Module 4 of 6 Middle/Secondary Literacy for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

1. Module 4 of 6Middle/Secondary Literacy for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Recommended citation: Assessing Special Education Students SCASS (AA-AAS Study Group), 2008. Middle/secondary literacy for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Washington, D.C., Council of Chief State School Officers

2. Modules developed by Special Education Research Consultants under the direction of Lynn Ahlgrim-Delzell, Ph.D. with contributions by: • Tracie-Lynn Zakas, M.Ed. • Shawnee Wakeman, Ph.D. • Pamela Mims, M.Ed. • Katherine Trela, ABD • Ella Glass and • ASES SCASS AA-AAS Study Group Members

3. Content of the Modules Module 1 - Introduction to Teaching Literacy to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (SSCD)* • Why we teach academics • Summary of current research and evidence-based practices • National Reading Panel (2000) & Put Reading First (2003) recommendations • Theoretical foundation for literacy instruction • Universal Design for Learning * Within these modules, SSCD refers to students with significant cognitive disabilities

4. Content of the Modules Module 2 – Literacy Development and Symbolic Communication • Stages of literacy development • Phonemic awareness and phonics skills • Levels of communication skills used by students with significant disabilities • Embedding Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices

5. Content of the Modules Module 3 - Elementary grade level literature • Elements of a story-based lesson (SBL) for elementary students • Ideas for adaptation of grade level books & using Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices Module 4 - Middle and high school literacy • Elements of a story-based lesson (SBL) for middle/ secondary students • Adapting grade level books & using Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices

6. Content of the Modules Module 5 - Literacy in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) • Lesson planning. • Standards-based IEPs. • Developing literacy lessons that align with general education content standards. Module 6 – Families • What is literacy and why it is important. • Literacy activities families can do at home. • Homework.

7. Purpose of Module 4 Participants will learn: • Selection of grade-appropriate books • Description of a typical middle/secondary reading activity • Current Reading practices for SSCD • 12 step for story-based lesson • Bloom’s Taxonomy for comprehension • Adaptations for vision and hearing impairments • Embedding AAC devices

8. Why Teach Literacy? Browder, Gibbs, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Courtade, Mraz, & Flowers, in press. All students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities (SSCD) need access to age and grade appropriate reading materials To systematically engage these students in meaningful literacy activities To allow students with significant disabilities the opportunity to experience the same rich reading experiences as their typically developing peers Literacy is a functional skill!

9. Selecting Grade Appropriate Books What books are grade level students reading? • Consult the reading curriculum guide that your school district uses to teach reading • Ask a general education teacher at your school what her students are reading • Ask a librarian • Search the Internet • http://www.barnstable.k12.ma.us/curriculum/summerreading-elem.htm • http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001316.shtml • http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/agegradebooksby/ • www.lexile.com

10. Typical Middle/Secondary Reading • A typical reading lesson consists of the teacher leading a class through a reading passage • Teacher sits or stands in front of the class • Each student has a copy of their own book • Students take turns interacting with the story, reading passages, and finding vocabulary words • A whole story is not typically read in a day, so the teacher may concentrate on only one chapter per day.

11. Typical Middle/Secondary Reading (con’t.) Phonics instruction not usually taught separately at this age, so these skills may be embedded in story reading by selecting specific words and using emphasized pronunciations

12. Current Reading Practices for SSCD • Literacy activities may be passive • Students may listen to their teacher read a story • Students may not have the opportunities to actively engage and participate in the literature • Material that has not been adapted, may be too wordy, or the vocabulary may be too difficult • Literacy may consist of only sight word recognition

13. Story-based Lessons Browder, Trela, & Jimenez, 2007. Teach literacy skills with story-based lessons (SBL) • Grade-level chapter book /adapted chapter book • Select key vocabulary from book • Pair pictures with words as necessary • Up to 8 vocabulary pictures/words per book • Find repeated line or create one using main idea of book/chapter • Can be used for text pointing

14. Story Based Lessons (con’t.) • Select at least 3 comprehension questions with answers and distracters per chapter • Modify book as needed for student access

15. Steps of the Story-Based Lesson Secondary Level 1) Anticipatory set 2) Read the title 3) Read the author 4) Open book 5) Identify key vocabulary 6) Make a prediction Browder, Trela, & Jimenez, 2007. 7) Repeated story line 8) Text point 9) Turn the page 10) Phonetic awareness opportunity 11) Locate target vocabulary word in text 12) Comprehension question/review prediction

16. Step 1: Anticipatory Set Description Presentation of an object /event/concept that can be accessed through any one of the five senses Select an item that will increase student participation. The anticipatory set can include: Object to be touched (dog leash) Food that can be experienced through taste or smell (scent of vanilla or perfume) Object that describes a concept (sandpaper) Recording that represents a part of a story (music or part of a famous speech)

