Effective Teaching Practices

Whether you are looking to reach all students, students at risk for LD, or those already identified, effective teaching practices provide the knowledge and tools teachers need to successfully educate students at every level. On this page, you will find information on key teaching strategies, guidelines for implementing proven, research-based interventions, and essential supports for educators working with students of all ages.

Introduction and Background Information
Research
Additional Resources on the Web 

Introduction and Background Information:

For Educators This detailed segment of LD.org was created especially for teachers who educate students with LD, from pre-K to high school.  The Get Ready to Read! (GRTR) section offers supports and critical information for early educators.  It includes an easy-to-use tool to screen 4-year-olds for early literacy skills before they enter kindergarten, and provides skill-building activity cards and fun online games to ensure their reading success.

The section For K-8 teachers contains useful, comprehensive articles on important topics such as:

Classroom Strategies Read about ways to meet the challenges of teaching students with varying abilities and needs, and find out how to implement accommodations and utilize assistive technology as supports in the classroom.
Monitoring Student Progress Learn how to track individual student and group progress on an ongoing basis using research-based techniques in order to better gauge student achievement and identify areas that require individualized attention.  Click here to get the latest information on Response-to-Intervention, a new model for ensuring success for young children, including those who struggle with learning.
Effective Reading Instruction in the Classroom gives teachers a quick primer on the nuts and bolts of effective, research-based reading instruction.

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Research:

Transition to Kindergarten: Policy Implications for Struggling Learners and Those Who May Be at Risk for Learning Disabilities
Transition to kindergarten, currently recognized as the start of formal schooling in the United States, is a turning point for children, parents, and educators. It is the specific time, the focal point, when children's "readiness" becomes a concern, with potential short- and long-term ramifications for school and subsequent life success. The purposes of this report are to briefly review the relevant research, programs, and policies on kindergarten transition, especially as they pertain to struggling learners including those with learning disabilities; identify gaps in research, programs, and policies related to this population; and recommend future policy directions to more adequately address the needs of children with suspected or identified learning disabilities.

Early Reading Instruction: So What Exactly am I Supposed to Do? Dr. Sheldon Horowitz, NCLD's Director of Professional Services, takes a closer look at early school transition and outlines research-based strategies and approaches to teaching reading in this April 2005 Research Roundup column. Also look at Teaching Reading to Secondary Students with LD (May 2006) to learn about the importance of providing targeted instruction to adolescents who struggle with reading, and find strategies to assist students at the secondary school level to learn essential literacy skills and become successful and independent learners. 

Strategic Instruction Model (SIM): How to Teach - How to Learn In this December 2005 Research Roundup column, Dr. Sheldon Horowitz highlights the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) as a way to improve teaching and enhance learning for adolescents with LD and other students who struggle in school.  To browse through a full list of archived columns, click here.

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Additional Resources on the Web:

Key websites:

National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) advocates for reforms in a broad range of teacher policies at the federal, state & local levels in order to increase the number of effective teachers.

Teaching LD: Information & Resources for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities (Council for Exceptional Children)

The Knowledge Loom: Educators Sharing & Learning Together

Council for Learning Disabilities an international organization that promotes effective teaching and research.

Teacher Workshops (U.S. Department of Education) Some of the nation's best teachers and researchers share their strategies for raising student achievement and informing teachers of the latest, successful research-based practices.

International Dyslexia Association: For Educators

Articles on Teaching Practices:

Toolkit on Teaching & Assessing Students with Disabilities (Office of Special Education Programs - OSEP and the Offices of Elementary & Secondary Education - OESE)

Response to Instruction in the Identification of Learning Disabilities: A Guide for School Teams (National Association of School Psychologists)

Teaching Matters: The Link Between Access to the General Education Curriculum and Performance on State Assessments (The Access Center)

What Is Scientifically Based Research on Progress Monitoring? (Lynn S. Fuchs and Douglas Fuchs Vanderbilt University) This document describes progress monitoring procedures and presents an overview of research on this topic.

Teaching Reading: Reading Methods & LD (Learning Disabilities Association of America)

Professional Development for Teachers (American Federation of Teachers)

Information on LD for Professionals (Learning Disabilities Worldwide)

Research You Can Use to Improve Results (NW Regional Educational Laboratory)

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