Chapter 15 Teaching Students with Special Needs in Elementary
Schools
15.1 Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following statements is true regarding the elementary general education curriculum?
A) There is more curricular differentiation in the elementary level than the secondary level.
B) Curriculum content at the elementary level is widely disparate, making it difficult to include students with
special needs in inclusive settings.
C) The similarity of educational objectives and content for all students is at its greatest.
D) none of the above.
2. According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately ________ of all students with disabilities, ages 6–11,
were served in general education programs for at least 70% of the school day during the 1998–1999 school year.
A) 40%
B) 58%
C) 63%
D) 78%
3. An important consideration in any comprehensive curriculum should be a focus on the future environments in which
students will need to function successfully. In your text, this focus is referred to as a
A) transition curriculum emphasis.
B) subsequent environments attitude.
C) functional curriculum.
D) spiral approach.
4. The needs of elementary students with special needs can typically be met with a ________ approach to instruction,
supplemented as needed by a ________ focus.
A) developmental; remedial
B) transition; supplemental
C) cognitive; behavioral
D) learning; social
5. Recent research on beginning reading has emphasized the critical importance of children developing ________ as
a basis for subsequent reading success.
A) reading fluency
B) phonological awareness and sound-symbol correspondences
C) reading comprehension
D) print recognition
6. When teaching mathematics, teachers should focus first on
A) facilitating the student’s achievement of automaticity of the skill.
B) stressing the high rate of computational accuracy.
C) increasing the student’s conceptual understanding of a particular skill.
D) none of the above
7. A student’s performance in the ________ domain is often predictive of success or failure in inclusive settings.
A) transitional
B) social
C) science
D) mathematical
8. Whereas ________ facilitate(s) individual interpersonal interactions, ________ involve(s) the broader ability to use
skills at the right times and places, showing social perception, cognition, and judgment of how to act in different
situations.
A) social competence; school adjustment
B) social skills; social competence
C) adaptive behavior; social skills
D) behavior; social skills
9. Which of the following is a variable that is predictive of success for those students with disabilities who make the
transition from preschool to primary school?
A) academic readiness
B) social skills
C) responsiveness to instructional style
D) responsiveness to the structure of the school environment
E) all of the above
10. Ms. Lambert, a school counselor, teaches students in a first-grade class to say “please” and “thank you.” This is an
example of:
A) teaching a social skill.
B) emergent literacy.
C) a behavioral change strategy.
D) a cognitive intervention.
11. One example of an effective peer tutoring program is the
A) Peer Assisted Learning Strategies.
B) Peers as Partners in Learning.
C) Living Together, Learning Together.
D) Learning Buddies Peer Tutoring Program.
12. ________ involve(s) students working in temporary groups of two in which each student takes turns serving as a coach
and a reader.
A) Peer-assisted learning
B) Class-wide peer tutoring
C) Cooperative projects
D) Supported education
E) Student-team achievement grouping
13. In a third-grade class, the general education teacher provides instruction on flowering plants. The special education
teacher then divides the class into cooperative learning groups and facilitates their group activities. This arrangement is
an example of
A) supplanted instruction.
B) student mediation teams.
C) cooperative learning.
D) the jigsaw technique.
14. The results of a study by Bursuck et al. (1996. suggested that all of the following grading practices for all students
were deemed helpful by teachers except
A) basing grades on content and passing students regardless of the amount of material learned.
B) basing grades on student improvement.
C) adjusting students’ grades.
D) giving separate grades for process and product.
15. Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding research on homework practices for elementary students?
A) Homework does not increase student achievement.
B) Homework does increase student achievement if it is assigned at least three times per week.
C) Homework results in increased student achievement, especially in the area of habit formation.
D) Both students with and without disabilities do not benefit from homework.
16. Bursuck et al. (1996) reported the ratings of teachers regarding the helpfulness of grading adaptations for students
with disabilities. Which one of the following practices was rated as most helpful by teachers in this study?
A) Grades are adjusted according to student ability.
B) Grades are based on the amount of improvement an individual makes.
C) Grades are based on meeting IEP goals and objectives.
D) Grades are based on less content than the rest of the class.
E) Grades are based on a modified rating scale.
15.2 True or False
1. Because the IEP specifies accommodations and modifications, grades for students with disabilities are very similar
to those obtained by students without disabilities.
2. Over 3/4 of all elementary students with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms for at least a portion
of the school day.
3. Primary students with special needs typically experience decoding problems in reading.
4. Traditionally, direct instruction programs in reading have been most associated with an emphasis on decoding skills.
5. For elementary students with disabilities, success in the general education classroom is often dependent on their social
skills.
6. The first priority in a social skills program is to teach students with disabilities who are taught in inclusive settings those
skills related to social perception.
7. Students with severe disabilities often spontaneously develop social skills when included in the general education
classroom.
8. Career education and life skills education are most appropriately taught initially to students with disabilities at the
high school level.
9. Cooperative learning is a promising approach as an inclusive practice.
10. In general, teachers are more willing to provide modifications (rather than accommodations) for students with
disabilities.
11. Research suggests that graphic organizers can help students with disabilities learn content.
12. There is an increasing trend for special educators and general educators to share grading responsibilities
relative to students with disabilities.
