From the Paper
"Five and a half million children in schools today can be categorized as disabled. This counts for 11-12% of the school population. Additionally, the US Department of Education spends at least thirty billion dollars annually on special education, which accounts for 22% of total education spending (Staples 64). Inclusion, though not defined by law, is commonly known as the process by which young people and adults with disabilities and/or handicaps are mainstreamed into society. It is an attitude/belief system rather than an action or set of actions. As defined in Richard A. Villa and Jacqueline S. Thousand's book, Creating An Inclusive School, inclusion is "a way of life, a way of living together, based on a belief that each individual is valued and does belong" (6). Inclusion has provoked strong and often differing opinions within both general and special education. Critics disagree with the expected success of inclusive practices. However, inclusive education creates a sense of community, promotes equality in the classroom, and provides strategies to include learning disabled students successfully. Therefore, inclusion is beneficial to all students and must be recognized as educational reform that will result in a successful organizational change toward inclusion."

Tags:children, classroom, collaborative, disability, equal, exclusion, inclusion, learning, normalization, opportunities, peers, school, special, students, teaching

Abstract
This paper defines and examines the different types of learning disabilities that affect children. The author looks at research studies that compare the achievement of children with learning disabilities like dyslexia with children who are not impaired by a disability. The paper discusses LDs in conjunction with behavioral and emotional disabilities as well. The paper also mentions strategies that may improve the educational goals of children with LDs.

From the Paper
"It is not easy to say who is a learning disabled. A lot of arguments have taken place for a certain time in order to classify the learning disabled. According to the term "specific learning disability" means a disorder in one or more basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations."

Tags:education, teach, method, brain, dysfunction, dyslexia, behavior, emotional, research, children, language, training

Abstract
This paper examines the benefits and disadvantages of inclusion programs from the point of view of the student as well as the teacher.
Inclusion means keeping special education students in regular classrooms and bringing the special support services to them. It discusses the affect it has on the children's education and on their parents. It details the types of schools where inclusion is more successful and where it is less successful. It discusses psychological and educational research done on this issue and presents its conclusions. It discusses several relevant education models such as: The itinerant model, used for certain categories of special education and the consultation model, when the teacher remains in one or two buildings with larger numbers of students to serve.

From the Paper
"In schools where collaboration was successfully implemented, the special needs children developed improved social skills, greater motivation to learn, and increased self-esteem. Positive peer relationships developed. In these situations, "Collaboration brought complementary professional skills to planning, preparation, and delivery of classroom instruction" [Ripley, 1997]. "The concepts of individualized instruction, multiple learning styles, team teaching, weekly evaluation, and detailed planning are all of direct benefit to students "[Ripley, 1997] Middle Schools easily lend themselves to the principles of collaboration. Collaboration is an important process of general education of Middle School Students where interdisciplinary teams often share in planning [Hines, 2001]. Middle school structures can be used as a model for special education inclusion."

Tags:special, general, eductaion, teachers, inclusion, program, students, collaboration, middle, school

Abstract
This paper explains that mainstreaming involves placing special education students in regular classrooms as much as possible and using resource rooms where the student receives special tutoring, review, and instruction. The author defines inclusion as the total integration of special education students and services into the general education classroom, where special education teachers collaborate with general education teachers to teach the entire class. The paper stresses that one of the critical issues in mainstreaming and inclusion is the training of the teachers involved.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Philosophy
Instructional Strategies
Behavior Management Strategies
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The issue of mainstreaming and inclusion need a lot of thought and preparation. Students however learn best when they are among their peers and when they feel safe and comfortable. Usually being included in a regular classroom provides such safety and comfort better than being segregated in a special classroom. The stigma attached to being a special education student takes away that safety and adds some embarrassment to the difficulties the student already faces. However, to include successfully special education students into the regular classroom I would want to make sure some factors are considered. According to Brucker (2000) three important factors are the attitudes of the teachers, parents and students, having an adequate support system and professional skills and knowledge. The atmosphere in the classroom must be a positive one for special education students to feel welcomed and accepted."

Tags:stigma, training, classroom, resource-room, modeling

Abstract
This paper examines how the behaviour modification techniques that have appeared most effective in the special education setting are mainly positive reinforcement and contingency management. It discusses how teachers should attempt to ensure that they provide frequent but variable ratio reinforcement for appropriate behaviour and how they should deny inappropriate behaviour reinforcement by means of time out or other contingency management. It also contends that just as students vary in their learning styles, teachers may need to identify different techniques to be effective for individual students.

From the Paper
"Behaviour modification techniques using the theories of operant conditioning include positive and negative reinforcement, contingency management, and operant aversion therapy. Positive reinforcement aims to increase the frequency of a behaviour by giving the subject a reinforcer (or reward) for the behaviour. In the educational setting, the reinforcer may be combined with the feedback that the behaviour is correct and or appropriate, taking the form of praise, recognition, ticks, stamps, stickers, or good marks. (Favaro, 1986 as cited in Laird, 1992). Some students may not respond to these less concrete reinforcers and a more concrete reward may be required. "

Tags:positive, reinforcement, contingency, management

Abstract
This paper explains that, through language, people formulate and express their thoughts, suggesting that learning a second language is a complex task, not simply a matter of learning a system of rules for linking sounds and meanings. The author believes that bilingual children in Singapore should be encouraged to speak their first language and should be assisted to learn English as their second language because the government and society put constant pressure on children to master English to survive economically. The paper relates that materials used in teaching multilevel and age group children must be authentic developmentally and age-appropriate and be related to their prior experience in learning English as a second language.


