Pub Date : 2019-01-02DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2019.1596138
Laura Glisson, S. Leitão, Mary Claessen
ABSTRACT This study designed and evaluated the efficacy of a manualised programme for children in mainstream school with delays in narrative discourse. Efficacy was evaluated using a Phase 1 non-randomised single-subject across multiple-baselines design. The programme was delivered by a speech pathologist with 11 mainstream children aged 5;0–5;11 years, in small groups, three times a week for 6 weeks. Intervention focused on explicit teaching of narrative macrostructure using icons, graphic organisers and repeated story retellings. Microstructure (morphosyntax and vocabulary) was targeted using implicit language facilitation procedures including modelling, recasting, expansion and vertical structuring. Participation in the programme resulted in significant changes with moderate to large effect sizes for most participants in the number of macrostructure elements, and conjunctions and adverbs. Analysis of pre-post standardised narrative data revealed clinically significant improvements for 9 of the 11 participants. The findings add to the research supporting the effectiveness of small-group oral narrative intervention.
{"title":"Evaluating the efficacy of a small-group oral narrative intervention programme for pre-primary children with narrative difficulties in a mainstream school setting","authors":"Laura Glisson, S. Leitão, Mary Claessen","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2019.1596138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2019.1596138","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This study designed and evaluated the efficacy of a manualised programme for children in mainstream school with delays in narrative discourse. Efficacy was evaluated using a Phase 1 non-randomised single-subject across multiple-baselines design. The programme was delivered by a speech pathologist with 11 mainstream children aged 5;0–5;11 years, in small groups, three times a week for 6 weeks. Intervention focused on explicit teaching of narrative macrostructure using icons, graphic organisers and repeated story retellings. Microstructure (morphosyntax and vocabulary) was targeted using implicit language facilitation procedures including modelling, recasting, expansion and vertical structuring. Participation in the programme resulted in significant changes with moderate to large effect sizes for most participants in the number of macrostructure elements, and conjunctions and adverbs. Analysis of pre-post standardised narrative data revealed clinically significant improvements for 9 of the 11 participants. The findings add to the research supporting the effectiveness of small-group oral narrative intervention.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"24 1","pages":"1 - 20"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2019-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2019.1596138","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43027122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-01-02DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2019.1614081
W. Tunmer, Wesley A. Hoover
ABSTRACT This article presents an overview of a conceptual framework designed to help reading professionals better understand what their students are facing as they learn to read in alphabetic writing systems. The US National Reading Panel (NRP) recommended five instructional components for improving reading outcomes but presented these instructional components as a list without explicitly addressing their interrelations, either in terms of instruction or cognitive development. In contrast, the Cognitive Foundations Framework offers a description of the major cognitive capacities underlying learning to read and specifies the relationships between them. The central claim of this article is that what is needed to help intervention specialists achieve better outcomes is a clearly specified conceptual framework of the cognitive capacities underlying learning to read that provides the basis for an assessment framework that is linked to evidence-based instructional strategies for addressing the individual literacy learning needs of students.
{"title":"The cognitive foundations of learning to read: a framework for preventing and remediating reading difficulties","authors":"W. Tunmer, Wesley A. Hoover","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2019.1614081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2019.1614081","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article presents an overview of a conceptual framework designed to help reading professionals better understand what their students are facing as they learn to read in alphabetic writing systems. The US National Reading Panel (NRP) recommended five instructional components for improving reading outcomes but presented these instructional components as a list without explicitly addressing their interrelations, either in terms of instruction or cognitive development. In contrast, the Cognitive Foundations Framework offers a description of the major cognitive capacities underlying learning to read and specifies the relationships between them. The central claim of this article is that what is needed to help intervention specialists achieve better outcomes is a clearly specified conceptual framework of the cognitive capacities underlying learning to read that provides the basis for an assessment framework that is linked to evidence-based instructional strategies for addressing the individual literacy learning needs of students.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"24 1","pages":"75 - 93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2019-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2019.1614081","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49085654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-01-02DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2019.1609272
K. Nation
ABSTRACT Reading comprehension is a complex task which depends on a range of cognitive and linguistic processes. According to the Simple View of Reading, this complexity can be captured as the product of two sets of skills: decoding and linguistic comprehension. The Simple View explains variance in reading comprehension and provides a good framework to guide the classification of reading disorders. This paper discusses how weaknesses in either or both of components of the Simple View are implicated in children’s reading comprehension difficulties. It concludes with reflections on the strengths and limitations of the Simple View as a theoretical and practical framework to guide our understanding of reading comprehension and its development.
