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This research attempts to map the trend of research related to differentiated instruction (DI). The research was conducted in May 2023 by researching research articles in the Scopus database. The search data from Scopus used title, abstract, and keyword searches. Research articles were analyzed descriptively based on year of publication, journal name, affiliation, country, and researcher name. The article database from Scopus was analyzed through VOSviewer and RStudio software so that a bibliometric map could be depicted in research related to DI. Based on the Scopus analysis results, it showed that publications of articles related to DI had increased from 2011 to 2021, although it decreased in 2016. The journal with the largest contributor to the publication of research articles related to DI was the Teaching and Teacher Education Journal. Vrije Universitiet Brusel was the university with the most published articles on DI. The country that contributed the most to the research articles related to DI was the United States. Struyven was the most productive scholar related to DI. Through network visualization, it was revealed that the evolution map of research related to DI was divided into five clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the English language textbook "We Can" for the early elementary stage in light of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards. The researcher used the descriptive analytical approach represented in the content analysis tool and the questionnaire to achieve the studies. objectives. The two tools included 5 Cs standards: communications, connections, cultures, comparisons, and communities. The study sample consisted of four books for the English language curriculums. "We Can," including the student's book and activity book for primary. (first, second, and third) grades. The participants of the study consisted of (249) male and female English language teachers at the primary stage in Makkah City to investigate their perceptions of the availability of ACTFL standards in the English language curricula. The results of the study revealed the following: communications. standards in the context of English language curriculums came at a rate of 74.9%, which is a high degree of availability. From the point of view of the perceptions, the degree of agreement was high, and the general average for the dimension was 3.43. The degree of availability of communities' standards is high, at a rate of 13.5%, and the general average for the dimension is 3.5. from the point of view of the participants of the study. The connections' standards came at a rate of 2.2%, and the general average was 3.34, which is a medium degree of availability. As for cultures' standards came at a rate of 4.5%, the general average was 2.38, and comparisons' standards came at a rate of 5%, and the general average was 2.31. Finally, the study ended with some recommendations and suggestions for further. studies such as designing and developing the English language. curriculums for the primary stages in light of the ACTFL.

The research aims to determine the effect of the directed imagination strategy in developing basic motor skills for slow learners in the city of Kirkuk. There are statistically significant differences between the results of the post-tests of the experimental and control groups of the basic motor skills of the slow-learning pupils in the city of Kirkuk. The researchers used the experimental approach by designing two equal groups with a pre-test and post-test as appropriate to the nature of the research. The research sample is composed of the first and second grade students (special education) in Al-Miraj Elementary Mixed School and Al-Irada Primary School / Kirkuk Education Department. The total number of the sample was (32) male and female pupils. The Mi'rage primary school was chosen to represent the experimental group while Al-Irada was set as the control one. The teaching plan was prepared according to the strategy of directed imagination, which amounted to (12) plans representing the educational curriculum of the experimental group and applied in (6) weeks. After completing the pre-tests and the post-tests, the results were treated statistically. The researchers concluded that there are significant differences between the students' scores in the post-test and in favor of the experimental group that applied the strategy of directed imagination. Therefore, the researchers concluded the positive effect of the strategy in developing basic motor skills. For this reason, the researchers recommended the adoption of a strategy of directed imagination in physical education lessons for special-needs education classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to find out the impact of teaching with intervention module on learning of the subject Environmental Science among slow learners, studying in the third class of Government Upper Primary Schools of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Out of total 53 slow learners identified from three schools of Jaipur, Rajasthan, slow learners of two schools were taught with intervention module in two different classroom settings: Remedial classes and Inclusive classrooms. The slow learners of the third school were taught with conventional methods by their subject teacher. The result showed significant improvement in the post-test score of slow learners in Environmental Science after being taught with an intervention module in both remedial classes and inclusive classroom settings. However, slow learners taught in inclusive classrooms scored higher in post-test as compared to those taught in remedial classes. No significant difference was found in the post-test score of normal students taught in remedial and inclusive classroom settings. Dealing with slow learners in the classroom is a universal matter of concern for all educators across the world so, the encouraging findings of this study can be an example for them. A simple change in the curriculum, pedagogy and classroom sitting arrangement that is pairing normal students with slow learners (peer tutoring) in regular classroom can bring a remarkable change in the achievement of not only slow learners but also of normal students. Besides this, there is a need for specific strategies and policies for making these students perform on par with normal students, such as allocation of more budget for training the