Bridging the Gap: Student-Centered Strategies for Promoting the Transfer of Learning

Abstract

Critical to the success of any instructional intervention is the inclusion of strategies for promoting the application of learned skills in settings where they are required. For students receiving instruction in special education resource rooms, it is important that teachers recognize the need to plan for the transfer of targeted skills to other educational environments. Three data-based strategies for promoting the transfer of skills from special education resource rooms to regular classrooms are presented within the conceptual framework of transenvironmental programming. An argument is made for increased student involvement in the decision-making surrounding the adoption of each strategy and student-centered recommendations for implementation are provided.

Examining a Preteaching Framework to Improve Fraction Computation Outcomes Among Struggling Learners

“…Students with learning disabilities (Burns, Dean, & Foley, 2004;Hawkins, Hale, Sheely, & Ling, 2011;Munk, Gibb, & Caldarella, 2010), emotional and behavioral disabilities (Anderson-Inman, 1986;Beck, Burns, & Lau, 2009), intellectual disabilities (Rose, 1984), and struggling learners (Carnine, 1980;Lalley & Miller, 2006) have all benefited from preteaching. The research base on preteaching extends across multiple content areas including science vocabulary instruction (Koury, 1996;Munk, Gibb, & Caldarella, 2010), reading comprehension (Burns, Dean, & Foley, 2004), reading fluency (Rose, 1984), and math computations (Carnine, 1980;Lalley & Miller, 2006).…”

Knowledge and Perceptions of Students with Disabilities in Regard to a Resource Room in a Private School

“…Major criticisms of the resource room are the disruptions in the classroom instruction (Wang, Reynolds & Walberg, 1987), the stigmas associated with leaving the room , uncoordinated instruction with the general curriculum (Johnston, Allington & Afflerbach, 1985) and the inability to transfer skills learned (Anderson-Inman, 1986). Haynes and Jenkin (1986) caution not to treat all resource rooms the same.…”

Reinforcer Preferences of Secondary Students with Disabilities

“…Mainstreaming is another factor to examine in choosing reinforcers. Students who are being prepared for entry into a regular education setting should be weaned from any specialized reinforcers available in the special education milieu and taught to respond to the reinforcers that are used in their mainstreamed placement (Anderson-Inman, 1986). Special educators can identify reinforcers used in the mainstreamed settings by observing classes and meeting with teachers (Salend, 1990).…”