{"title":"Children’s reading difficulties, language, and reflections on the simple view of reading","authors":"K. Nation","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2019.1609272","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2019.1609272","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Reading comprehension is a complex task which depends on a range of cognitive and linguistic processes. According to the Simple View of Reading, this complexity can be captured as the product of two sets of skills: decoding and linguistic comprehension. The Simple View explains variance in reading comprehension and provides a good framework to guide the classification of reading disorders. This paper discusses how weaknesses in either or both of components of the Simple View are implicated in children’s reading comprehension difficulties. It concludes with reflections on the strengths and limitations of the Simple View as a theoretical and practical framework to guide our understanding of reading comprehension and its development.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"24 1","pages":"47 - 73"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2019-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2019.1609272","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43640504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-01-02DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2019.1613437
Elif Polat, K. Cagiltay, Ç. Aykut, N. Karasu
ABSTRACT Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) typically do not perform at the expected levels of academic achievement. Tangible mobile applications are learning devices that allow for physical engagement and multisensory interaction. They present as promising tools to facilitate learning for students with SLD. This study explored the use of a tangible mobile application for assisting three seventh-grade Turkish students with SLD to learn scientific principles regarding cell concepts. A multiple-probe design across participants was used to examine the effectiveness of a tangible mobile application. In addition, issues related to usability of the application were also explored. The overall results of the study showed that the tangible mobile application was effective, and the students with SLD were willing to use this application, enjoyed the process, and used the application and objects easily/correctly.
{"title":"Evaluation of a tangible mobile application for students with specific learning disabilities","authors":"Elif Polat, K. Cagiltay, Ç. Aykut, N. Karasu","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2019.1613437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2019.1613437","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) typically do not perform at the expected levels of academic achievement. Tangible mobile applications are learning devices that allow for physical engagement and multisensory interaction. They present as promising tools to facilitate learning for students with SLD. This study explored the use of a tangible mobile application for assisting three seventh-grade Turkish students with SLD to learn scientific principles regarding cell concepts. A multiple-probe design across participants was used to examine the effectiveness of a tangible mobile application. In addition, issues related to usability of the application were also explored. The overall results of the study showed that the tangible mobile application was effective, and the students with SLD were willing to use this application, enjoyed the process, and used the application and objects easily/correctly.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"24 1","pages":"95 - 108"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2019-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2019.1613437","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42640965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-07-03DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2018.1556012
T. Serry
As the incoming editor of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, I humbly thank Dr Wendy Moore for her leadership over recent years and for her tireless patience handing the baton over to me. I also gratefully acknowledge members of the Board of Learning Difficulties Australia for their faith in appointing me as editor of this journal which I believe has great capacity to reach a multidisciplinary audience. Ultimately, this broad lens best serves the needs of individuals with learning difficulties. Three articles are presented in this current issue including an empirical study from the 2017 Learning Difficulties Australia’s Eminent Researcher Award recipient, Professor Anne Castles, along with her co-authors; Drs Vince Polito, Stephen Pritchard and Thushara Anandakumar, all from the Department of Cognitive Science, ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders at Macquarie University [Sydney, Australia] Castles and her colleagues investigated single nonword reading among 64 children who were in their third year of school. These children were divided into strong and weak readers based in previous testing. The authors found that the strong readers made fewer errors reading nonwords compared to the weak readers and further, errors made by the strong readers were more likely to be another nonword that was similar in its presentation. In contrast, errors made by weak readers were far more likely to be a lexicalization of the nonword. Castles et al., conclude that their findings lend weight to the view that strong readers continue to employ their knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondences to tackle words, which stands in contrast to the position held by some other authors that able readers are compromised by applying grapheme-phoneme knowledge. Castles and her colleagues also advocate for the use of nonword testing as a valid means of providing a deep insights into phonological decoding. Peter Westwood’s article comprehensively discusses recent research on spelling; a timely piece given concerns around the developed world about falling standards of spelling ability. Many of you likely to have read previous work by Westwood on spelling and spelling instruction, which, as he argues, often attracts less attention than reading. This current article starts with a succinct overview of key theories about how we learn to spell and he then describes incidental learning and explicit instruction as the two main approaches operating in schools in relation to spelling. Following on, Westwood covers some recurring issues raised in recent research about and/or related to spelling. For example, he notes that the rising fear that texting may have on spelling knowledge may in fact not be overly warranted. He also presents research that emphasizes the importance of teaching students about words and their internal units; particularly morphemes, as an essential component of equipping students with essential knowledge about how to spell. Together with
