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A growing body of research suggests that children with language disorders are at risk for social adjustment problems and school failure. This paper provides further evidence regarding this situation, assessing the strength of the relationship between receptive language and social adjustment in a sample of the general population of public school children grades K-2. In addition, variables that predict the social adjustment of elementary-aged public school children are investigated. The results of this study indicated that small to moderate correlations between measures of receptive language and social adjustment were significant. Moreover, receptive language scores, particularly receptive vocabulary, predicted the social skills and academic competence of children. The findings, limitations, and future research needs are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

The results of previous research on the "Language for Learning" programme suggest that it produces positive effects on the intellectual, language, and social skills of young children with and without disabilities [Benner, G. J., Trout, A., Nordness, P. N., Nelson, J. R., Knobel, M. L., Epstein, A.,…Epstein, M. H. (2002). "The effects of the language for learning program on the receptive language skills of kindergarten children." "Journal of Direct Instruction," 2(2), 67-74. Waldron-Soler, K. M., Martella, R. C., Marchand-Martella, N. E., Tso, M. E., Warner, D. A., & Miller, D. E. (2002). "Effects of a 15-week language for learning implementation with children in an integrated preschool." "Journal of Direct Instruction," 2(2), 75-86)]. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of "Language for Learning" on the social adjustment (i.e. social skills, problem behaviours, and academic competence) of a sample of kindergarten children. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the social adjustment of 21 children who received the "Language for Learning" programme with 24 children enrolled in the comparison group. Results indicated that instruction with the "Language for Learning" programme produced statistically significant effects on the social skills of children and educationally meaningful effect sizes on problem behaviour outcomes. Results, limitations, and implications are discussed.

Processing speed plays an important role in numerous facets of life functioning. Language, academic achievement, and behavior are all associated with processing speed; however, researchers have yet to investigate the effect of interventions, particularly language-based interventions, on the processing speed and the behavioral functioning of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. This study examined the effects of a language-based intervention program, Language for Thinking, on the processing speed and emotional and behavioral functioning of students with emotional and behavioral disorders served in self-contained settings. At posttest, the authors found significant reductions on the Child Behavior Checklist: Teacher's Report Form, along with statistically significant gains on the Woodcock-Johnson III NU Tests of Cognitive Abilities Processing Speed Cluster. The authors discuss the limitations and present the implications for future research. (Contains 2 tables.)

The findings of a best-evidence synthesis of the collateral effect of literacy instruction on the social adjustment of students are reported. The goal of the synthesis was to extend the work of Wanzek, Vaughn, Kim, and Cavanaugh (2006) by (a) reviewing treatment-outcomes conducted using group design methodology; (b) focusing on a more defined set of outcome measures; and (c) analyzing outcomes using average effect size estimates as a common metric. Results of the review suggest that effective literacy instruction does not appear to have a collateral effect on the social adjustment of children. Limitations and future directions are presented. (Contains 2 tables.)

Little is known about the academic processing speed (i.e., rapid automatic naming and academic fluency) of children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) served in public school settings. A cross-sectional design was used to investigate the (a) percentage of K-12 students with EBD served in public school settings with academic processing speed deficits; (b) mean level and stability of academic processing speed exhibited by K-12 students with EBD served in public school settings; (c) differences in the academic skills, IQ, social adjustment, and language skills of students with and without processing speed deficits; and (d) the relative contribution of academic processing speed, academic skills, and language to the prediction of the social adjustment problems (i.e., total, externalizing, internalizing, and attention). Results indicated that: (a) a majority of the sample (57%) of students with EBD exhibited academic processing speed deficits; (b) the overall academic fluency standard score was more than three-fourths of a standard deviation below the mean for the norm group; (c) statistically significant differences were found between students with and without processing speed deficits across IQ, language, academic achievement, and social adjustment measures; and (d) with one exception (i.e., internalizing problems), academic fluency predicted all social adjustment domains and predicted total and attention problems above and beyond language or academic skills. Limitations, implications, and areas of future research are discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 1 note.)