workforce and establishing science and technology resource centers. The findings and limitations of the study suggest several possibilities for future empirical research in other subject at primary, secondary and higher level of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of slow learners has remained a concern for educators due to the burdens on school systems and the social and academic consequences to the learners themselves. An understanding of learning behaviours and cognitive characteristics of slow learners together with their social and educational environment facilitates appropriate intervention strategies. This paper reports part of the findings from a three-year study conducted to identify and support slow learners in learning mathematics at primary schools in Vietnam. Findings indicate both home- and school-based barriers to the academic success of slow-learning students, which highlights the need for individualised support and tailored teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers the first modern explication of the educational writings of Charles Hoole (1610-1667), arguing that his writings offer significant insight into the educational aims and methods of school instructors in seventeenth-century England. From attending to the needs of slow learners, to promoting learning games, to emphasising that children should be treated as rational actors, Hoole's A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching Schoole (1660) fused theoretical expositions on the aims of education with practical recommendations to schoolmasters on how to succeed in these aims. Hoole's writings, as well as the earlier humanist pedagogical treatises of his peers, demonstrate that early and mid-seventeenth-century schoolmasters were already discussing and potentially implementing a number of educational initiatives that historians have traditionally credited to John Locke and later eighteenth-century educational theorists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AdaBoost is a successful machine learning algorithm used in a variety of fields nowadays. However, its performance is sensitive to the number of weak learners in the ensemble. Too few weak learners will result in underfitting to the training data-set and too many of them cause overfitting to the training data-set, both of which result in poor generalisation of the classifier on test data. The standard way to compute the number of weak learners that is optimal for a particular data-set is to use cross-validation; however, it is highly computationally expensive. In this paper, we propose an efficient method that does not require cross-validation or a separate validation set to determine the number of weak learners for use in AdaBoost. Our method is evaluated on eight different publicly available data-sets to demonstrate its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study aimed to determine the role of the special assistant teacher (SAT) compared to the general teacher as English teacher (ET) through instructional interactions in helping slow learner students (SLS) in the English lesson. Twenty-three grade 9 students were observed; interviews were also conducted with the two teachers and several students using semistructured interview guides to determine types of instructional interactions and the role of SAT in helping SLS. Findings from this study indicated that both types of teachers engaged in academic and non-academic interaction with SLS during learning activities. In almost every learning activity, the role of the SAT to the SLS that, the SAT is more dominant than the ET in assisting the SLS. This dominance can lead to both dependence and independence of SLS toward SAT in learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about the importance of coloured books for slow learners. Schools prepare the students to face the competition of the real world by focusing on their overall development. The present study was planned to identify the role of coloured books in developing interest and strengthening content knowledge of slow learners. Through random sampling researcher selected sample of 20 students of Grade 2 from the Government Special Institute Center for slow learners from Jhang Sadar. Researcher selected these 20 students which were divided into two equal groups for comparison. Researcher developed two tests; Test 1 (TACB) was administered to students of Group 1 who were taught with the help of colour books. Test 2 (TABAWB) was administered to students of Group 2 who were taught with the help of black and white books. It was seen coloured books had more impact of students (slow learners) then black and white books. Education departments and stake holder and curriculum developers are responsible for choosing books that which type of books are useful for primary level and which types of books are useful for other level (secondary level, higher secondary level graduate level etc.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noncompliance is a common behavior problem exhibited by typically developing children, as well as individuals with intellectual disabilities, and is correlated with a number of psychiatric diagnoses later in life. We begin this manuscript by describing the definition and prevalence of noncompliance. We then review the assessment procedures that ca be used to identify the variables contributing to noncompliance among children. Finally, we describe recent research on both antecedent and consequence-based treatments for noncompliance. A number of specific interventions, including advance notice, the high-p instructional sequence, prompting precursor behaviors, guided compliance, and differential reinforcement, are highlighted. Throughout the review, we provide specific recommendations for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article was to show how transitions are constructed, and to discuss different ways of making the transition from the preschool class to first grade. The analysis is grounded in ethnographic fieldwork. Temporality is used to understand expectations about how transition should be made. The results reveal that some children made their transitions in ways that did not follow the expected timetable. These transitions can be understood as timetable failures, and needed to be made sense of by both children and teachers. These different transitions were an important part of the overall construction of transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 