Teach Effectively!

Jay Mathews, who writes columns about education under the general title of “Class Struggle” for the Washington (DC, US) Post, reviewed two books about special education in his piece of 9 October 2009. He gives strong recommendations about What’s Special about Special Education by James Kauffman and Daniel P. Hallahan and about Learning Disabilities: Understanding the Problem and Managing the Challenges by Etta Brown.

I have often wondered what I would do if I discovered I had a child with learning disabilities. The parents I have interviewed who have gone through this seem more patient and persistent than I am. I suspect they got that way by necessity. Now I have found a couple of books that may help parents encountering this issue for the first time.

One book came out in 2005, the other in 2008. They were sent to me by people who read my recent confessions of ignorance on this subject. They both qualify for my Better Late Than Never Book Club, a list of recommended volumes I would have reviewed when they came out if I weren’t so perpetually behind in everything I do.

Alert readers will note that the first title was written by my colleagues and that Jim is a sometimes poster here on Teach Effectively.

Link to Mr. Mathews’ column.