17. Step 1: Anticipatory Set Teacher Action Present an object that can be accessed through at least one of the five senses to represent a major theme and create an sense of anticipation Example: Call of the Wild by Jack London You can give the students an ice cube to represent cold or pictures from the Iditarod

18. Step 2: Read the TitleDescription When presenting the title page of the book, the teacher should use the word “title” “I am going to read the title of our book.” The teacher should also sweep their finger under the title, to further emphasize their statement Students should have their own books; the teacher may need to model the title on the student’s book

19. Step 2: Read the Title Teacher Action Every student should have an opportunity to touch and/or read the title of their own book. Can record title on a voice output device (VOD) The title of the book can be highlighted, underlined with a pipe cleaner, raised with puff paints, or traced over with glue and sand Example: Teacher says “This title of our book is ‘Call of the Wild’. Touch/tell us the title of your book.”

20. Step 3: Read the Author’s Name Description Use the word “author” to describe the writer of the story “I am going to point to the author’s name. The author is the person who wrote this book.” The teacher should also sweep their finger under the author’s name for emphasis Since students have their own books; it may be necessary to model finding the author’s name on the student’s book

21. Step 3: Read the Author’s Name Teacher Action Every student should have an opportunity to engage with and/or read the name of the author from their own book. Can record the title of the book on a VOD Example: Teacher says “The author of our book is Jack London. Touch/tell us the author’s name.”

22. Step 4: Model Opening the Book Description Understand how to orient the book (front, back, top and bottom of the book) Students should be given the opportunity to position the book so that it can be read Point out the front, back, top and bottom of the book and model how to open it Each student should have the opportunity to open their own chapter book and find the correct chapter

23. Step 4: Model Opening the Book Teacher Action Teacher ask students to find a specific chapter from a closed book Avoid directly saying “open the book” May need to prompt which chapter to find Place book in an upside-down and/or backward fashion to create additional challenge

24. Step 5: Model Opening the Book Teacher Action (con’t.) • If the student has physical limitations, present book in a variety of positions, ask student, “Is the book ready to read?” • The student can respond by using their primary method of indication (e.g. head nod, AAC device, pointing, eye gaze) Example: “How do we get our story started?” “What should we do to begin reading our book?”

25. Step 5: Identify Key Vocabulary Description Vocabulary: Words to know to communicate effectively Words so that we can connect to the text Teach word meaning through specific instruction Teach specific words prior to reading Repeat exposure to vocabulary words in different contexts

26. Step 5: Identify Key Vocabulary Description (con’t.) • Select up to 8 words/pictures per chapter • Words may be highlighted within the text • Pair picture/object with the printed word • Use VOD

27. Step 5: Identify VocabularyTeacher Action Identify key vocabulary before the story is read with a vocabulary list. Give students the opportunity to read and point to vocabulary on the list. Example: Two key vocabulary words for chapter one in Call of the Wild may be love and home. Student can be asked to find those words on the list.

28. Step 6: Ask a Prediction Question Description • Students make a prediction about what they think the chapter will be about. • Use the vocabulary page of the chapter and/or repeated story-line to provide context clues that assist the student to make a prediction • There are no wrong answers. • The student is simply indicating what they THINK the chapter will be about.

29. Step 6: Ask a Prediction Question Teacher Action Show cover of the book Show vocabulary page Review repeated story-line Ask the students what they think the story will be about. The teacher can graph or chart student answers

30. Step 6: Ask a Prediction Question Teacher Action (con’t.) • Student may choose from pictures, objects, preprogrammed VOD, or verbal response. • Use typical response mode of student • Vary number of options to select from • Vary difficulty of options by using distractors that are very dissimilar or similar to pictures in the book Example: “What do you think our chapter will be about? Do you think it will be about an dog, elephant, or an airplane?”

31. Step 7: Text Pointing Description Point to text as you read. Teaches concept that words on a page are related to story being told. Reinforces reading left to right, top to bottom Give students the opportunity to text point in their book Text can be highlighted or enlarged and displayed on a sentence strip, clear Plexiglas for eye-gaze or VOD Sentences may be the repeated chapter line

32. Step 7: Text Pointing Teacher Action Read and point to the text. Teacher should model pointing from their book Students should point to the text in their books Each student should have the opportunity to point to the text and “read” with the teacher at least once during the chapter. Example: “Help me read this sentence. Buck loved his home.”

