at-risk students or encouraging them to use complex thinking skills, schools underestimate students' capabilities, postpone interesting and meaningful work they could be doing, and deprive them of a meaningful context for learning and using the skills they are taught" (Knapp & Means, 1991). Engelmann (1999) maintained that "school failure for at-risk students results largely from the fact that all children are expected to learn a specified battery of skills in so many years" (p. 77). At-risk students often enter school academically behind and are always struggling to catch up with their peers. Therefore, the early identification of an at-risk student is imperative in order for the child to attain success. Englemann (1999) suggested that identifying at-risk students no later than 1st grade is the only way to achieve success in developing a firm basis in basic skill knowledge. Since it is impossible to take a child back to age 2 and develop the skills pertinent to school success, educators must find a way to bring them up to par in the shortest amount of time possible. Englemann (1999) asserted that designing a highly structured format that allows teachers to cover vast amounts of practice in a short time is ideal in effectively teaching at-risk students. "For this type of skills instruction to be effective, all skills should be presented in a way that is highly oral so that children become facile in following oral directions; answering questions; issuing directions; playing verbal games; and using language to think and reason" (Englemann, 1999, p. 78). However, it is not enough to simply accelerate learning. While skills are an important attribute to solving problems, knowing how to solve the problem is important as well. Hootstein stated the following concerning teaching students how to think: Teachers should encourage students to use self-talk and affirmations. Motivation can help students with the "will" to learn, but t...
