Resource room

A resource room is a separate, remedial classroom in a school where students with educational disabilities, such as specific learning disabilities, are given direct, specialized instruction and academic remediation and assistance with homework[1] and related assignments as individuals or in groups.

Overview

Resource rooms are learning spaces where a special education teacher instructs and assists students identified with a disability. These classrooms are staffed by special education teachers and sometimes paraprofessionals. The number of students in a resource room at a specific time varies, but typically consists of at most five students per instructor. However, due to budget cuts, five students per instructor is no longer feasible. While this is not legal, teachers are forced to make do with inadequate resources and aides. Mainstreaming in education typically includes this service to students with special needs.[2]

These students receive special instruction in an individualized or group setting for a portion of the day. Individual needs are supported in resource rooms as defined by the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).[3] The student getting this type of support will receive some time in the resource room, which is referred to as a "removal from the regular education environment" portion of the day and some time in the regular classroom with modifications and/or accommodations which may include specialized instruction with their non-impaired peers. Special education support within the regular education setting is part of the "inclusion model."[4]

Rationale

Special education instructors in a resource room focus on particular goals as mandated by an IEP and remedial general education curriculum. Some programs emphasize the development of executive skills, including homework completion and behavior.[5]

At least one study has found that resource rooms focusing on homework completion are an effective delivery model to remedial instruction and build academic skills.[6]

Depending on individual needs, students usually attend resource rooms three to five times per week for about forty five minutes per day. Some research has suggested these classrooms are of particular benefit to students with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia.[7] Other research has indicated that students show growth in visuo-motor perception, arithmetic, spelling and overall self-perception through time in the resource room classroom.[8] Students using these services are typically considered included—rather than segregated or mainstreamed—because they attend other classes with their peers, especially at the secondary level. At least one study has suggested students with learning disabilities in resource rooms have higher expectations regarding their academic success when they are in the class.[9] This may be due to the familiarity with the resource room teacher, small group Direct Instruction or confidence within an area they are comfortable in. Researchers believe that explicit instruction that breaks tasks down into smaller segments is an important tool for learning for students with learning disabilities.[10] Students often benefit from "reteaching" of core concepts taught initially general education classroom and reinforced in resource rooms[11] via the small-group instructional model, which has been shown to lead to achievement in students with a multitude of educational disabilities.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The resource room: rationale and implementation. DD Hammill,Wiederholt, J. Lee .1972. Philadelphia:Buttonwood Farms
  2. ↑ 7 CASE STUDIES OF MAINSTREAMING: A SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST APPROACH TO SPECIAL SCHOOLING. Bogdan, J Kugelmass - Special education and social interests, 1984. Taylor & Francis.
  3. ↑ Educational interventions in learning disabilities. J.W. Lerner. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Education. 1989.
  4. ↑ http://specialed.about.com/od/idea/a/resourceroom.htm, Sue Watson, accessed 2/3/2010
  5. ↑ Lamminmaki, T.; Ahonen, T.; Tolvanen, A.; Michelsson, K.; Lyytinen, H. (1997). "Comparing Efficacies of Neurocognitive Treatment and Homework Assistance Programs for Children with Learning Difficulties". Journal of Learning Disabilities 30 (3): 333–345. doi:10.1177/002221949703000308.
  6. ↑ "An examination of the homework practices of teachers of students with learning disabilities," SJ Salend. Journal of learning disabilities. 1989
  7. ↑ Hagaman, J.L.; Reid, R. (2008). "The effects of paraphrasing strategy on the reading comprehension of middle school students at risk for failure in reading". Remedial and Special Education 29 (4): 222–234. doi:10.1177/0741932507311638.
  8. ↑ Weiner, Lawrence H. (1969). "An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Resource Rooms for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities". Journal of Learning Disabilities 2: 223–229. doi:10.1177/002221946900200407.
  9. ↑ Renick, Mari J.; Harter, Susan (1989). "Impact of social comparisons on the developing self-perceptions of learning disabled students". Journal of Educational Psychology 81 (4): 631–638. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.81.4.631.
  10. ↑ Steele, M.M. (2005). "April 30). Teaching Students With Learning Disabilities: Constructivism Or Behaviorism?". Current Issues in Education 8 (10).
  11. ↑ Thorson, Sue (1995). "Macbeth in the Resource Room: Students with Learning Disabilities Study Shakespeare". Journal of Learning Disabilities 28: 575–581. doi:10.1177/002221949502800907.
  12. ↑ Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J., & Pollock, J.E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VAL Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
  13. ↑ O'Connor, Peter D.; Stuck, Gary B.; Wyne, Marvin D. (1979). "Effects of a Short-Term Intervention Resource-Room Program On Task Orientation and Achievement". Journal of Special Education 13: 375–385. doi:10.1177/002246697901300405.

External links

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