Expert Connection
In the Expert Connection part of the site, TeachingLD.org solicits answers to common questions about teaching students with learning disabilities (submit your own), selects those that are of general interest, and asks professionals with expertise in learning disabilities to summarize--in practical terms--the research relevant to those questions. The Editors of TeachingLD.org have been fortunate in securing the un-compensated assistance of people with substantial knowledge and experience in preparing answers.
As Expert Connection features are replaced by subsequent questions (and answers), the previous questions are moved to an archive. By coming to this page you can find features that have appeared previously as well as the current one.
Expert Connection Archives
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Q: "I'm a big fan of using curriculum-based measures for evaluating progress in reading and other skill areas, but I need help with using the same ideas for evaluating students' learning in middle- and high-school content. How can I use CBM for mastering science or social studies?" Ken, Denver, CO
A: Dr. Christine Espin of the College of Education at the University of Minnesota, an expert on many uses of formative evaluation, addresses this question. After she provides background about monitoring progress, she explains exactly how to create and use measures for assessing progress in content areas as well as providing cautions about appropriate use of them. Read our expert's answer.
- Phonological Skills
Q: I've heard a lot about how important phonological skills are in early reading, but there seem to be so many of them. There's rhyming, deletion, segmenting, blending, substitution, and on and on. My question is, "Do I really need to teach all of these skills? Which ones are most important? What are good ways for me to teach them?" Trina, Boise, ID.
A: Dr. Paige C. Pullen of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia addresses this question, providing not just background about phonological awareness, but also useful teaching techniques for improving young children's awareness of the phonological basis of English. Read our expert's answer.
- Memory
Q: My kids seem to know something one day and forget it the next. It's like their memories are leaky buckets. They just can't hold onto what they learn. How can I help them retain things? Brian, San Francisco, CA
A: Dr. Frederick J. Brigham of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia provides techniques that teachers can use to promote retention plus resources for learning more about tackling memory deficits. Read our expert’s answer.