Educating Children with Learning Disabilities in Foxfire Classrooms

Abstract

Because every classroom in American schools contains heterogeneous groups of students, inclusion is more than an issue of concern just for special educators. This article provides examples of elementary classrooms that have adopted the Foxfire approach to instruction as a means of developing learning communities that serve all children. The teachers who are described turned to learner-centered instruction not as a method to promote the inclusion of children with learning disabilities, but, rather, as a means of providing optimal learning experiences for all their students. The rationale for developing elementary classrooms that are learner-centered communities is explored, and specific examples of instructional approaches are provided.