Developing study, organization, and management strategies for adolescents with language disabilities

Area of Science:

• Education
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Students with language disabilities often lack effective learning strategies.
• Direct instruction in strategy development is essential for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the importance of direct, explicit instruction in learning strategies for students with language disabilities.
• To highlight the need for functional, generalizable strategies and collaborative approaches.

Main Methods:

• Direct, explicit teaching of learning strategies.
• Modeling, practice, and discussion for strategy acquisition.
• Utilizing a cognitive strategy model for generalization.

Main Results:

• Students can acquire and apply functional learning strategies through explicit instruction.
• Collaborative models involving students, teachers, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) enhance strategy use.
• Learned strategies become transferable life skills.

Conclusions:

• Direct instruction in learning strategies is imperative for students with language disabilities.
• Functional and generalizable strategies, taught explicitly, empower students.
• Speech-language pathologists play a key role in facilitating strategy development and lifelong learning.