Transfer Skills Across A National Curriculum: The Role of Cognitive Strategies for Children with Learning Difficulties

Abstract

A NATIONAL CURRICULUM in the United Kingdom established by the 1988 Education Reform Act will place greater demands than ever before on children with learning difficulties. Not only will these children be stressed in each subject area but also they will be required to use transfer skills for various cross‐curricular themes. In order to promote transfer across the curriculum various guidelines involving the use of cognitive strategies are recommended. These involve the promotion of perceived similarity, an analysis of the learning context, the use of expert scaffolding and the detailed planning of practice schedules. From these will evolve the necessary carefully constructed teaching programs to enable children to bring skills and information from one situation and use them to advantage in another.