Table of Contents
Introduction
Multilevel and Multi Age Group
Recommendations for ESL Teachers
Deculturation
Recommendations for ESL Teachers
Conclusion

From the Paper
"When teaching TESOL along with the first language, teachers should keep in mind some important factors. They should carry out effective practices such as simplifying the language used, incorporating a variety of learning styles as different children learn differently though their aim is to learn English. Teachers should prepared to give some extra time to process the answer and the questions being asked. Educators should remember not to correct grammar constantly as these children are learning English as a second language compared to their first. Children will get frustrated and be hesitant to speak if they are constantly being corrected. Instead, model the correct English structure to the child. For example, if a child incorrectly says, "He no giving to me the paper." The teacher could model the correct structure, while clarifying meaning: "He didn't give you the paper?" "

Tags:age-graded, government, dominant, simplifying, fustration

Abstract
This paper shows how many researchers identify dyslexia as a specific and significant impairment in reading abilities which is unrelated to other general or particular abilities. The present study is intended to indicate whether reading ability is significantly correlated with laterality, a hemisphere fixation that causes a weakness in the ability to associate a letter and its sound, and perception of the rhythm in sounds as possible causes and core difficulties in pathogenesis of dyslexia.

From the Paper
"Dyslexia denotes significant difficulty in language function which affects the learning process in one or more of reading, spelling and writing. Accompanying weaknesses may be identified in areas of spoken language, motor skills, short-term memory, auditory and/or visual perception and sequencing. This disorder is manifested despite conventional instruction, adequate intellectual capacity, socio-economic and/or cultural background and general motivation ("What is Dyslexia?", 1999)."

Tags:dyslexia, education, special, skill

Abstract
This paper discusses the impact of legislation on the shape of educational services for students with visual impairments. The writer points out four child development theories that are most frequently used to support the practice of early education. The paper also explores support systems for children and parents as well as environmental issues for visually impaired children.

From the Paper
"Students who are blind or visually impaired have received educational services for many years. The first of these services were provided by men and women who, despite the prevailing attitudes and practices of their day, believed that children who were blind were capable of success in education and in life. These early pioneers and the countless others who have come after them have provided a rich, solid foundation for the education of visually impaired students. (Holbrook, Koenig, 2000). Nowadays, students who have very low vision and even those who are blind, usually attend regular classes, although they will require various types of support. This may include specialized lighting and equipment, and the assistance of a teacher's aid. Most school systems have procedures for providing materials in large print or Braille, and computers have hugely increased the access of blind students to a whole range of resources (Foreman, 2001)."

Tags:education, impairments, special, visual

Abstract
This paper explains that, because students come with specific purposes for learning, one of the best ways to keep them motivated is to help them feel progress towards their goals, which are identified by interviewing informally the student. The author points out the importance of engaging ESL learners in communicative (game type) or integrative (short/small activities form larger activities) activities using materials, which are authentic, thereby, aiding the learners in unpredictable spoken language outside the class. The paper relates that students of English conversation must understand the fundamental difference between learning about the language and learning to use it for verbal communication.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Background Information of Interviewee
Report and Commentary on the Information Collected in the Conversation
What are Main Reasons for Learning English for ESL/EFL Learners in Japan?
What Stereotypes Take Place for a Foreign Teacher While Teaching ESL in Japan?
What are Key Features and Problems of ESL Learning in Japan and How can They Be Resolved by ESL Teachers to Achieve Best Results?
What Type of Class is more Desirable for ESL Students?
Does "Cultural Background" Play Any Role in Learning ESL in Japan?
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The learner that I have interviewed generally has a strong first language model back at home in Japan. The interviewee had been in institution and educated at home from young till diploma level. Later, when he came to Australia with pursuing a degree in mind, he had a choice to either take an exam, TOFEL or take up a course with the duration of 3 months to learn English. This is because, his previous education did not meet the requirement of the university that he intended to enroll in. The requirement was that his previous education has to be taught in English for duration of more than 12 months."

Tags:goals, communicative, integrative, conversation, teacher

Abstract
This paper discusses how a great number of students with learning disabilities are at high risk for educational failure because they often have difficulty remembering materials covered in school and how their teachers can help these students improve their performance and their long term success through mnemonic instruction. It examines various studies on the topic and reviews relevant literature. It evaluates how the majority of research indicates that using basic phonetic instruction alone is insufficient, especially for students with learning disabilities. When basic skills are taught in conjunction with mnemonic strategies, memory improves because well established pictures in the memory bank to link new information and trigger a strong electrical impulse to help recall the new information. The research studies have consistently shown that mnemonic strategies can be taught to students of all ages and of all levels of learning disabilities. Studies have also shown that when students are taught mnemonics to help them study, they begin to use mnemonics on a regular basis and also begin to make up their own memorization techniques.

From the Paper
"The traditional theory of learning, which has been used in the past as a supplement to the mass schooling approach of the early 19th century, is that in order for a student to learn complex skills such as reading, he must first become adept at making sense of the smallest components of the language (for example letters) and then advancing to larger components (for example sounds, words, and sentences). Phonics supporters generally agree that by employing "the direct approach" in regards to instruction, as well as providing an undeviating focus on logical sequencing, students will effectively learn to identify words quickly and consistently, as well as improving their spelling, vocabulary, handwriting, listening, and thinking skills (Share and Stanovich, 1995)."

Tags:children, memory, bank, teachers, phonetic, language, skills