedures, hearing officers, procedural violations, effects of due process meetings, and areas for improvement (i.e., accountability, paperwork). Tables list categories of procedural violations with examples and…

A resource room teacher describes a three-part mini-workshop in learning disability awareness for general and special education elementary grade students. An overview of the workshop is followed by description of preworkshop activities and preparation and implementation of each of the three sessions. Insets and tables provide a summary of the…

A middle school team of teachers addressed the needs of six high risk students through a three-phase educational action research project. The three phases (listening to students, listening to the environment, and reflecting on practices) were overlapping and simultaneous processes. Photovoice and open-ended interviews were used to listen to…

This article explains how to use the "Jeopardy!" game format both to assess student knowledge and reinforce critical information. It first considers problems with use of the standard game with students who have mild disabilities, then offers suggested modifications to the game to increase its instructional effectiveness. (Contains references.) (DB)

This article describes development and implementation of a homework Web site to encourage parent involvement in students' homework. The Web site included homework policies, practices, and specific assignments and provided a format for individualizing homework assignments and communication. Insets include a summary of the literature, a list of…

This article begins with a discussion of the political and ideological dimensions of culture, cultural difference, and labeling. The authors follow with the assertion that administrator's beliefs, as expressions of personal values, are connected to their instructional behaviors and their leadership roles in schools (Hart Bredeson, 1996).…

Teaching public speaking is often part of a junior high or senior high curriculum as well as a part of the college curriculum of many four-year public institutions whereby a student is expected to demonstrate performance skills to an audience. For the exceptional student with disabilities, this presents more than the usual anxieties that beset…

This is the story of a college professor with learning disabilities that were undiagnosed until age 17. Failing school, he was excluded from a college bound academic track in junior and senior high school. He eventually went on to earn a doctoral degree after first becoming a special education teacher, certified reading teacher, and school…

Handwriting problems are readily apparent to classroom teachers but may be only the tip of the iceberg for children who have significant coordination difficulties. School is a daily frustration for these children as their finished work does not reflect their abilities, they struggle with the simplest of tasks and are victimized by their peers.…

This is the story of Lily, a 12-year-old girl with Williams Syndrome (WS). A reading program was developed to meet Lily's specific reading needs while addressing her individual learning style; this includes attending to the unique characteristics of Williams Syndrome. During this school year, Lily showed significant gains in sight word recognition…

Communication is a barrier to accessing physical activity and recreation for many people who are deafblind (Lieberman & MacVicar, 2003; Lieberman & Stuart, 2002). The purpose of this study was to observe effective communication strategies used during four physical activities for youth who are deafblind. Communication during physical activity was…

Reading fluency has been identified as one of the necessary components for becoming a strong reader. Instructional techniques designed to improve reading fluency are generally easy to implement. Many parents are eager to assist in the growth of their children's academic skills. This article describes a procedure for improving oral reading fluency…

The National Research Council (1996), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993) and the National Science Teachers Association (2004) all posit that quality science instruction for all students is imperative in promoting scientific literacy that extends into adulthood. Hands-on, inquiry based experiences are effective means of…

This article explains a practical strategy for dealing with social emotional problems in the inclusive classroom environment. The potential need for bibliotherapy is introduced by discussing how role boundaries of teachers are changing and how teachers may take on a range of roles in their classrooms. An example of a social emotional scenario…