33. Step 8: Read Repeated Story LineDescription Middle/Secondary books rarely have a natural repeated story line like elementary books Teacher creates one that emphasizes a central theme in the chapter This text can be emphasized by highlighting, bolding, or underlining. Each student should have an opportunity to read the repeated story line (or part thereof) independently or as a choral response.

34. Step 8: Read Repeated Story LineTeacher Action Students have the opportunity to point to and “read” the repeated story line from their book Repeated story line may also be recorded into a VOD Leave VOD near the student so they may show anticipation of the line. Example: “Buck loved his home.”

35. Step 9: Turn the Page Description Indirectly ask the student to turn the page in their own book Helps make the connection between printed text and hearing the story Prevents students from following direct command, demonstrates anticipation

36. Step 9: Turn the Page Description (con’t.) • For students with physical limitations: • Craft sticks glued to the pages to create handles • Pieces of sponge glued to separate the pages • Have a picture or program a VOD to indicate “turn the page”

37. Step 9: Turn the Page Teacher Action Every student is turns the page in their book Requests can be made by asking the student: “What do you think happens next? How can we find out?” “What do we need to do to find out what is going to happen?” “How do we keep the story going?” Example: “How do we keep our story going?”

38. Step 10: Phonics & Phonemic Awareness- Description • Select at least one vocabulary word that is considered “phonetically regular” • Select a phonemic awareness activity • Eight activities presented in Module 2 • May rotate different activities per chapter, but keep to 2-3 activities, not all 8 • Use CVC words that are easily decoded • Learn continuous sounds before stop sounds

39. Step 10: Phonics & Phonemic Awareness Description h o m e home If a student in not verbal, individual sounds can be placed on a four box VOD so the student can touch the sounds and then touch the corresponding word.

40. Step 10: Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Teacher Action Blending example When reading the words on the vocabulary page, say the word targeted for the phonemic awareness activity very slowly, pronounce vowel and consonant sounds individually Ask the students “What word?” Example: “This is the word home, /h/ /o/ /m/ /e/. Listen, /h/ /o/ /m/ /e/. What word?”

41. Step 10: Phonics and Phonemic Awareness- Teacher Action (con’t.) • Phoneme identity example • Students identify first or last sound in the word Example: "The vocabulary word is home. Listen, /h/ /o/ /m/ /e/. Touch the letter that makes the first sound.”

42. Step 11: Target Vocabulary WordDescription Students find or say vocabulary words as they appear in the text as it is read. For the student with limited verbal skills, provide a picture cue that they can display when the word is read. Program a VOD with the vocabulary word. Encourage the student to press the correct vocabulary word when it appears in the passage.

43. Step 11: Target Vocabulary WordTeacher Action Identify vocabulary words within the text as the chapter is read. Vocabulary can be highlighted in the text As the chapter or passage is read, students read and point to the selected vocabulary as they appear in the text. Example: “Buck loved his home. Touch the word home in this sentence.” (“Find the word home on your GoTalk.”)

44. Step 12: Comprehension Description Construct comprehension questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy 1. Knowledge 2. Comprehension 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm

45. Sample Comprehension Questions Knowledge- questions that involve basic recall skills Who was in the story? Where did the dog visit? Comprehension- questions that identify, clarify, or sequence What happened at the end of the story? What happened first, next, last in the story?

46. Sample Comprehension Questions • Application- making connections to the text • The girl was dancing. What are you doing? • The boy was happy. Tell me about a time when you were happy. • Analysis- categorizing/classifying and comparing/contrasting • Jack rode his bike to the store. How else could he have gotten to the store? • How are the two boys alike? How are they different.

47. Sample Comprehension Questions Synthesis- main idea; and cause and effect What was our story about? When it started to rain, what did the girl do? Evaluation- real/not real, fact/fiction Is Buck the dog real or not real? Is the book Call of the Wild fact or fiction?

48. Step 12: Comprehension Questions Teacher Action Questions can be asked immediately after reading the line or after reading the book. Support student responds by offering choices: Vary number of options, and types of distracters VOD, pair pictures with words, eye gaze board, Students can also complete comprehension tasks as Individual Work Time Example: “Who was the main character in our story?” Was it Buck or a duck?

49. Modifying Books • Books at this level typically will not have repeated story lines, picture cues and simple text. • Modifications may be needed for access by students with visual or physical disabilities and improve durability • Excellent resource: Strategies & Tools for Adapting Books • http://www.boston.k12.ma.us/teach/technology/emmanuel.asp

50. Accessing Books • Increasing Durability • Use self-laminating sheets or clear contact paper to cover pages of the book • Place in page protectors and 3-ring binder • Increasing Access to the Book • Page holders or fluffers such as paper clips, pipe cleaners or craft sticks between the pages • Place book on an easel or flip chart