EDITING

Editing

Editing

Introduction

This essay deals with the long-standing issue of intervention for inclusion children with Learning Difficulties (LDs) into mainstream classroom. LDs children face varying stumbling blocks in learning such as academic and social interaction (Gate, 2007). In order for inclusion to be successful these difficulties need to be mastered, as they are required for the child's progression (Bender, 2003). Moreover, mainstream pupils need to know people who are different in abilities (Putnam, 1993). Therefore, attention should be paid to these difficulties using the most effective approach. These two education al modes are subtler opportunity for differentiation by task, role outcome and by not being a passive learning.

On the basis of my experiences, as well as studies developed during recent years, the aim of this paper is to discuss issues surrounding two approaches to encouraging inclusion of LDs into the mainstream education: Cooperative Learning (CL) and Peer Tutoring (PT).

In order to analyse these two teaching-learning models, this essay presents a brief definition of children with LDs. It then provides an overview of the principles involved in these models, and outlines the theory behind principles. The essay moves on to address the strengths and limitations of each approach. Finally, it will provide a critical discussion of these approaches centred on points of convergence and divergence. It should be clear that this topic is involved a several strategies and issues, this essay will discuss some of these matter briefly due to the limitation of the essay.

Learning difficulties definition

Learning difficulty is a broad term describing a wide range of needs for a group of people sharing some common characteristic (Farrell, 1997). The 1996 Act (section 312), defines pupils with LDs who 'has a significant greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of his age' or 'has a disability which either prevents or hinders him from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of his age in schools within the area of the local education authority' (Frederickson & Cline, 2009:307). According to this definition, many pupils experience difficulties in learning. These difficulties may be specific; individual could have discrepancies across their developmental range with an average level of intelligence and long-term difficulties in specific tasks like reading or mathematics (e.g. Dyslexia) (MacIntyre and Deponio, 2003), or more general difficulties; learning disability is having a 'significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence), with; A reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning); which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development' (Department of Health, 2001, p.21). This disability affects most aspects of their development, from mild to profound (Dockrell & Mcshane, 1993).

These difficulties cannot greet a cut-off but may be determined by an IQ test. Although, this may create the assumption that all children with similar IQ scores have similar cognitive skills (Dockrell & Mcshane, 1993). Therefore, it does not give a clear indication of the specific areas experienced by the child to understanding LD pivotally (Campdell, 2009; Gate, ...