Our Labeled Children: what Every Parent And Teacher Needs To Know About Learning Disabilities [Hardcover]

Robert J. Sternberg (Author), Elena L. Grigorenko (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 1999

Twenty percent of all school aged children in this country have been labeled Learning Disabled. But what is a genuine learning disability and how does it differ from garden-variety poor learning? How can we more accurately assess and then teach to learning strengths instead of to weaknesses? In this passionately argued yet clear-headed book, internationally acclaimed cognitive psychologist Robert Sternberg and research scientist Elena Grigorenko tackle these controversial issues, urging that we must first understand the full range of factors that contribute to learning disabilities (and sometimes to their misdiagnosis) in order to improve the American educational and diagnostic systems.From the biological bases of dyslexia and other disabilities, to the tests that do and do not accurately assess learning abilities, to the social and educational pressures that contribute to misdiagnosis in this country, Our Labeled Children clearly outlines the issues that concern both parents and teachers, ultimately pointing to clear strategies for improving our system to help children with all manner of learning problems.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Every student has a learning disability, according to psychologists Robert Sternberg and Elena Grigorenko. The best reader may be a poor musician; a top math student may struggle to communicate with people. Yet an unfortunate one-fifth of today's schoolchildren are tagged as "LD." In this scholarly attack on the labeling of our children, the two Yale-based researchers take issue with everything from the unscientific methods used to designate children as learning disabled to the way students with distinctly different problems are grouped together and taught. They base much of their case on modern ideas about learning, such as Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, which argues against the traditional one-size-fits-all IQ.

The authors manage to avoid the jargon that plagues most discussions about learning disabilities. They briefly describe the history of the LD label, how battles over it have fared in the courts, and what studies have begun to link its origins to genetic makeup. Much of the dry and precise writing deals with reading problems, particularly dyslexia. The writers clearly map out a plan for how schools should teach reading to avoid future labeling of many children. Their perspective is a valid and important one for anybody concerned about children pigeonholed as LD, particularly parents faced with this reality, educators who deal with it on a day-to-day basis, or anyone studying to be a teacher. --Jodi Mailander Farrell

From Library Journal

Technically, learning-disabled individuals are those who experience difficulty in one or more academic areas despite displaying average or better IQ; 20 percent of all school-aged children in the United States fall into this category. Sternberg (psychology and education, Yale) and Grigorenko (a research scientist at Yale) argue that this criterion is inadequate because it does not differentiate between physiological and external causes. Furthermore, they support flexible teaching methods that address students' individual needs within the classroom and question the wisdom behind encouraging students to train for careers in which their learning disability will cause significant problems. Parents of learning-disabled children will first want a title geared toward negotiating the current system, such as Corinne Smith and Lisa Strick's Learning Disabilities A to Z (LJ 6/1/97), but academic and larger public libraries should also collect this. Broader in scope than Our Labeled Children, Shapiro and Rich's book is a basic primer for those who have become aware in adulthood that they may have a learning disability. The discussion encompasses deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and dyscalculia (difficulty with mathematics) as well as dyslexia. Shapiro and Rich, both experts in special education, describe rather than critique the current system of educational accommodations. Highly recommended as a unique source of information targeted to learning-disabled adults themselves, this belongs in most public libraries.AMary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Perseus Books (September 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738201855
• ISBN-13: 978-0738201856
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,474,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book on different levels..., April 19, 2000

By 

wolfk2 (Fayetteville, AR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Labeled Children: what Every Parent And Teacher Needs To Know About Learning Disabilities (Hardcover)

Sternberg has done a good job on different levels in this book. It's very readable and interesting. The only boring part of the book (and unconvincing to me) is the chapter on biological differences among the brains of people who have an LD. There's simply too many kids diagnosed with an LD to fit everyone under one causation.

Sternberg talks about the culture of LD, the politics of being labeled "LD", the dangers of using discrepancy formulas for assessment, and effective pedagogical intervention. This is not an "anti-LD" book; instead Sternberg strikes me like Dr. Diller (author of Running on Ritalin) as a "radical moderate."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Questioning falls short of what education field needs, July 11, 2000

By 

Timothy Reisert - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Labeled Children: what Every Parent And Teacher Needs To Know About Learning Disabilities (Hardcover)

After one reads Sternberg and Grigorenko's OUR LABELED CHILDREN, one gets the impression that the hope of future readers is tainted with the muck of politics and scientific research that barely stratches the surface of reading and learning. In the style of Gerald Coles (READING LESSONS), the authors of this book attempt to question increasing trends of labeling children as having learning disabilities by showing how educational practices, sociological pressures, and political and cultural values create a situation where professionals label students with having a sometimes-mythical learning disability.

Where Sternberg and Grigorenko fall short is about halfway through this text. The writing is convincing, and the evidence is plentiful; however, the authors shift in their attempt to reform by depending on scientific "brain" research that tells us less than we can infer from evidence in the classroom. Then, the sales pitch begins. Just when you think the authors are making a case for reformation in the classroom, they hold tight to the phonics-first approach to reading instruction. Compared to Magaret Moustafa's BEYOND TRADITIONAL PHONICS, Sternberg and Grigorenko follow an opposite path, which, in my opinion, does not fully realize the efforts and skills of beginning readers, or what kind of instruction they need.

The beginning of this book sets up some interesting and enlightening arguments against the current system. The authors, then, discredit themsleves in the latter part of the book by using scientific evidence that does not quite reach the standard that the authors, themselves, demand. Be critical when reading this book because there are some great ideas and some not-so-great ideas.