Programs, Materials, and Techniques

Abstract

The consensus of our reader survey and followup consultations indicated that a question of major interest is: How shall we handle this child? On behalf of our readers, we are expanding the section, Programs, Materials, and Techniques on dealing with children with learning disabilities. This month we have reviewed a wide variety of programs and topics. The Rebus reading program is novel, The KeyMath Test is useful and the handbook by Anne Rogovin is valuable. A physical education program is included for those who teach a full curriculum. Each month I intend presenting a different “Techniques” section in which I will describe in some detail a practical method for helping learning disability children. which has proved useful in our Learning Center. These will not be THE technique. There is no technique for dealing with all these children as yet, but we feel a contribution can be made by telling what has been successfully used before. If readers have any tips or techniques they would like to share, send them to me and I will print them with full credit as to who supplied them. Material submitted for publication should be limited to two typewritten pages, maximum, and should include the following: (1) the rationale on which the method or program is based; (2) an explicit and detailed description of the type of children with whom the method was used; (3) a clear description of the method; and (4) some caution (include pro and con) as to the value of this experience for the children. Thus, we really don't know how much training in visual discrimination or auditory discrimination has to contribute to an 8-year-old child. But given that caution, it seems useful to provide material for professionals working with children so they can make their own judgments.