Identifying Reading Interventions Appropriate for Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities In Inclusive Classroom Settings

The research question addressed in this Capstone project was, what are effective reading interventions for middle school students with learning disabilities that will enable them to achieve academic progress in an inclusive classroom? Including students with learning disabilities in the general education setting can improve outcomes in self-perception, social relationships, and academic achievement, but providing effective instruction in an inclusive setting is complex. At the secondary level, inclusive, co-taught classrooms include a special education teacher who typically has training in differentiation strategies but not core content, and a general educator who is a content expert but has not had preparation in working with students with disabilities. Often, neither teacher has had training in research-based, foundational reading strategies. As core content becomes more complex, secondary students with learning disabilities may require continuing direct instruction in reading strategies in order to make academic progress. Both general education and special education teachers working in inclusive classrooms need a toolkit of strategies to use with students. This Capstone project sought to address that need by developing a Greek and Latin roots vocabulary curriculum. The curriculum is one way to increase vocabulary while remediating phonological awareness which improves reading fluency and comprehension