TeachingLD

DLD held many events at the CEC Convention in Seattle!  Follow this link to learn about the outstanding session on arithmetic and mathematics (K. Marshall hosted a session with L. Fuchs, R. Gersten, & D. Chard) and see photos from the business meeting and reception.

DLD election results! Past President Kathleen Marshall announced that Kimberly Bright was elected for another term as Treasurer for DLD. She will be joined by Paul Riccomini, new Vice President, and Michael Gerber, new President-elect on the board. The new officers will begin their service 1 July 2009.

DLD's publication, Thinking About Response to Intervention and Learning Disablilities: A Teachers' Guide, is among the best selling items in the bookstore of the Council for Exceptional Children. Get a copy for yourself—follow this link to learn how to order one—and find out why folks are buying copies in bulk for in-service sessions.

Plan now! Brochures will be in the mail the next couple of weeks for DLD's annual fall conference. But you can see the plans now right here. You can join Jose Alvarado, David Bateman, Brian Bottge, Kimberly Bright, Jennie Sue Flannigan, Steve Graham, Karen Harris, Charles Hughes, Maureen Lovett, Susan Miller, Marjorie Montague, Rollanda O'Connor, Nicole Ofiesh, Karen Rooney, David Scanlon, Deborah Simmons, Rosemary Tannock, & Naomi Zigmond in San Diego 23 and 24 October 2009 for Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice. 

Host Linda Siegel has scheduled sessions on reading, writing, arithmetic, assessment, strategies, transition, and more. The sessions span the grade levels and promise readily applied procedures, practices, and methods.

Watch your mailbox or simply jump over to the Conferences page to learn how to register.

Learn about the recent symposium hosted by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD;  DLD is a member) entitled "Transition to Higher Education for Students with Learning Disabilities: Building Effective Partnerships and Resources." Download documents about it and the NJCLD statement about adolescent literacy.

The Winter 2009 issue of New Times for DLD is now available!! Enter the Members Only section and click on Publications.

Members—HotSheets are Available!

Members—Need more ideas? Read LDR&P, our premier journal for professionals and others who work with students with LD.

Expert Connection

Q: "I'm finding that with inclusion, my students have to write lots of essays. What can I do to help them with making their essays organized and coherent?"—Laura M., Highland Park, IL.

Teaching composition is a substantial task, but plenty of research indicates that it can be done. To address this question, we turned to Professor Linda Mason, one of the people who has contributed to educators' understanding of how to teach written expression effectively. Professor Mason, who teaches and conducts research at Pennsylvania State University, provides a quick overview of the complex processes involved in teaching students how to write essays. We're hoping to convince her to create a HotSheet on this topic, so that we can make it available to our members.—Eds.

Written composition is difficult for many students with learning disabilities (LD) and, given the demands of the inclusive classroom for essay writing, it is even more complicated these days. Of course, we should be providing careful instruction in written expression regardless of the setting, but your question is an excellent one.

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