Academic Diversity: Reading Instruction for Students with Special Needs

Provisions to assure that all children are provided quality reading instruction have always been a concern for classroom teachers. Today, greater sensitivity to learners with special needs has led to their inclusion in regular classrooms for the full instructional day. Implications for the reading instructional program are clear; it must employ a variety of instructional and organizational techniques to suit a wide range of student abilities. This article addresses legislation that led to the present focus on classroom inclusion for students with special needs and accommodation of the students with special needs in the classroom reading program. Particular discussion is focused on children who are diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and children identified as intellectually gifted. Specific recommendations and examples are given that will help these children reach their full academic potential and allow them to experience success in a regular classroom reading program