{"title":"Editorial","authors":"T. Serry","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2018.1556012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2018.1556012","url":null,"abstract":"As the incoming editor of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, I humbly thank Dr Wendy Moore for her leadership over recent years and for her tireless patience handing the baton over to me. I also gratefully acknowledge members of the Board of Learning Difficulties Australia for their faith in appointing me as editor of this journal which I believe has great capacity to reach a multidisciplinary audience. Ultimately, this broad lens best serves the needs of individuals with learning difficulties. Three articles are presented in this current issue including an empirical study from the 2017 Learning Difficulties Australia’s Eminent Researcher Award recipient, Professor Anne Castles, along with her co-authors; Drs Vince Polito, Stephen Pritchard and Thushara Anandakumar, all from the Department of Cognitive Science, ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders at Macquarie University [Sydney, Australia] Castles and her colleagues investigated single nonword reading among 64 children who were in their third year of school. These children were divided into strong and weak readers based in previous testing. The authors found that the strong readers made fewer errors reading nonwords compared to the weak readers and further, errors made by the strong readers were more likely to be another nonword that was similar in its presentation. In contrast, errors made by weak readers were far more likely to be a lexicalization of the nonword. Castles et al., conclude that their findings lend weight to the view that strong readers continue to employ their knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondences to tackle words, which stands in contrast to the position held by some other authors that able readers are compromised by applying grapheme-phoneme knowledge. Castles and her colleagues also advocate for the use of nonword testing as a valid means of providing a deep insights into phonological decoding. Peter Westwood’s article comprehensively discusses recent research on spelling; a timely piece given concerns around the developed world about falling standards of spelling ability. Many of you likely to have read previous work by Westwood on spelling and spelling instruction, which, as he argues, often attracts less attention than reading. This current article starts with a succinct overview of key theories about how we learn to spell and he then describes incidental learning and explicit instruction as the two main approaches operating in schools in relation to spelling. Following on, Westwood covers some recurring issues raised in recent research about and/or related to spelling. For example, he notes that the rising fear that texting may have on spelling knowledge may in fact not be overly warranted. He also presents research that emphasizes the importance of teaching students about words and their internal units; particularly morphemes, as an essential component of equipping students with essential knowledge about how to spell. Together with","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"23 1","pages":"105 - 106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2018-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2018.1556012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46203706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-07-03DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2018.1549088
A. Castles, V. Polito, Stephen C. Pritchard, T. Anandakumar, M. Coltheart
ABSTRACT Nonword reading measures are widely used to index children’s phonics knowledge, and are included in the Phonics Screening Check currently implemented in England and under consideration in Australia. However, critics have argued that the use of nonword measures disadvantages good readers, as they will be influenced by their strong lexical knowledge and err by making word errors (e.g. reading flarm as “farm”). We tested this claim by examining the errors made by a group of 64 Year 2 children when reading aloud a set of simple nonwords. We found that stronger word readers were less likely to make a word error response than weaker word readers, with their most prevalent type of error being another nonword that was highly similar to the target. We conclude that nonword reading measures are a valid index of phonics knowledge, and that these tests do not disadvantage children who are already reading words well.
{"title":"Do nonword reading tests for children measure what we want them to? An analysis of year 2 error responses","authors":"A. Castles, V. Polito, Stephen C. Pritchard, T. Anandakumar, M. Coltheart","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2018.1549088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2018.1549088","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Nonword reading measures are widely used to index children’s phonics knowledge, and are included in the Phonics Screening Check currently implemented in England and under consideration in Australia. However, critics have argued that the use of nonword measures disadvantages good readers, as they will be influenced by their strong lexical knowledge and err by making word errors (e.g. reading flarm as “farm”). We tested this claim by examining the errors made by a group of 64 Year 2 children when reading aloud a set of simple nonwords. We found that stronger word readers were less likely to make a word error response than weaker word readers, with their most prevalent type of error being another nonword that was highly similar to the target. We conclude that nonword reading measures are a valid index of phonics knowledge, and that these tests do not disadvantage children who are already reading words well.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"23 1","pages":"153 - 165"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2018-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2018.1549088","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41754075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-07-03DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2018.1524391
P. Westwood
ABSTRACT This review highlights some areas of current interest in teaching students to spell and how spelling skills develop. The topics covered in the paper include: theories of spelling acquisition, theories guiding effective teaching, the importance of word study approaches across the age range, the influence of technology on learning to spell, spelling for students with English as a second language, current debates concerning spelling standards, and a strong argument for better training for pre- and in-service teachers. There needs to be greater coverage of methods for teaching spelling in schools; and teachers need to have more in-depth metalinguistic knowledge.
