Treating Reading Disabilities

Eight American specialists in reading and writing disorders contribute nine chapters to this textbook. All chapters have been revised to reflect changes since publication of the 1999 edition, some considerably. Highlights of the second edition include the latest research on subgroups of reading disabilities, the relationship between language and reading disabilities, developmental changes in reading disabilities, and reading, writing, and spelling development. Also included is specific information on improving decoding and word attack skills; new information about IRIs and other procedures to assess comprehension abilities; and new information about spelling in the chapters on writing. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

A high level of literacy in both print and digital media is required for negotiating most aspects of 21st-century life, including supporting a family, education, health, civic participation, and competitiveness in the global economy. Yet, more than 90 million U.S. adults lack adequate literacy. Furthermore, only 38 percent of U.S. 12th graders are at or above proficient in reading. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. The book focuses on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education. It identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population. It also discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment,and accommodations for learning. There is inadequate knowledge about effective instructional practices and a need for better assessment and ongoing monitoring of adult students' proficiencies, weaknesses, instructional environments, and progress, which might guide instructional planning. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school. The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies.

The first comprehensive quantitative analysis of intervention research in the learning disabilities field, this volume synthesizes the results of 272 scientifically credible group and single-subject studies in an effort to identify what works best for learning disabled children. The book examines pertinent findings on all academic, cognitive, and behavioral domains. Intervention outcomes are evaluated across instructional domains, sample characteristics, intervention parameters, methodological procedures, and article characteristics. Addressing such questions as the merits of inclusion settings and the relative benefits of direct and strategy instruction, Swanson offers timely recommendations for instructional design, assessment, and policy.