July 9 Story Kits

Story Kits are a wonderful way to engage deaf and blind children in literacy activities. A Story Kit can include a modified or home-made story book, props that help tell the story, and other tactile or auditory features - including possibly a digitized version of the story. The Paths To Literacy website as further information and tips for parents and teachers on how to make these kits. You can learn more by going to www.pathstoliteracy.org.

Modifying an existing story book takes a bit of creativity and can be a lot of fun. It is important to keep in mind who will be using the story book. It will be important to make the book in a way that allows the child as much independence with it as possible. For visually impaired students the text can be enlarged and placed on a contrasting back ground (black and white for example) The text can be Braille typed or made with picture symbols (using an app like Symbol Select makes this easy). Tactile features like adding textures and making shapes outlined with something raised like glitter glue adds to the story.

Sarah and I made a Story Kit for the book "Sleep Tight, Ginger Kitten". We created an adapted version by simplifying the text, enlarging it and placing black text on a white background to create visual contrast. We also typed the repeating line in the story "He can't sleep there." in Braille. We added tactile features on each page to represent various textures in the story. To make the pages durable we laminated them. To make the pages easier to turn we used sturdy card board and a binder to hold all the pages. We added a small triangle of foam to each corner to add grip and buttons on the back corner of each page to increase the page turning ease. As an added audio feature we recorded the line "He can't sleep there." on a GoTalkOne ACC device. At the end of each line of text on each page we placed a raised pearl button sticker as an indicator to press the audio play button on the GoTalkOne device.

Our Story Kit includes this adapted version of the book, props to help tell the story and build vocabulary such as a plush kitten, a rubber ducky, a scratchy mat, a little wooden chair and more. We also included the pre-recorded GoTalkOne.

To add another enhancement that could easily be modified depending on the abilities of the child using the Story Kit we created a digitized version in BookCreator.

July 8 Creating Portfolios and Resumes with students with low incidencedisabilities

Writing involves many sub skills... memory, knowledge, language, higher order cognition, social cognition, spatial ordering, neuromotor function and attention. Writing a traditional resume with pen and paper or key boarding can be beyond some student's current skill set. Student's with low incidence disabilities may need to be taught other ways to develop portfolios and resumes.

There are several iPad apps that can be taught to these students such as ClickerSentences, ClickerConnect, PicCollage, Tools4Kids and BookCreator. This is a great example of how we can make resume writing possible for all students - UDL at it's best!

Each students' skills, strengths and abilities need to be assessed for an appropriate match to be made. When a mode of teaching resume building has been determined the steps for using the tool or app need to be formatted in a way that is accessable to the student. This may require the steps of use to be broken down, shown visually, read orally etc. depending on the student's needs.

In class today our group was assigned a student profile for "Leopold". Our task was to demonstrate how we would teach this student to create a portfolio or resume to help him transition from highschool into the community. Our group decided that because of "Leopold's" non-verbal autism, his rigidity and his challenges with gross and fine motor skills we would teach him how to use ClickerSentences. We created a step by step guide book in BookCreator for him to use to refer to when using the app ClickerSentences. Our group also created a book in BookCreator to present our student profile and rationale for using ClickerSentences to our classmates.

July 7 Perception, Communication and Transitioning

Today in class we worked with Lindsay Welsford. She had us discuss literacy in the framework of perception, communication and transitioning for students with low incidence disabilities. We had circle discussions about how literacy shapes experience for students with low incidence disabilities. We talked about how perception - our understanding of what is going on around us, shapes our identity. It is very important for students with low incidence disabilities to have literacy experiences and for parents, support workers and teachers to foster risk taking and independence as they would with all children/students.

Literacy skills are important for transitioning students with low incidence disabilities. Students change classrooms, schools and go out into the community. It is important for all learners to have basic functional literacy skills. Educators can model, role play, practice, prepare devices, and teach skills that help achieve a level of independence for students transitioning after high school into the community. As part of a team, teachers can incorporate functional literacy into basic life skills training and independent living skills training. As an elementary school teacher, it is important for me to understand how to scaffold this training and to know what we are scaffolding towards in the future - what are the students' goals.

Reading is a key feature of participating in school, community and life. (Book by Leslie Broun)

Doing laundry, taking the bus, depositing a pay cheque, entering a room of people, grocery shopping, communicating understanding, and needs all require basic literacy skills. It is important to work towards building competencies that lead to independence and social success. 