{"title":"Learning to spell: enduring theories, recent research and current issues","authors":"P. Westwood","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2018.1524391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2018.1524391","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This review highlights some areas of current interest in teaching students to spell and how spelling skills develop. The topics covered in the paper include: theories of spelling acquisition, theories guiding effective teaching, the importance of word study approaches across the age range, the influence of technology on learning to spell, spelling for students with English as a second language, current debates concerning spelling standards, and a strong argument for better training for pre- and in-service teachers. There needs to be greater coverage of methods for teaching spelling in schools; and teachers need to have more in-depth metalinguistic knowledge.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"23 1","pages":"137 - 152"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2018-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2018.1524391","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48911000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-06-21DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2018.1479975
Emily M. Livingston, L. Siegel, U. Ribary
ABSTRACT Learning disabilities are associated with mental health, behavioural and social difficulties. Developmental dyslexia is a particularly salient example of a learning disability that is associated with social and emotional consequences that are not considered primary features of the disorder. These issues can remain and, in some cases, escalate in adulthood. Practitioners should be made aware of the consequences of the emotional impact of such learning disabilities. The following is a comprehensive review of over 100 journal articles investigating the emotional consequences of developmental dyslexia. Articles published between 1980 and 2018 were found using keywords “dyslexia” and “emotion” or “internalizing behaviour”, “externalizing behaviour”, “depression” or “anxiety”. This review provides an overview of the literature investigating the emotional consequences of developmental dyslexia and suggestions to avoid or at least minimize these consequences on the individual, their family and society are provided.
{"title":"Developmental dyslexia: emotional impact and consequences","authors":"Emily M. Livingston, L. Siegel, U. Ribary","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2018.1479975","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2018.1479975","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Learning disabilities are associated with mental health, behavioural and social difficulties. Developmental dyslexia is a particularly salient example of a learning disability that is associated with social and emotional consequences that are not considered primary features of the disorder. These issues can remain and, in some cases, escalate in adulthood. Practitioners should be made aware of the consequences of the emotional impact of such learning disabilities. The following is a comprehensive review of over 100 journal articles investigating the emotional consequences of developmental dyslexia. Articles published between 1980 and 2018 were found using keywords “dyslexia” and “emotion” or “internalizing behaviour”, “externalizing behaviour”, “depression” or “anxiety”. This review provides an overview of the literature investigating the emotional consequences of developmental dyslexia and suggestions to avoid or at least minimize these consequences on the individual, their family and society are provided.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"23 1","pages":"107 - 135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2018-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2018.1479975","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43942219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-02DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2018.1482933
Wendy M. Moore
Learning difficulties constitute the lived experiences of children and adults with unique dispositions and cognitive profiles who find themselves in learning environments that offer both opportunities and challenges. Young people and adults with learning difficulties go to schools, attend clinics and pursue further education. In this issue of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, these different contexts provide the backdrop for an exploration of the nature and impact of learning difficulties and disabilities. The challenges experienced by the individuals discussed in this issue include reading difficulties, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, non-verbal learning disability and Down syndrome. The learning contexts involved include mainstream primary schools and high schools, special education schools and university. The authors contributing to this issue have been particularly interested in the interaction between the individuals and the learning contexts in which they find themselves, and have explored, through surveys and case studies, how individuals might experience these contexts and be supported in their learning. Lim, Arciuli, and Munro (2017, this issue) have investigated the impact of an established literacy intervention programme, Multilit, on the reading strategies of five students with Down syndrome. The importance of students with Down syndrome acquiring functional literacy skills cannot be overstated, and this study provides a useful and ecologically valid contribution to research in this area. The investigators used a case study approach to identify changes in the reading skills of the students, aged 11– 15 years, by analysing reading errors and tracking reading fluency. The context of this study was particularly interesting; the authors chose to investigate the reading skills of the students in the naturalistic context of shared parent–child story reading. The possible contribution of the Mulitlit intervention to changes in error type and increased reading fluency is considered. It is very important that researchers and practitioners come to understand the range of challenges faced by individual learners in school, vocational education and university settings. Non-verbal learning disability confers one such challenge. Non-verbal learning disability is much less commonly diagnosed than dyslexia or language impairment, although it can also impact significantly on learning to read and general classroom functioning. In a comprehensive exploration, Brenchley and Costello (2018, this issue) use a case study approach to highlight how this condition affects students in the context of their school experiences. The features and presentation of non-verbal learning disabilities are explained, and their impact on classroom and social functioning teased out. The impact of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder on adolescent boys in the classroom is explored by Gibbs (2017, this issue). The article is again based on a small, c
