Research has identified a comorbid group of children who have both antisocial and attention problems. Many of these children demonstrate the most deleterious features of both conditions (e.g., aggression and academic underachievement) and experience the most negative outcomes, including school failure, drug and alcohol abuse, and delinquency in adolescence, than either condition alone.Treatment outcome studies, although few in number, suggest that remediation of academic deficits may be associated with reciprocal effects on social and behavioral domains.The purpose of the present study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of the effectiveness of a reading intervention program for first-grade children at risk for conduct and attention problems.Academic, social, and behavioral outcome measures were examined using single case methodology. Findings support the efficacy of early intervention in the area of early reading for these children. However, the findings also suggest that while improvements were noted, the intervention may not have been of sufficient intensity and duration to (a) produce lasting changes and (b) produce beginning reading skill acquisition at a rate commensurate with normally achieving students of the same age. ESEARCH HAS DOCUMENTED A GROUPof children possessing both anti--Msocial conduct problems (CP) and attention problems (e.g., hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention [HIA]). Children demonstrating the combination of conduct and attention problems (CP + HIA) are likely to possess the worst features of both domains. They demonstrate higher frequency and intensity of physical aggression, display greater persistence and earlier onset of antisocial behavior, exhibit lower levels of peer status, have more severe academic deficits, are at heightened risk for substance use, and experience worse future outcomes (e.g., future psychopathy, chronic offending) than children with either disorder alone (Farrington,

This study compared the effectiveness of two reading interventions in a public school setting. Forty-five second-grade children with reading disabilities were randomly assigned to a 6-week phonological awareness, word analogy, or math-training program. The two reading interventions differed from each other in (a) the unit of word analysis (phoneme versus onset-rime), (b) the approach to intervention (contextualized versus decontextualized), and (c) the primary domain of reading instruction (oral versus written language). Results indicate that children in both reading programs achieved significant gains in beginning reading skills, learning the specific skills taught in their respective programs, and applying what they had learned to uninstructed material on several transfer-of-learning measures, in comparison to children in the control group. For children in both reading intervention groups, the most significant mediator of growth in oral reading fluency was a child's initial level of word identification skill. Implications of these findings are that systematic, high quality reading intervention can occur in a small group, public school setting and that there are several different paths to the remediation of children with reading disabilities.

This study examines the effects of Kinder Training on selected kindergarten and first grade students' behavior, social skills, and early literacy skills, as well as its effects on teacher behavior in the classroom. Kinder Training involves the teacher in play sessions with a -child who is exhibiting discouragement in the classroom. The teacher conducts play sessions while receiving supervision from a counselor, learning skills that are both appropriate for the playroom and valuable for the classroom. As a result of the play sessions, the teacher-student relationship is enhanced, the student feels more encouraged in the classroom, and the teacher transfers the newly obtained skills to his or her

Over the past 2 decades, a substantial knowledge base has accumulated about the fundamentals of young children's learning difficulties and behavioral problems. This information provides educators with powerful and practical information about how to identify children in need of intervention and how to ensure successful school experiences for all learners. In addition, a growing body of research is beginning to shed light on how to effectively incorporate empirically supported approaches into daily practices. This article describes a school-wide system of early identification and intervention for children placed at risk for school success and discusses how schools might implement the recommendations offered in the literature.

The purpose of the present study was to synthesize research that directly compares children with and without learning disabilities in reading on immediate memory performance. Forty-one studies were included in the synthesis, which involved 161 effect sizes. The overall mean effect size estimate in favor of children without learning disabilities in reading was -.61 ( SD=.87). Effect size estimates were submitted to a descriptive and a weighted least-square regression analysis. Results from the full regression model indicated that children with learning disabilities were distinctly disadvantaged compared to average readers when memory manipulations required the naming of visual information and task conditions involved serial recall. Age, IQ, and reading scores were not significant predictors of effect size estimates. Most importantly, nonstrategic (type of task and materials) rather than strategic factors best predicted effect size estimates. The results also indicated that memory difficulties of readers with learning disabilities persisted across age, suggesting that a deficit model best captures the performance of children with learning disabilities. Results are discussed in relation to current developmental models of learning disabilities.