Emergent Literacy Supports for Students who are Deafblind
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Transcript of Emergent Literacy Supports for Students who are Deafblind
Emergent Literacy Supports for Students who are Deafblind
NCDB Topical Conference May 13, 2008
Amy R. McKenzie, Ed.D.Florida State UniversityProgram in Visual Impairments
Role of the DB Team
Role of the DB Team
The DB Team consists of:• Teacher of students with
visual impairments• Teacher of the deaf and
hard of hearing• Deafblind specialist
Role of the DB Team
#1: TVI Assessment• Current eye report and
FVE• Learning Media
Assessment• ECC Assessment• Consult with others
regarding implications of VI/DB
Role of the DB Team
Learning Media Assessments• Required by IDEA for all
students with visual impairments
• The only method of ensuring objective decision making regarding a student’s preferred learning channels & literacy media (print/braille)
Role of the DB Team
#2: HI Assessments • Audiologist Report • Functional Hearing
Evaluation• Consult with others
regarding implications of HI/DB
Role of the DB Team
#3: Communication Assessments
• Visual impairment multiplies by a hearing impairment has large implications on a student’s ability to communicate and their preferred modes of communication
• Completed in collaboration with other team members
Role of the DB TeamCommunication Assessment• Every Move Counts: Sensory
Based Communication Techniques (Korsten, Dunn, Foss, & Francke, 1993)
• The Callier-Azusa Scale (Stillman et al., 1978)
• Communication: A Guide for Teaching Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments (Hagood, 1997)
Role of the DB Team
#4: IEP Development • ECC Goals and Objectives
(TVI) • Consult or Team Teach
– Classroom Teacher - Literacy Skills
– Related Service Providers – Literacy-related Skills
• Accommodations & Supplementary Aids/Services
Role of the DB Team
#5: Direct Instruction in Unique Need Areas
• Instruction in literacy-related areas – Communication– Concept development– Listening skills – Early braille skills (TVI) – Visual efficiency skills (TVI) – Assistive technology skills
Role of the DB Team
#6: Consultation with Team Members
• Organization and adaptation of the environment
• Teaching methods• Activities that encourage
literacy development • Literacy at home and in
the community
Environmental Supports
Environmental Supports
Research-based practices in emergent literacy include:
• Print rich environment with extensive labeling
• Organization of the classroom into areas or centers– All areas/centers should
include literacy props
Environmental Supports
For students with DB:• Environmental print/labels
must be in all students’ literacy media and in an accessible location
• Example: Labels can include print, large print, braille, real objects, tactile symbols, pictures, and Mayer-Johnson symbols on one large piece of cardstock or cardboard.
Strategies & Activities
Strategies & Activities
The following strategies and activities can be implemented by the DB Team in a variety of ways:
• Direct instruction• Team teaching • Modeling for other team
members• Consultation with other
team members
Strategies & Activities
Early, Hands On Experiences
• Essential for concept development
• Repetitious, consistent, and comprehensive
• Variety of environments• Lay the ground work for
further development in all areas – especially communication & literacy
Strategies & Activities
Early, Hand On Experiences
• The problem? It was often observed that books were being read to students who had no grasp of the concepts being addressed.
• Can a child truly begin to develop literacy skills if they are unaware of the content of the literacy experience?
Strategies & Activities
Just Read... Aloud! • Make a part of daily
routines in all environments
• Select books that are based on concepts that are understood by the students – real life experiences, a classroom theme, etc.
Strategies & Activities
Just Read… Aloud!• Make the reading process
as multi-sensory as possible– Real objects– Tactile symbols
• Model book reading behaviors – Page turning – Book orientation (Newbold, 2000)
Strategies & Activities
Just Read… Aloud!• Utilize a Shared Reading
approach where the adult and student read together
• Select stories with predictable patterns or related story lines
• Include communication devices in a meaningful manner! (Holbrook & Koenig, 2005)
Strategies & Activities
Using Communication Devices in a Meaningful Manner
• Do not simply place a switch in front of the student with the repeated line recorded
• Include a meaningful symbol on the book and device to help make the connection; change for each story read.
Strategies & Activities
Experience Stories • A joint story writing
process based on an activity or event experience by a student.
(Holbrook & Koenig, 2005)
Strategies & Activities
Book Bags and Boxes • Bags or boxes with objects
associated with a book or story
• Use the objects while reading the book
• The type of objects should be based on students’ communication needs!
Strategies & Activities
Shared Writing and Scribbling
• Shared writing or scribbling is a vital component of literacy development; model writing for students whenever possible.
• Have plenty of paper, crayons, pencils, paints and a braille writer in a location accessible to students in a variety of locations. (Holbrook & Koenig, 2005)
Strategies & Activities
Unique Needs of Students who are Deafblind
• Activity or Schedule Calendars/Boxes
• Choice Boards• Braille Readiness/Early
Braille Activities
Resources
Questions & Answer