Methods and Strategies for Teaching Students with Mild Disabilities: A Case-Based Approach

Students in a typical special education 'methods' course are often presented with and overwhelmed by myriad techniques and methods leaving them with insufficient opportunities to practice and reflect on covered practices. In addition, students are often uncertain how to apply the techniques in actual teaching situations. METHODS AND STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING STUDENTS WITH MILD DISABILITIES: A Case-Based Approach uses a more focused and integrated approach than other texts in the market. Each chapter presents a limited number of techniques (5 to 7) in detail. Boyle and Scanlon demonstrate effective teaching methods and techniques through application activities, anchor content around case studies, and offer an overview of other techniques not covered in detail. The case study approach is a distinctive feature of this program'with both text case studies and video case studies in each chapter. Information addressing culturally, economically, linguistically, and ethnically diverse learners, among others, is integrated throughout the text as well.

Table of Contents:
1. Providing Special Education to Students with Mild Disabilities. 2. Planning, Teaching, and Monitoring Instruction. 3. Learning Theories: Past and Present. 4. Oral Language: Strategies and Techniques. 5. Early Reading: Strategies and Techniques. 6. Later Reading: Strategies and Techniques. 7. Written Language: Strategies and Techniques. 8. Math: Strategies and Techniques. 9. Content Areas: Strategies and Techniques. 10. Organization and Study Skills: Strategies and Techniques. 11. Technology and Teaching. 12. Transitions. 13. Collaboration and Co-Teaching to Enhance Instruction. 14. Working with Families.

About the Author :
Joseph R. Boyle (Ph.D., Special Education, University of Kansas) is an associate professor of special education at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has taught or currently teaches students in undergraduate to doctoral programs that include courses in: methods and materials for special education, collaboration and consultation, introduction to special education and special education law, assessment in special education, special education behavioral management, language disabilities, critical issues in special education, and technology in special education classrooms. Dr. Boyle is also a former special education teacher. In his classroom and other settings, he taught students with high incidence disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, and Asperger's syndrome). In addition, he collaborated and co-taught with general education teachers and other school professionals. Through research, he has developed a number of classroom interventions for students with high incidence disabilities in the areas of reading, writing, and note-taking. He has co-authored four special education casebooks and numerous journal articles. David Scanlon (Ph.D., Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Arizona) is an associate professor of special education in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. He teaches courses to undergraduate and doctoral students, including introductory special education, special education methods for regular education teachers, methods for special education teachers of students with mild disabilities, and investigations into scientific and social theories on the nature of learning disabilities and special education practice. Dr. Scanlon is a former high school and community college special education teacher. He has also worked as an assistant research scientist at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning (CRL), where he and his colleagues developed strategic interventions appropriate to the inclusive content-area classroom context. While at the CRL, Dr. Scanlon served as director of intervention research for the National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center. Today, he continues to research effective interventions for children and adolescents with mild disabilities, including focuses on content-area literacy and transition. He has co-authored several learning strategies, in addition to curricular materials and nearly 50 research publications and book chapters.

Review :
"The organization of the text is its greatest strength. Also the case scenarios, examples and activities strengthen the skills of the educator in providing effective instruction in the general education classroom. I did not find any weaknesses! I believe this will be an excellent resource for educators who work with at-risk students and learners with disabilities." "I find the text very informative and exciting. I wish that I could have permission to use the chapters you have provided today with my students. I do think that it will be well received by faculty across the country. I do not use any of the other 'big books'. The reason why is that I do not think they are particularly helpful. I feel the opposite about this book." "Using this text, students would have enough general knowledge to apply research finding/theory in a practicum, field or laboratory experience or in their own classroom. This textbook explicitly presents theory/research and then provides practical applications to make the theory-to-practice connections." The strengths of this text are its comprehensive coverage of content; case studies provided within each chapter are representative of a variety of students. Research-based strategies are emphasized. Standards are intentionally addressed and integrated throughout text."