{"title":"EDITORIAL","authors":"Wendy M. Moore","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2018.1482933","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2018.1482933","url":null,"abstract":"Learning difficulties constitute the lived experiences of children and adults with unique dispositions and cognitive profiles who find themselves in learning environments that offer both opportunities and challenges. Young people and adults with learning difficulties go to schools, attend clinics and pursue further education. In this issue of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, these different contexts provide the backdrop for an exploration of the nature and impact of learning difficulties and disabilities. The challenges experienced by the individuals discussed in this issue include reading difficulties, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, non-verbal learning disability and Down syndrome. The learning contexts involved include mainstream primary schools and high schools, special education schools and university. The authors contributing to this issue have been particularly interested in the interaction between the individuals and the learning contexts in which they find themselves, and have explored, through surveys and case studies, how individuals might experience these contexts and be supported in their learning. Lim, Arciuli, and Munro (2017, this issue) have investigated the impact of an established literacy intervention programme, Multilit, on the reading strategies of five students with Down syndrome. The importance of students with Down syndrome acquiring functional literacy skills cannot be overstated, and this study provides a useful and ecologically valid contribution to research in this area. The investigators used a case study approach to identify changes in the reading skills of the students, aged 11– 15 years, by analysing reading errors and tracking reading fluency. The context of this study was particularly interesting; the authors chose to investigate the reading skills of the students in the naturalistic context of shared parent–child story reading. The possible contribution of the Mulitlit intervention to changes in error type and increased reading fluency is considered. It is very important that researchers and practitioners come to understand the range of challenges faced by individual learners in school, vocational education and university settings. Non-verbal learning disability confers one such challenge. Non-verbal learning disability is much less commonly diagnosed than dyslexia or language impairment, although it can also impact significantly on learning to read and general classroom functioning. In a comprehensive exploration, Brenchley and Costello (2018, this issue) use a case study approach to highlight how this condition affects students in the context of their school experiences. The features and presentation of non-verbal learning disabilities are explained, and their impact on classroom and social functioning teased out. The impact of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder on adolescent boys in the classroom is explored by Gibbs (2017, this issue). The article is again based on a small, c","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"23 1","pages":"1 - 3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2018-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2018.1482933","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41997511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-02DOI: 10.1080/19404158.2017.1341422
T. Serry, J. Oates, P. Ennals, Annie Venville, Anne Williams, E. Fossey, G. Steel
Abstract This study explored the experiences of university students who identified as always having had reading difficulties. Thirty-three participants, all from one Australian university, were surveyed and 10 were also interviewed. Findings revealed that many shared academic challenges related to studying, along with a belief that their difficulties were not well understood by staff or peers. While participants disclosed many similar personal struggles related to completing their studies, positive attributes such as determination and time management strategies were frequently mentioned as instrumental in allowing them to reach university. Experiences were more variable regarding awareness of, access to, and satisfaction with university-based support and academic adjustments. To facilitate optimal inclusive educational practices, this study supports the need for greater awareness among staff about challenges faced by these university students along with a more individualised and targeted approach to providing them with academic supports and accommodations.
{"title":"Managing reading and related literacy difficulties: University students’ perspectives","authors":"T. Serry, J. Oates, P. Ennals, Annie Venville, Anne Williams, E. Fossey, G. Steel","doi":"10.1080/19404158.2017.1341422","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2017.1341422","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study explored the experiences of university students who identified as always having had reading difficulties. Thirty-three participants, all from one Australian university, were surveyed and 10 were also interviewed. Findings revealed that many shared academic challenges related to studying, along with a belief that their difficulties were not well understood by staff or peers. While participants disclosed many similar personal struggles related to completing their studies, positive attributes such as determination and time management strategies were frequently mentioned as instrumental in allowing them to reach university. Experiences were more variable regarding awareness of, access to, and satisfaction with university-based support and academic adjustments. To facilitate optimal inclusive educational practices, this study supports the need for greater awareness among staff about challenges faced by these university students along with a more individualised and targeted approach to providing them with academic supports and accommodations.","PeriodicalId":44419,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties","volume":"23 1","pages":"30 - 5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2018-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/19404158.2017.1341422","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45575030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：