When students transition from high school to the community it is important for them to be able to represent themselves and their abilities to community programs and potential employers. 

Our class assignment for tomorrow is to take a student profile and describe how we would teach them to create a portfolio or resume. Student's with low incidence disabilities can create portfolios and resumes with carefully considered supports in place.

July 6 A New Definition of Literacy

In class today we discussed the importance of making literacy experiences available and accessible to all students. We watched YouTube videos of Deirdre Leech, a Speech and Language Pathologist at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. She described several examples of ways to enhance children's literacy experiences.

Students who are blind or visually impaired can experience text and stories through tactile and auditory means. For example they can "read" ...

Experience Stories - stories created about events in their lives using Braille, tactile features and/or large print.

Daily journals - a reflection of the day's events that create a shared daily experience and help bridge the connection between home and school.

Story Boxes - an adaptive book with a collection of tactile props (objects that help tell the story), puppets and switches to increase comprehension and vocabulary. 

Literacy Kits - a story box plus extension activities and assessment activities.

Concept books - books that teach concepts like sizes, colors, and spatial relationships.

Children's books can be made accessible so that all students can experience them. The actual physical book can be modified. The pages can be made more durable, more able to be turned and more capable of staying open. Tactile features can be added. The text in a book can be enhanced to be more accessible to more readers. Text can be re-typed, abbreviated, enlarged, typed in Braille, set on a contrasting background color or even be replaced with tactile symbols. The illustrations in books can be modified by simplifying the background, cutting out important pictures, adding tactile enhancements and outlining important features or shapes. Adding audio components can greatly enhance the literacy experience as well. Books can have things added to them like sound buttons, music, tactile cues to activate sounds. Putting a book on CD or creating an electronic version are also great ways to make books accessible. With iPad apps like BookCreator the possibilities almost seem limitless.

My classmate, Sarah, and I are creating a Story Kit and Adaptive Book for "Sleep Tight, Ginger Kitten". I will post photos in an upcoming blog post.

The primary goal with any of these book enhancements is to create a literacy experience that will allow a student to feel motivated to read and to enjoy reading. These books also help build vocabulary and build book handling skills.

Every child is a potential reader!

Deirdre Leech gives us a new definition of literacy - it includes reading, writing, communicating, speaking, and listening. This is 21st Century Literacy!

July 6 Literacy for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities

July 6 

Today in class we discussed literacy for students with low incidence disabilities (defined as ... the rate of occurrence in a school population is very small, can include students with severe autism or who are deaf and/or blind for example). In particular we looked at two case studies presented through the University of North Carolina's School of Medicine. Through the Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies Karen Erikson addresses the literacy and communication needs of students with severe disabilities, including deaf blindness. 
The two case studies presented show the development and progression over time of two boys' writing and communication skills. The two boys (Jake and Matthew) use various adaptations and assistive technology. They receive a lot of one on one support, they are given time and praise. What is most important is that both boys are presumed competent and are provided with literacy opportunities by their parents and support workers.  It is a team approach.

To see the full case study of each boy click on the links below ...

Jake                                   Matthew

To link to an example of Assistive Technology being used in an Elementary Classroom for writing from the Nova Scotia Department of Education click on this link to see Katelynn's story.

To link to an example of Assistive Technology being used in an Elementary Classroom for reading from the Nova Scotia Department of Education click on this link to see Darcy's story.

July 4 more about Executive Function

To learn more about Executive Function view more from George McCloskey, Ph.D. here.

July 3 Class Reflection

A definition of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) from cast.org

In class today we took an in-depth look at the 3 guiding principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Principle l  Engagement – the “why” of learning (interest, effort, self-regulation)

Principle ll  Action and Expression - the “how” of learning (physical action, communication, executive function, "show what you know")

Principle lll  Representation – the “what” of learning (perception, symbols, comprehension)

We worked in pairs and created infographics to present and explain each of the principles.

Gavin and I used the apps Pages, Drawing Desk and PicCollage to show Pinciple ll - Action and Expression.

Infograhics are a limitless way to visually show information. 

Our class used Twitter to engage in back channel discussions about UDL, it’s three principles and infographics. A great way to engage and give timely feedback.