13. Elementary teachers identified grades based on IEP objectives as the most helpful grading adaptation.
14. The results of a study by Bursuck et al. (1996) indicated that the majority of general education teachers felt that
grading adaptations were fair.
15. In a study conducted by Bursuck et al. (1996), the vast majority of teachers reported that grading adaptations for
students with disabilities were unfair to students without disabilities.
15.3 Short Answer
1. A ________ curriculum takes into account the reality that students are enrolled in school on a time-limited basis and
that future environments should be considered in curriculum design and development.
2. ________ is a sensitivity to the sounds inherent in our language system.
3. ________ approaches primarily emphasize meaning in the beginning of the reading process and stress an integrated
approach to reading.
4. ________ is the process whereby a student is placed in his or her least restrictive environment and provided with
the necessary support to be successful.
5. ________ includes classroom strategies that involve students in group learning activities, in which recognition and
reinforcement are based on group, rather than individual, performance.
6. In Ms. Kelsey’s history class, students are divided into heterogeneous learning groups. Each group is given the task
of creating a play about the early pioneers. Each group member has a specific task (e.g., writing, editing, creating
props). This is an example of a ________.
7. _________ are changes in processes in teaching and assessment.
8. ________ are changes in content or standards.
15.4 Essay
1. The authors of your textbook highlighted three (3) common approaches to teaching reading at the elementary level:
basal series, direct instruction, and whole language. Provide an overview of each of these approaches, and describe
your position regarding the most effective reading approach.
2. You are the curriculum coordinator for your school system. Your task this year is to design a flexible curriculum that
addresses the needs of all learners, particularly those with special needs. Describe the critical features of your flexible
curriculum, and provide a rationale for why you have included these features.
3. Compare and contrast the teaching of computational and problem-solving in the area of mathematics. Describe
important concerns related to teaching mathematics in both of these areas.
4. You are a new teacher who is being interviewed for a teaching position in an inclusive school. During the interview
process, you are asked by the principal to share your perspectives regarding cooperative learning. Respond to this
principal’s question.
5. Nine-year-old Steven has learning disabilities in addition to ADHD. He is having considerable difficulty in his
reading class in areas related to reading comprehension, handwriting, and sustained attention. Describe the strategies you
might use to facilitate his success in your inclusive classroom.
6. Develop a lesson plan for a third grade class, using the information provided in the “Tips for Adapting an
Elementary Lesson Plan” features as a format. You may choose any subject/topic of your choice. This lesson plan
should address the needs of the following students:
Nine-year-old Sasha, a student with learning disabilities, recognizes only a few sight words. Despite her poor reading
skills, Sasha learns well when material is presented orally and enjoys interactive, hands-on activities.
Troy is a student with mild intellectual disabilities. Troy’s IEP accommodations include a modified curriculum that
emphasizes life skills and career education.
Derrick has ADHD. He is often out–of–his seat, talks excessively and is very impulsive. Derrick responds well to novelty
and when physical movement is incorporated into a lesson.
Make sure you describe how your lesson is being adapted for each of these students.
7. You are given the task to provide an in-service education program to faculty in your school. The topic of your
program is, “Strategies for Teaching Reading to Elementary Students with Disabilities.” Write a script for your
presentation.
8. Develop a philosophy of grading for your classroom by integrating the content discussed in the textbook. A part of
your philosophy should address the purposes of grading. In your philosophy, be sure to address those grading
practices that are acceptable to you (and state why they are acceptable) and those that are unacceptable to you (and
state why they are unacceptable). The end result of your philosophy should be a delineation of grading practices that
you are willing to implement in your classroom.
9. You are a preschool teacher who is given the task of preparing your children for the transition to primary schools.
Describe how your program will prepare your preschoolers for this important transition in the following areas:
(1) early academic (readiness) skills
(2) social skills
(3) responsiveness to instructional styles
(4) responsiveness to the structure of the school environment
10. Describe three (3) of the four qualities of a comprehensive curriculum.
11. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of a basal reading program.
12. Describe the advantages of whole language approaches to reading.
13. Distinguish between the terms, social skills and social competence.
14. Give five (5) illustrative examples of the skills needed by students with disabilities to make the transition from
elementary school to middle school.
15. Describe two (2) ways that educators can help students with special needs to make the transition from
elementary school to middle school successfully.
16. Discuss three (3) instances in which collaboration among educators is essential at the elementary level.
17. Describe three (3) typical steps in the pre-referral process.
18. Discuss how to implement a classwide peer tutoring program.
19. Distinguish between the terms, accommodations and modifications and give an illustrative example of each.
20. Describe five (5) strategies for helping students to follow instructions and complete assignments.
21. Describe three (3) ways to adapt the temporal environment for students with disabilities.
22. Describe three (3) ways to adapt the classroom arrangement for students with disabilities.
23. Discuss at least five (5) considerations for teachers when grading students with disabilities.
24. Young students with special needs commonly experience difficulties in five (5) specific areas. Describe those.
Chapter 15 Teaching Students with Special Needs in
Elementary Schools
15.1 Multiple Choice
15.2 True or False
15.3 Short Answer
15.4 Essay
