Chapter 12: Literacy, Behavior, and Auditory Processing: Effective Pedagogical Practice That Maximizes Students’ Behavioral, Motivational, and Achievement Progress

Effects of the overlap between students’ disruptive behavior problems at school (particularly inattentiveness) and their poor motivational and achievement progress in literacy, are highly prevalent and resistant to intervention (Cantwell & Baker, 1991; Hinshaw, 1992; Oberklaid, 2004; Purdie, Hattie, & Carroll, 2002; Rowe, 1991, 1997; Rowe & Rowe, 1992a, 1992b, 1997a, 1999, 2002, 2006; Sanson, Prior, & Smart, 1996). Approximately 9% of children and adolescents have both literacy and behavior problems and the long-term consequences of these are costly emotionally, socially, educationally, and economically (Barkley, 1995, 1997; Hinshaw, 1994; Rowe & Rowe, 2000; Rutter, 1974, 1985). Moreover, this overlap is problematic to the extent that what are essentially “education” issues have become major “health” and “‘well-being” issues. Increasing numbers of parents and teachers are seeking help from health professionals for their distressed children whose behavior and motivation problems are related to learning difficulties and especially failure to acquire initial and subsequent literacy skills (Ellis, 2005; Purdie & Ellis, 2005; Rowe, 2005a, 2005b, 2006, Rowe, 2007a, 2007b).