30 years, controversy has reigned over the rights of children with learning disabilities to be educated alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom. Whether this is called integration or inclusion has been another hotly debated discussion among professionals. There have been calls for the abolition of special schools. This paper does not look at the rights of children with learning disabilities to an education in an inclusive setting but the rights of adults with severe or profound learning disabilities to lifelong education and well-being. This paper does not seek for the abolition of special schools but for the extension of their use by their local communities. In 2014, a landmark report on the future of services for people with learning disabilities was launched by Sir Stephen Bubb for NHS England. This was in direct response to the Winterbourne scandal in 2011 and the ensuing years in between with the failure to move people out of inappropriate institutional care. Only by the use of already available community provision can we achieve a move from institution to community. There is no pot of money available to build necessary centres and facilities. The health service, social services and education as well as local councils need to work together to achieve a dramatic turnaround for local communities where everybody is treated equally. In tackling this challenge, we need people to grasp the true meaning of community delivery and the empowerment of people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities and their families. Reinders argues for a paradigm shift in our relation to people with profound and multiple disabilities and their parents (Reinders, ). While I agree wholeheartedly with him I also believe there needs to be a paradigm shift in how we view and use special schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In today's hi-tech and fast track world, the role of education has its own significance. Multiple and innovative modes of education are being introduced. Educating a child in the present era is more of a challenge than ever before. In this fast seam, we cannot leave behind - a large group of children with special needs. Since special children are less likely to interact with the world, as it is. The research focuses on developing a user-friendly system that diverts from the conventional teaching methods for special children suffering from Cerebral Palsy (CP), Dyslexia and slow learning. As commonly observed that children suffering from any special problem simply results in cutting them off socially from the rest of the world especially in the third world countries that are already deprived of fundamental needs. Not only is there a need of an innovative method and more technology- friendly solution but also the one with fewer financial overheads. Keeping in view the above mentioned issues a solution is designed to address this problem in a very economical way. A system comprising of the special child, his/her parents, instructor and a psychologist has been proposed. This will not only help in educating the child but also provide an environment both socially functional and academically sound. Thus improving student interaction, progress and monitoring. The Kinect technology will be brought into use along with a keyboard, mouse and any available touch technology. Gestures of students will be recognized by the Kinect device and a less tedious and a paper-free working environment will be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University-based enabling programs have become an important pathway to university for non-traditional students. There is increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms that facilitate retention and success of enabling pathway students, with the aim of developing effective strategies for maximising opportunities for university access and participation. The current study focuses on an Australian enabling program that has achieved and sustained high retention rates, with three-quarters of its 2115 students that enrolled during the last seven years (2008 - 2014) retained until the end of the program. Further, 90 per cent of retained students were successful in receiving an offer to university; and 94 per cent of students that received an offer subsequently enrolled in an undergraduate course. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that demographic and prior educational factors explained little about student retention in the program. The main reasons cited for withdrawal were medical or emotional issues, and family problems or responsibilities. Overall, this data suggests that both pre-program conduct and in-program practices may enhance student retention outcomes. Specifically, practices that support the development of strong peer and tutor-student relationships, and that foster community connections, are thought to provide a significant and positive influence on student retention in enabling programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines shifts in, and variations of, differentiation, diversification and specialisation and their impact on missions and mandates of different institutional types in South Africa. It explores patterns and how these might encourage institutional 'mission drift', arguing that, in practice, institutions are positioned on a continuum. While legally mandated institutional boundaries are still common, there is increasing support for the blurring of these boundaries because of changing conditions in the new economy. Mission drift could be attributed to the decline in government funding, increasing private contribution and entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the differences in procedural learning abilities between children with DCD and typically developing children by investigating the steps that lead to skill automatization (i.e., the stages of fast learning, consolidation, and slow learning). Transfer of the skill to a new situation was also assessed. We tested 34 children aged 6–12 years with and without DCD on a perceptuomotor adaptation task, a form of procedural learning that is thought to involve the cerebellum and the basal ganglia (regions whose impairment has been associated with DCD) but also other brain areas including frontal regions. The results showed similar rates of learning, consolidation, and transfer in DCD and control children. However, the DCD children's performance remained slower than that