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“Nelson et al. provide a practical, concise summary of research-validated practices that teachers can use to select curriculum materials and deliver instruction. The authors focus on the needs of students with behavioral disorders, but the principles in this book apply to all students. The major feature that distinguishes this book is the response-to-intervention (RTI) framework; the authors describe how RTI can improve schools and how it can be applied to specific reading, math, writing, and classroom management practices. The main ideas in this text are well defined with clear and descriptive examples, and teachers (or teachers in training) will find suggestions they can implement directly and immediately. This easy-to-read text will help to make schools more effective learning environments. It is an important and useful contribution to the field.”

—Robert H. Horner, PhD, Special Education Program (Emeritus), University of Oregon


“During my five years of teaching special education, working with children with behavioral disorders has involved tremendous instructional challenges (and a few too many sleepless nights). This volume provides important knowledge about how to meet these students' academic needs, along with some effective techniques to add to my teaching tool kit. I'm confident that this book is helping me build my professional competence, and I would recommend it to practicing and preservice teachers alike.”

—Jessica Swaye, special education teacher, G. W. Carver Primary School, Ascension Parish school district, Gonzales, Louisiana


“This is an outstanding resource for school practitioners. It is one of the few books available on responding to the academic performance and instructional needs of students with behavior problems that disrupt their learning. Nelson and his colleagues have conducted some of the very best work in our field on this topic, and this research experience certainly informs the content of the book in a most beneficialfashion. I recommend this volume to all school personnel who work with this student population.”

—Hill M. Walker, PhD, Department of Special Education and Clinical Services (Emeritus), University of Oregon; Senior Scientist, Oregon Research Institute


“As a teacher educator and researcher interested in teaching my students how to put research into practice, I found this book to be extremely well organized and practical. The book helps present and future teachers understand how educational theory relates directly to what we know about teaching students with behavioral disorders. This impressive collection of hands-on teaching techniques will be useful to teachers working in a variety of instructional settings. It is exciting to see a book that truly connects research and practice!”

—Jill H. Allor, EdD, Department of Literacy, Language, and Learning, Southern Methodist University

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Table of Contents

1. Behavioral, Demographic, and Functional Characteristics of Students with Behavioral Disorders

2. Response to Intervention and Fundamental Instructional Practices

3. Assessment for Effective Instruction

4. Design and Delivery Features of Commercially Available Early Reading, Written Language, and Mathematics Direct Instruction Programs

5. Early Reading Instruction

6. Early Math Instruction

7. Early Writing Instruction

8. Management of Instructional Situations

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About the Authors

J. Ron Nelson, PhD, is Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Center for At-Risk Children's Services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Nelson has over 20 years' experience in the field of special education as a teacher, technical assistance provider, and professor. He has a national reputation as an effective researcher and received the 2000 Distinguished Initial Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Nelson's research career includes over 18 million dollars in external funding and the publication of more than 100 articles, book chapters, and books that focus on research issues and on serving children at risk of school failure. He has developed a number of behavior and literacy interventions that have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

• All titles by J. Ron Nelson

Gregory J. Benner, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Education Program at the University of Washington-Tacoma. Dr. Benner specializes in preventive and systematic approaches to building the academic skills of students, particularly those with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). As a secondary special education teacher, he was awarded the Apple Excellence in Education Award for improving the academic outcomes of students with EBD. As Reading Assessment Coordinator at the University of Nebraska Center for At-Risk Children's Services, Dr. Benner implemented effective systems for improving the responsiveness of students with EBD to scientifically based instruction. In 2002, he was awarded the Wesley Becker Award for Outstanding Research from the Association for Direct Instruction. Dr. Benner has worked on over 90 presentations and publications that reflect his ability to disseminate research findings and best practices to the field.

Paul Mooney, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Special Education Programs at Louisiana State University. Dr. Mooney's teaching and research interests are presently directed at assessment- and intervention-related issues for children and youth at risk for or verified with academic and behavioral disabilities. Recent publications have been aimed at increasing the relationship between general outcomes assessment and progress monitoring in reading intervention at the elementary and secondary school levels. With his special education colleagues, Dr. Mooney has also devoted time to increasing both the number and quality of special education practitioners. Prior to completing his doctoral study at the University of Nebraska, Dr. Mooney worked as a school psychologist and newspaper reporter.

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Audience

Special educators, K–3 classroom teachers and reading specialists; also of interest to school psychologists and speech–language professionals.

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Course Use

May serve as a text in courses on special education methods or behavioral disorders.