Two instructional experiments used randomized, controlled designs to evaluate the effectiveness of writing instruction for students with carefully diagnosed dyslexia, which is both an oral reading and writing disorder, characterized by impaired word decoding, reading, and spelling. In Study 1 (4th to 6th grade sample and 7th to 9th grade sample), students were randomly assigned to orthographic or morphological spelling treatment but all students were taught strategies for planning, writing, and reviewing/revising narrative and expository texts. Both treatments supervised the assessment team. Margaret McShane and Doug Stock served as administrative assistants.

In Study 1 we evaluated whether each of three kinds of reading fluency (oral, silent—sentences, silent—passages) contributed uniquely to reading comprehension when children were in second grade (when oral reading is emphasized) and again when they were in fourth grade (when silent reading is emphasized). In Study 2 we evaluated the relationship of comprehension and other reading (automatic real word and pseudoword reading) and oral language (vocabulary) skills to each of the three kinds of fluency (oral passage, silent passage rate, and silent timed sentence comprehension) at the same grade levels. Results of both studies showed that contributions vary with the three kinds of fluency, as predictors or outcomes, and grade level, consistent with the view that fluency is a multidimensional construct that has bidirectional relationships with other language skills. Implications of multidimensional fluency for assessment and instruction are discussed.

There is a growing interest both in identifying the neural mechanisms of magnitude estimation and in identifying forms of bias that can explain aspects of behavioral syndromes like unilateral neglect. Magnitude estimation is associated with activation of temporo-parietal cortex in both cerebral hemispheres of normal subjects; however, it is unclear if and how left hemisphere lesions bias magnitude estimation because the infrequency of neglect and the presence of aphasia in these subjects confound examination. In contrast, we examined magnitude estimation using 12 different types of sensory stimuli that spanned five sensory domains in two patients with very different clinical presentations following unilateral left hemisphere stroke. One patient had neglect subacutely without aphasia. The other had aphasia chronically after a temporo-parietal lesion but not neglect. The neglect patient was re-examined 48 hours after being treated with modafinil (Provigil) for decreased arousal. Both patients demonstrated bias in magnitude estimation relative to normal subjects (n=83). Alertness improved in the neglect patient after taking modafinil. His neglect also resolved and his magnitude estimates more closely resembled those of normal subjects. This is the first evidence, to our knowledge, that the left hemisphere injury can bias magnitude estimation in a manner similar but not identical to that associated with right hemisphere injury.