The study compared the effects of repeated readings versus paraphrasing cognitive strategy instruction. Main idea comprehension skills of rural fifth, sixth, and seventh grade learning disabled students with moderate levels of decoding fluency (100 words per minute), and high levels of decoding accuracy (97%) were used. The study also investigated the relative power of combining the two procedures. Results indicated that paraphrasing instruction was superior to the repeated readings procedures. Pairing repeated readings with the paraphrasing strategy was no more effective than teaching the paraphrasing strategy alone. Instructional implications are discussed.

Thirty learning disabled students were given several reading passages for which they first had to identify and then remember the main ideas. Students were randomly assigned in equal numbers to three experimental conditions. In the control condition, subjects were simply taught what a main idea is in accordance with a direct-instruction format; in the monitoring condition, students were taught how to self-question in order to monitor and check their progress toward identifying the main idea of each passage. Finally, subjects in the mnemonic condition were taught to use an adaptation of the mnemonic “keyword method” to create an interactive image between the keyword for the passage title and the main idea for the passage. Consistent with predictions based on both a comprehension-versus-memory distinction and a selective-strategy principle, the monitoring strategy was most effective for main-idea finding, whereas the mnemonic strategy was most effective for main-idea remembering. Implications for theory and practice are considered.

A 7-year, 11-month-old, learning disabled boy with attentional problems was taught to self-monitor his on- and off-task behavior by using an audiotape recorder to cue his self-recording. Using a combination of multiple baseline across responses (handwriting and math) and reversal designs, on-task behavior increased dramatically under treatment conditions for both handwriting and math. Academic response rate also increased for handwriting and, especially, math. In an attempt to “wean” the child from possible reliance on the external (tape recorder) signal to self-record, two other treatment conditions were added. The subject was first instructed to self-record without the aid of tape-recorded signals; then, self-recording was discontinued and he was simply to praise himself for being on task. Both conditions led to high levels of on-task behavior and academic output. A one-month followup for math after the experiment found a continued high level of on-task behavior. The relative efficacy of external reinforcement treatments versus more cognitively based approaches such as self-monitoring is discussed.

The use of self-report measures for the assessment of depression in children has gained wide popularity as a component in the evaluation of children's mental health and well-being. However, the extent to which children are reliable and consistent reporters of their depressive symptoms is sometimes called into question. This study examined the test-retest reliability of children's reports of depressive symptomatology on the Reynolds Child Depression Scale (RCDS; Reynolds, 1989a). The sample consisted of 220 children, in grades 3 through 6, representing a cross-section of ethnic groups. Children were tested twice, with a 4-week interval between testings. Results showed a high degree of stability in children's responses to the RCDS, with a test-retest reliability coefficient of .85 for the total sample, and a mean difference between testings of less than 2 points. Test-retest reliability coefficients were also computed for males and females, for each grade, and for white, black, Hispanic, and Asian children. Overall, the results lend strong support for the reliability and stability of children's self-reported depressive symptomatology as assessed by the RCDS.

The first portion of this article describes the development and validation of a classroom observation measure. The goal of the measure was to assess the quality of reading instruction provided to first-grade English learners. We report the internal consistency reliability, interrater reliability, the development of empirically derived subscales, and the criterion-related validity of the subscales. The latter was moderately high for three of the six subscales (range = .62—.65) and moderate for the three others (range = .49—.57). The second portion of this article includes a contrasted groups analysis of the four classes with the lowest and highest growth in reading. We conclude with a presentation of the major themes and issues that emerged in the qualitative field notes.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to (a) compare Tier 2 evidence-based intensive reading instruction to business-as-usual instruction for sixth graders with and without learning disabilities who were "far below" or "below" basic level in literacy and (b) explore the development of a response-to-inter vention model in middle school. The study took place in a large inner-city urban setting, where 100% of students received free or reduced-price lunch and 90% of the students were considered English learners at some point in their school history. Interven tion students received intensive small-group instruction for 30 hours across 10 weeks. Credential candidates in special education provided the small-group instruction in the treatment condition. Results on oral reading fluency, less so for Maze reading com prehension measures, indicated greater improvements for treat ment students, and students with learning disabilities benefited as much or more than the other struggling sixth graders. Educa tional implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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This study examined literacy instruction in 14 first-grade classrooms of English learners (ELs) in three schools in a large urban school district in southern California over a two-year period. Pre-and posttest measures of oral-reading fluency for 186 first graders, representing 11 native languages, were the outcome data. Reading-fluency data were examined in reference to ratings of literacy practices using the English Learners Classroom Observation Instrument (ELCOI). Results indicated a moderately strong correlation (r = 0.65) between ELCOI rating and gain in oral-reading fluency at the end of first grade. We report patterns of ELs who read below the oral-reading fluency benchmark thresholds and patterns of students who were ultimately labeled with learning disabilities. Instructional practices of teachers rated "high" and "low" are discussed. Educational implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.