Integrative strategy instruction: a potential model for teaching content area subjects to adolescents with learning disabilities.

Abstract

In part because learning strategies are often taught in isolated resource settings outside of the contexts in which students with learning disabilities are expected to apply this knowledge, generalization has been a significant challenge to educators. To address this problem, an instructional model is proposed for integrating cognitive strategy instruction and content area instruction when teaching students in content area classes. Teacher-directed instructional procedures, cooperative learning, and direct explanation and dialectical strategy instruction are integrated into four key instructional processes: orienting, framing, applying, and extending. In this model, teacher-mediated instructional devices and routines used to teach content area subjects serve as a basis for teaching students to self-mediate parallel cognitive strategies and processes. The model is discussed in terms of its theoretical and philosophical orientations as manifested in its knowledge and instructional bases. A scenario is provided that depicts a social studies teacher implementing many of the principles and methods associated with the model.