Instructional Strategies Used by General Educators and Teachers of Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

A survey was conducted to determine the instructional strategies used by special education teachers and general educators in teaching reading and writing, their philosophical approach (direct instruction or whole language), and what influenced teachers in making their philosophical decision. a 21-item questionnaire was completed by 183 elementary teachers of second and fifth grades and teachers of students with learning disabilities. the results indicated that the most important factor influencing respondents' philosophical decisions in teaching reading and writing is their teacher training program emphasis. results also indicated that the majority of respondents believe that a combination approach using both direct instruction and whole language is effective. the most commonly used instructional strategies by respondents include journal writing, writers' workshop, tradebooks, sustained silent reading, individualized reading, guided reading, and thematic units.