of controls throughout the procedural task and they reached a lower asymptotic performance level; the difficulties observed at the outset did not diminish with practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A study of the retelling and comprehension difficulties in school students with Specific learning disorders (SLD) was conducted. The slow transition from letter-by-letter decoding to identification of a group of letters difficult the students from grade (AE) 2 with SLD in some cases they would not understand the text they had read. When reading a non-studied text most of grade (AE) 3 and 4 students with SLD experienced difficulties in finding the logical links, and they reproduced the text by changing its chronological sequence, and therefore they understood superficially (partially) what they had read. Difficulties in reading did not always allow these students independently to differentiate and acquire the information about the meaning of unfamiliar words contained in the context, and therefore they were not able reliably to reproduce the text they had read. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation reports on a conceptual replication of Goldman et al. (2012) which sought to determine processing patterns of better and poorer learners as they attempted to comprehend and learn from seven textual sources on the Internet in their native language English. The aim of the current investigation was to explore how reading multiple textual sources in the L2 interacts with sense making, monitoring and evaluation processes during reading and researching on the Internet. Nineteen intermediate and advanced learners of German were asked to outline the position of the German government regarding immigration. L2 readers received a selection of five Internet sources which varied in reliability and appropriateness for the research assignment. Students' reading behavior was recorded through think-aloud protocols. The findings only partially replicated Goldman et al. Better learners used significantly more varied reading strategies overall than poorer learners. Their reading behavior was marked by greater use of self-explanation and monitoring. Better learners also skipped more unfamiliar words. Nevertheless, neither group of L2 readers employed reading and research skills that lead to a coherent intertext model fulfilling the goal of the research task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most of the English as a Second Language classrooms input is supplied without considering and understanding learners by the teachers due to the administrative pressure and teachers' ignorance. On many occasions, the task of the educational administrators is merely completing the syllabus before the end of the semester/year in order to conduct the semester-end examination/year-end examination without considering the quality of the outcome. Therefore, the effectiveness of the classroom input becomes questionable and in this particular situation, the achievement rate of the learners frequently indicates the insufficient proficiency level in any basic skills. In reality, it is an acceptable fact that every learner is unique in the classroom and their approach to language learning differs across individuals. Thus the classroom teaching system needs to be remodelled to cater to these learners' requirements. In order to provide adequate and appropriate insightful ideas, this article attempts to discuss some major facts pertinent to the differentiated instruction; therefore it chiefly aims to focus on how teachers can successfully investigate some major learner factors (internal/external) before they embark on to implement their teaching programme and also how successfully they can implement differentiated instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A Slow Learner (SL) is one who has the ability to learn necessary academic skills but at a rate and depth below average of the same age peers. Aims: To identify SL we have to judge them not just by their grade level, but by the fact that they master skills slowly, have difficulty following multistep directives, live in the present and do not have long term goals. The remedial measures for these SL were repetition, peer tutoring, enhancing their self-esteem and improve confidence. With correct monitoring, support and feedback from a teacher facilitator peer tutoring can provide deeper learning, reduce dropout, and improve social behavior. Objective: The aim was to identify SL and to peer tutor them. Material and Methods: In a group of 106 students in the first year of MBBS in a college in Mauritius 20 students were identified as SL, out of the other 86 students 2 to 3 students were selected as peer tutors. The sample size on which the questionnaire was used to determine slow learners were 106 out of which 20 were found to be slow learners. The peer tutors were selected among the 106 students. The facilitator trained the tutors. Conclusion: In our Institute we found an alarming 15-18% of SL. The SL responded positively to the peer tutoring and a significant number improved their academic performance. Peer tutoring has significant cognitive gains for both tutor and tutees. Peer tutoring improves self-confidence, academic achievement, improves their attitude towards the subject matter and encourages greater persistence in completing tasks. Identifying SL has many pitfalls as we should confirm that they are not 'reluctant' or 'struggling' learners but SL [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, numerous laboratory investigations have been arguing that infants are numerically competent. This work presents a critical review of this line of research. We propose that despite the repertoire of numerical abilities attributed to infants and the seemingly natural character of the very first numbers in the numerical series, the semiotic complexity of their use and comprehension poses a cognitive challenge that children undertake, motivated, supported and often guided by others. This challenge involves a high degree of semiotic organization of the material world as well as an ability to manage early sign systems, systems which children learn how to use during their first years of life and which form the platform on which numbers are based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes to make an analysis of the effectiveness of applying differentiated instruction into the physical education lessons, for 12- 13 years old