Although fundamental beginning reading skills are highly related to later reading success (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000), it remains unclear how these beginning reading skills impact the social adjustment of kindergarten through second grade children. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (a) to examine the strength of the relationship between beginning reading skills (i.e., letter-word identification, word attack, passage comprehension, and auditory comprehension) and social adjustment (i.e., social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence); and (b) to assess the beginning reading skills that predict the social adjustment of elementary aged public school children (K-2). A range of significant correlations was present between measures of beginning reading skills and ratings of social adjustment. In general, early literacy skills and skills of auditory comprehension were significantly and positively associated with measures of social skills and academic competence. In addition, early literacy skills and vocabulary were negatively associated with measures of problem behaviors. Letter-word identification was the best predictor of social skills (? = .41), problem behaviors (? = -.31), and academic competence (? = .66). In addition, vocabulary (? = .17) and overall auditory comprehension (? = .18) predicted social skills and academic competence, respectively. Findings, limitations, and future research needs are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the "Corrective Reading Decoding B1" program on the basic reading skills, social adjustment, and treatment responsiveness of elementary and middle school students with high-incidence disabilities (N = 51). Students were provided an average of 3 40-45 min lessons per week over the course of nearly 4 months. Statistically and educationally significant improvements were found between students who received "Corrective Reading Decoding Level B1" (n = 28) and those in the comparison condition (n = 23) on measures of basic reading skills and social adjustment. Statistically significant differences were found in the pretest and posttest percentages of the "Corrective Reading" condition nonresponders (i.e., students who fail to acquire beginning reading skills within the normal range) on measures of reading fluency (pretest = 79% and posttest = 36%) and basic reading skills (pretest = 50% and posttest = 25%). Thus, a large percentage of students who experienced below average basic reading skills (i.e., nonresponders) at pretest performed in the average range at posttest (i.e., responders). Results, limitations, and implications are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

A plethora of research has indicated that emotional disturbance (ED) and language deficits frequently co-occur. Scant research, however, has examined the characteristics of public school students with comorbid ED and language deficits. Furthermore, researchers have not studied children with IQ and language skill discrepancies. The overall purpose of this cross-sectional study conducted with students in grades K through 12 (N = 69) with ED and comorbid language deficits was to detail the academic and social adjustment characteristics of students with an IQ/language skill discrepancy (i.e., a negative standard deviation difference or greater between IQ and total language score). In addition, the types of dimensional behaviors that predict the language skills of these students was explored. Forty-five percent (n = 69) of the original 152 randomly selected students with ED evinced a language deficit. Students with language deficits were likely to exhibit comorbid written language (46%), reading (41%), and math deficits (31%). Delinquent behavior predicted total and receptive language discrepancy scores of students. Results and limitations are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

The results of previous research on theLanguage for Learningprogramme suggest that it produces positive effects on the intellectual, language, and social skills of young children with and without disabilities [Benner, G. J., Trout, A., Nordness, P. N., Nelson, J. R., Knobel, M. L., Epstein, A.,…Epstein, M. H. (2002). The effects of the language for learning program on the receptive language skills of kindergarten children.Journal of Direct Instruction,2(2), 67–74. Waldron-Soler, K. M., Martella, R. C., Marchand-Martella, N. E., Tso, M. E., Warner, D. A., & Miller, D. E. (2002). Effects of a 15-week language for learning implementation with children in an integrated preschool. Journal of Direct Instruction, 2(2), 75–86)]. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects ofLanguage for Learningon the social adjustment (i.e. social skills, problem behaviours, and academic competence) of a sample of kindergarten children. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the social adjustment of 21 children who received theLanguage for Learningprogramme with 24 children enrolled in the comparison group. Results indicated that instruction with theLanguage for Learningprogramme produced statistically significant effects on the social skills of children and educationally meaningful effect sizes on problem behaviour outcomes. Results, limitations, and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A growing body of research suggests that children with language disorders are at risk for social adjustment problems and school failure. This paper provides further evidence regarding this situation, assessing the strength of the relationship between receptive language and social adjustment in a sample of the general population of public school children grades K-2. In addition, variables that predict the social adjustment of elementary-aged public school children are investigated. The results of this study indicated that small to moderate correlations between measures of receptive language and social adjustment were significant. Moreover, receptive language scores, particularly receptive vocabulary, predicted the social skills and academic competence of children. The findings, limitations, and future research needs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]