LD Links (LD News: January 2007)

Revised Guide to Helping Youth Make Educated Choices
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) has revised Career Planning Begins with Assessment: A Guide for Professionals Serving Youth with Educational & Career Development Challenges, a guide for those who help young people make decisions based on individual talents, knowledge, skills, interests, values, and aptitudes.

2007 American Stars of Teaching
The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative of the U.S. Department of Education has announced the acceptance of nominations for the 2007 American Stars of Teaching, a program designed to honor innovative, exceptional teachers who help to improve student achievement and shape their school environment. The nomination process closes April 1.

New Reports on Phonological Awareness Released
The What Works Clearinghouse has released two new reports on phonological awareness training and an additional report designed to teach phonological awareness, the ability to detect or manipulate the sounds in words independent of the meaning.

FAQ on Learning Disabilities
Find answers to frequently asked questions about learning disabilities in this interview with Dr. Jane Ross, founder and executive director of "Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities."

Resources for Helping Struggling Writers
Get help teaching students who struggle with writing on this site from Intervention Central. Suggested techniques include having student write every day, stimulating interest with an autobiography assignment, building an outline by talking through the topic, and more.

More resources are available from the Curriculum-Based Measurement Warehouse, including intervention assistance in reading, math computation, and spelling.

Unbiased Information on High-Quality Evaluations of Educational Programs
Visit this free online Web site from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Data-Driven Reform, the Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE). The site contains easy-to-understand summaries of research on educational programs and reviews on topics such as technology in reading and math, comprehensive school reform K-12, and education service providers.

Review Matrix of Reading Tools
Teachers can find reviews of tools that support reading for students with special needs in this comprehensive matrix from the National Center for Technology Information, with information on such topics as building skills and comprehension, converting text to speech, and organizing ideas.

Put-downs and Comebacks
This new site from Reading Rockets discusses some typical put-downs that a student who is struggling may think or say about him or herself, what they really mean when they say things like "Reading is dumb," and some ideas on what you can say to encourage them to continue.

New Book Offers Help for Early Literacy Instruction
"Interventions for Reading Success," a new book from Brookes publishing, offers a variety of 20-30 minute interventions that help kindergarten through pre-K students understand the concepts of early literacy -- phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. To purchase the book from Amazon, click here.

What Pre-K-3 Teachers Should Know (PDF, 11 pages)
A new policy brief from Michael Sadowski, "Core Knowledge for PK-3 Teaching: Ten Components of Effective Instruction," outlines what preschool through third grade educators must know about curriculum, instruction, assessment and standards in order to teach effectively.

Famous Individuals Who Struggle with LD
Schwab Learning has developed a list of well-known individuals who struggle with learning disabilities. The list, divided into categories of interest such as artists, athletes, and legal and political figures, may help inspire individuals who share these interests and difficulties.

ETS CEO Speaks on Meeting the Needs of Students with LD
Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) CEO and President Kurt M. Landgraf shares his thoughts on the progress of the U.S. education system to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities.

Publish Your Story about a Student with Special Needs
A new text, titled Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Classrooms, by Diane P. Bryant, Deborah Deutsch Smith, and Brian R. Bryant  will be publish with Allyn & Bacon in summer, 2007). The authors are accepting personal essays from individuals who have experience with students with special needs for their "Making a Difference" feature. A $100 honorarium is offered for each chosen essay as well as full citation in the publication.