pupils with visual impairments. In this regard, two groups were formed: an experimental group and a control group. An initial evaluation was applied, which established the value groups, followed by the administration of a differentiated instruction program and in the end the subjects were tested again. A significant progress was recorded regarding suppleness for the pupils included in the experimental group of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling differentiated instruction is one way to demonstrate how educators can incorporate instructional strategies to address students' needs, interests, and learning styles. This article discusses how secondary teacher candidates learn to focus oncontent—the “what” of instruction;process—the “how” of instruction; andproduct—the “evidence” of instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this meta-analysis, the impact of writing interventions on the quality of writing produced by students with learning disabilities (LD) was assessed. Ancestral and electronic searches were used to locate experimental, quasi-experimental, and within-subjects design studies with participants in Grades 1–12 with documented LD. The effects of writing interventions on participants’ writing quality were averaged across 43 eligible studies to calculate an average weighted mean effect size (ES). Average weighted mean ES were also calculated for six writing treatment subgroups that contained four or more studies each (i.e., strategy instruction, dictation, procedural facilitation, prewriting, goal setting, and process writing). Overall, writing interventions had a statistically significant positive impact on the writing quality of students with LD (ES = 0.74). All writing treatment subgroups also had positive average weighted ES, but only four were statistically different from zero (i.e., strategy instruction ES = 1.09, dictation ES = 0.55, goal setting ES = 0.57, and process writing ES = 0.43). In addition, treatments designed specifically to enhance writing processes (e.g., planning, revising) were only effective when instruction was provided. Implications for the types of writing treatments and the types of instruction that may be most beneficial to students with LD are discussed and directions for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study describes how in-service teachers in the pre-vocational sector in Mauritius adopted specific strategies to overcome the language barrier in the learning of science (Van Driel, Verloop & de Vos, 1998). Students of form III were taught few basic ideas related to "Earth & Space" through the use of role play and ICT. The concepts chosen for this study were 'occurrence of day and night', 'relative positions and motions of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun' and 'main constituents of our solar system'. Classroom observations, focus group discussions with students, interviews with educators and post-test for students show that role play and ICT can potentially overcome the language barrier in the learning of science at pre-vocational level. Findings reveal that reading and writing should be kept to a minimum while use of Mother Tongue (Kreol language) and hands-on activities with oral interactions must be encouraged during lessons conducted in pre-vocational schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and advocates who argue for increased recognition of gifted students with learning disabilities (G/LD students) often frame their arguments in terms of the need to increase the diversity and inclusiveness of gifted education. However, the criteria used to identify G/LD students are sufficiently vague and fluid that the G/LD category can serve as a vehicle for the very elitism and social class reproduction that the category's advocates abhor. Empirical research suggests that G/LD students often fail to satisfy traditional criteria for either aspect of their label, while the incentives of the classification are nonetheless evident to knowledgeable parents and school personnel. Implications of these findings for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents some key aspects of the of differentiated teaching as a modern conceptual approach and practical technology organization of students in the classroom based on their individual needs. Revealed theoretical foundations of differentiated teaching and fundamental principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current state of identification practices for learning disabilities could reasonably be characterized as "in flux." In a 2010 interview, Don Hammill, a pioneer in the field, observed that one of the greatest problems "was our complete failure to develop operational criteria that could be used to identify (diagnose) children with learning disabilities and to delineate these children from underachieving or slow learners" (Chamberlain, 2010, p. 315). The problem of LD identification has been most recently approached through the movement away from an aptitude-achievement discrepancy system - the "wait to fail" approach - and toward a Response to Intervention (RTI) model. Another example of the state of identification practices is shown by the July/August of 2011 edition of the Journal of Learning Disabilities, a topical issue with all the articles dealing with dynamic assessment practices. In one of the articles, Wagner and Compton (2011) stated that "it is unlikely that adopting an RTI model for identification will speed up the process and might even delay it" (p. 311). With these concerns in mind, the Evaluation Planning Guide offers a research-based method for selecting assessment tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading comprehension is a complex skill that places significant demands on students, beginning with elementary school and continuing through the secondary grades. In this article, we provide an overview of possible factors associated with problems in reading comprehension among secondary students with learning disabilities. Discussion underscores the fact that comprehension problems are evidenced by a heterogeneous group of students. We argue that it is important for teachers to align an intervention with a specific area of difficulty (e.g., teaching prefixes and suffixes to increase reading vocabulary). We highlight research-based interventions advocated by the National Reading Panel and offer ways that teachers can match specific strategies with the individual needs of students with problems in reading comprehension. Finally, we emphasize that whatever strategy is selected, it should be structured, explicit, scaffolded, and intense (Williams et al., 2005). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In The Netherlands, the percentage of struggling readers in the 1st year of formal reading instruction is about 25%. This problem inspired us to develop the Reading Acceleration Programme. To evaluate the effectiveness of this programme, a quasi-experiment is carried out. The teachers in the experimental group have been trained to improve their core instruction, to broaden their instruction for struggling learners, and to implement special measures for pupils who do not respond sufficiently to these interventions. A significant difference was found on the post-tests for measuring reading of single words and reading whole sentences, after correcting for pre-test, age, intelligence, socioeconomic status, and ethnic minority. Furthermore, the programme turned out to reduce the percentage of struggling readers in the experimental group from over 28% to less than 6%. In the follow-up study, the overall effects remained to a moderate degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Current methods for detecting growth of students’ problem-solving skills in math focus mainly on analyzing changes in test scores. Score-level analysis, however, may fail to reflect subtle changes that might be evident at the item level. This article demonstrates a method for studying item-level changes using data from a multiwave experiment with a teaching method called enhanced anchored instruction (EAI). The analysis combines a mixture Rasch model for detecting individual differences within latent groups with a latent transition analysis model for tracking changes in latent group membership over the course of EAI. The analysis clearly indicates the effects of EAI and how they differ for members of each latent class. Comparisons are provided with a standard analysis of changes in test scores. Implications of the new approach are discussed for detecting subtle transformations in the math performance of students across a range of ability levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The alphasyllabary of Kannada comprises more than 400 symbols called akshara; each symbol is visuo-spatially complex with a consistent representation at the dual levels of the syllable and the phoneme. We investigated reading difficulties in Kannada among 8-12 year old children by conducting a between-groups followed by a case series analysis. We compared the children with reading difficulties with same age competent readers and younger readers who were similar in language level, matched on measures of vocabulary, syntactic processing, and morphological processing. Reading difficulties were characterized by poor akshara knowledge. Concomitant impairments were in syllable and phoneme level phonological skills, in rapid naming and in oral language skills. The case series analysis highlighted the variability of profiles among poor readers with the most common impairments being in akshara knowledge and phonological processing. Sub-groups of poor readers showed additional deficits in oral language, rapid naming, and visual processing skills. Together our findings indicate that the core deficit associated with reading difficulty in the alphasyllabary of Kannada is in the phonological domain. However, accompanying deficits in related skills, including visual processing, can further inhibit reading attainment. The findings from this study support a multifactorial model of reading development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students retained in first grade, relative to similarly low-achieving students who were promoted, differed in the number of remedial educational services received by students in the pre-retention year and in the repeat year. Study participants were 769 relatively low-achieving first-grade students, of whom 165 were retained in first grade and 604 were promoted. Controlling for students' conditional probability of being retained, based on propensity scores calculated prior to retention, retained students received the same number of services as did promoted students during the pre-retention year. The following year, when retained students were in first grade and promoted students were in second grade, retained students received fewer services than promoted students. Furthermore, retained children had a larger decrease in services from Year 1 to Year 2. These data support the notion that grade retention is being used as the primary intervention instead of a component of a more comprehensive remediation plan. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a third-grade student struggling with reading who participated in one-on-one tutoring. Aspects of the tutorial setting are discussed including the administration of the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) and the Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 (QRI-4), the establishment of a tutorial framework, and the selection of grade-appropriate texts to strengthen reading comprehension. The authors suggest that the case study will be useful for reading teachers.

This paper reports about an innovative collaborative group learning strategy for improving learning achievement of slow learners at secondary school level. The paper highlights that all students are unable to be competent in their learning achievement mainly because of diverse social and mental factors. There are some slow learners in each class due to cognitive differences among students. For present study, the researchers developed an innovative learning plan based on collaborative learning strategy to enhance the learning achievement of slow learners. The analysis showed significant differences in performance of slow learners in their final term examination where they obtained good marks as compared to their mid term /December term examination. The study also reflects that in this process, the slow learners comprehend the concepts and their learning achievement improved when they were provided learning opportunities in collaborative peer groups' leaders. The findings have implications for improving the situation of learning achievement of slow learners through this strategy. The outcome of research shows that this strategy can also be implemented in diverse learning groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]