  

Our next activity was to use a means of UDL (spoken, written, visual, or performance) to show what we had researched and learned about executive function, it’s key researchers and its’ importance in learning reading and writing skills.

My group was asked to research and show what we had learned in a written form. Sarah, Gavin and I chose to create a newsletter.

Today I have learned ...

How executive functioning effects READING …

When a student is reading, they need executive functioning skills to access their working memory to recall key points that were read. A student with executive dysfunction may have difficulty recalling what they have just read. They may also have difficulty regulating their alertness – staying attentive to what they are reading for a sustained period of time. Executive functioning skills are necessary for fluency. Students with executive dysfunction may have difficulty phrasing and finding the rhythm of reading.

How executive functioning effects WRITING …

When a student is writing, they need executive functioning skills to know how to and where to begin writing. Organization skills are essential to the writing process. A student with executive dysfunction may have difficulty using pre-writing tools like graphic organizers. They may not prioritize their ideas effectively and may write too much about things of lesser importance and not focus in on the main topic and ideas. Students with executive dysfunction may also have difficulty with sequencing. Ideas may be presented in a disorganized order.

July 2 Case Study Presentations

I learned a lot from seeing how other teachers approached their case study assignment and the tools they used with their struggling readers and writers. Some of the new to me tools that I think I will find useful in my practice and want to check out further are ...

www.citationmachine.net

www.zerotothree.org

Motessori Crossword app - for improvement with spelling knowledge

iBooks has many free kids interactive books

Power Point is now an app 

Attention Exercise app - encourages purposeful doodling

Learn to Read app by Fountas and Pinnell - interactive levelled books for kids

July 2 Class Reflection

Mount Saint Vincent University
MEd - Literacy
Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers
with Barb Welsford and Dr. Mary Jane Harkins

Today was our first day of our summer session - GLIT 6758-262. We each presented our pre-course Case Studies to the members of our MSVU summer class.

My project partner and I chose to do our case study on two Grade One students who are exceeding the grade level expectations for reading but who are below grade level in writing. Their struggles with writing include their fine motor skills, knowledge of spelling rules and patterns and many of the conventions of writing.
Both of these students are very hard working and enthusiastic about learning. With these interventions they were able to very quickly improve the quality and quantity of their writing. As well, their confidence and enjoyment of writing increase greatly.

Case Study: Narrowing the Gap (pages from our BookCreator book)
by Erin & Sarah

Hand Writing Without Tears is a program designed to improve fine-motor skills through daily handwriting practice. It can be used as a whole package and for use with an entire class or it can be used in parts for small group instruction or individual use. The HWWT program includes handwriting practice work books, CDs of music, hands-on letter formation manipulatives and writing tools such as mini chalkboards. These things can all be ordered on-line at www.hwtears.com. Two HWWT apps are also available from the App Store called Wet-Dry-Try and Keyboarding Without Tears.

Little Speller is a great app for learning to spell words. It has a variety of "libraries" of words but it can also be programmed with your own list of words. The adjustable settings are what make this app so great. It can be customized to meet the needs of a wide variety of learners. Letters appear on the screen and users have to spell a word by dragging the letters into the letter boxes that appear at the bottom of the screen. Some of the customizable adjustments include audio, letter order vs. random order, letter silohettes in the boxes, and word hints just to name a few. It is a free app and the Sight Word version is particularly good for emergent spellers. Available at the App Store.


CoWriter is an amazing app. It allows a writer to write freely, with voice and without the worry of making spelling errors. CoWriter has built in word prediction and programmable topic dictionaries. It has text to speach capabilities allowing an author to hear what they have written. The font and font size can be adjusted to meet the needs of various writers. CoWriter is easy to learn to use and I have had 100% success with every student that has tried it. They begin to love to write and their confidence in themselves as a writer soars! Available at the App Store.



Making Words is a great teaching resource to teach phonics, spelling patterns and vocabulary in a fun, hands-on way. It was created by Patricia Cunningham and Dorthy P. Hall. Students practice "making" and "breaking" words using letter cards, letter tiles or magnetic letters. It is great for kinestetic learners and can be done with a whole class or in small groups. This resource is available through Amazon.ca.

We saw huge improvements in their fine motor control as well as in the quantity and quality of their writing ! :)