Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors

Using the Building Blocks Model to Guide Intervention

and Classroom Management Third Edition

by

Nancy Mather, Ph.D.

University of Arizona Tucson

Sam Goldstein, Ph.D.

Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center and University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City
and

Katie Eklund, Ph.D.

University of Arizona Tucson

Contents

About the Downloadable Materials ... vii
About the Authors ... ix
About the Contributors ... xi
Preface ... xiii
Acknowledgments ... xvii
A Note to Teachers ... xix

I Introduction

1 The Building Blocks of Learning: A Framework for Understanding Classroom Learning and Behavior ... 3
2 Theoretical Foundations ... 31
3 The Learning Environment ... 55

II Foundational Blocks

4 Self-Regulation: Understanding and Managing Students with Hyperactivity and Poor Attention, Planning, and Impulse Control ... 81
5 Understanding and Managing Challenging Behaviors ... 123
with Lauren Meyer
6 Emotions: Understanding and Managing Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Stress ... 155
with Gretchen Schoenfield and Jennifer M. White
7 Strategies to Promote Resilience ... 181
with Robert Brooks

III Processing Blocks

8 Specific Learning Disabilities and the Processing Blocks ... 207
with Deborah A. Schneider
9 Instruction for the Processing Blocks: Decoding and Encoding, Reading Fluency, Calculating, and Handwriting ... 273
with Breanna Sherrow

IV Conceptual Blocks

10 The Conceptual Blocks: Verbal, Nonverbal, and Executive Functions ... 351
with Ann M. Richards
11 Instruction in Reading Comprehension, Written Expression, and Math Problem Solving ... 403
with Ann M. Richards

V Conclusion

12 The Classroom Environment as a Microcosm of the World ... 463

References ... 475
Additional Resources ... 513
Web Sites and Professional Organizations ... 523
Index ... 527

About the Authors

Nancy Mather, Ph.D., University of Arizona, College of Education

Dr. Mather is a professor at the University of Arizona in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies. She specializes in the areas of reading, writing, and learning disabilities. She has conducted numerous workshops and presentations both nationally and internationally on assessment, instruction, and issues that affect service delivery for individuals with learning disabilities.

Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center

Dr. Goldstein is a board-certified forensic and clinical neuropsychologist, certified school psychologist, and member of the faculty at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is Clinical Director of the Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Katie Eklund, Ph.D., University of Arizona, College of Education

Dr. Eklund is an assistant professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of Arizona. She received her doctorate in counseling, clinical, and school psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The Building Blocks of Learning

This is not a typical introductory textbook about specific learning disabilities (SLD) and classroom behavior problems. Although various learning and behavior problems are explained and informal ways to assess these difficulties are described, the main focus of this text is on identifying the developmental, learning, and behavior skills of children and then determining the practical strategies and techniques that will be most effective in helping them succeed in school.

Processing

When a child struggles in school, teachers must first determine the underlying factors contributing to the learning or behavior problem, because when a child acts out, the reason may not be readily apparent. Similarly, when a child fails or refuses to complete work, it is rarely because of poor motivation. Lowered motivation in students is often a secondary symptom resulting from chronic failure and school difficulties.

Foundational Blocks

The Foundational blocks provide the support system for all learning. Just as the foundation of a house must be strong enough to support the structure, these four blocks must be strong for efficient learning to occur. A brief description of the skills in the Foundational blocks follows.

Self-Regulation
The Building Block of Self-Regulation includes a child’s ability to pay attention, regulate behavior, and control impulses—all skills that are critical to learning.

Emotions
The Building Block of Emotions includes a child’s general temperament as well as his or her moods. Problems in this block are sometimes called internalizing disorders—conditions such as depression, anxiety, and poor motivation.

Resilience
In our model, the Building Block of Resilience focuses on how students perceive themselves and to what factors they attribute their successes and failures. These are learned attitudes, developed in part through feedback from parents, teachers, and peers.

Processing Blocks

The second level of the Building Blocks model involves the processing of information through the senses.

Memory
Several different types of memory can affect school learning. Memory affects all types of learning and is involved in the Processing blocks, as well as extending into all the Conceptual blocks.

Motor
This block includes fine motor tasks—tasks involving small muscles such as those used in writing or drawing.

Conceptual Blocks

The top of the pyramid includes the Conceptual abilities: Verbal, Nonverbal, and Executive Functions. The abilities in the Conceptual blocks help students to understand meanings, comprehend relationships, visualize complex designs, apply previously acquired knowledge, and evaluate their performance as they engage in academic tasks.