The LD Teacher’s IDEA Companion (6-12)

Kinneret feels terrible-she can’t concentrate in class, she’s having nightmares, and her teachers think she is lazy. She fantasizes that a big, white bird will come and carry her away from all of her troubles. Fifth-grade brings someone else to help her, though - a new special education teacher who recognizes that Kinneret is neither lazy nor irresponsible.

This updated comprehensive guide addresses revisions to federal and state discrimination laws, includes educational options that are available to students with learning disabilities, and describes the pros and cons of various therapies.

In the well-researched and compelling Standardized Minds, former journalist and economist Peter Sacks launches an exhaustive attack on the national obsession with testing — and lands a few hits. If you think you’ve heard every argument against standardized tests, think again. Sacks methodically picks away at our feeble attempts to measure the mind, reaching back into the history of testing with unsettling revelations about the creation of the first intelligence test and its many flaws. He deftly illustrates how the belief of inferior cultures motivated the creator of the SAT college entrance exam and takes on all that standardized testing has wrought: ability grouping, gifted programs, state accountability efforts — even the effect on parents whose perceptions of their own children are often shaken by scores on a sheet of paper. Standardized Minds is a persuasive must-read for parents, educators, and lawmakers that challenges our basic assumptions about intelligence and pays homage to the talented minds we may have overlooked in our fervor to rate the human brain.

As a research-based model for improving reading achievement, Response to Intervention (RTI) has demonstrated dramatic results in elementary and middle schools. This practical guide provides a clear vision of what RTI looks like in practice and illustrates how educators can use this highly effective approach to help students acquire grade-appropriate reading skills or make sure students receive the support they need through special education services.

As a teacher in a typical classroom, there are two things you know for sure: Your student… and you’re responsible for helping every one attain the same high standards. This book is the first comprehensive presentation of the principles and applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) — a practical, research-based framework for responding to individual learning differences and a blueprint for the modern redesign of education.

A highly practical resource for special educators and classroom teachers, this book provides specific instructional guidance illustrated with vignettes, examples, and sample lesson plans. Every chapter is grounded in research and addresses the nuts and bolts of teaching math to students who are not adequately prepared for the challenging middle school curriculum. Presented are a range of methods for helping struggling learners build their understanding of foundational concepts, master basic skills, and develop self-directed problem-solving strategies. While focusing on classroom instruction, the book also includes guidelines for developing high-quality middle school mathematics programs and evaluating their effectiveness.