First Nations Special Education

CONNECTIONSWorking with First Nations students in BC?

Have special education questions?

Call the Resource Line!The Resource Line is a free service for BC educators and parents.

It can help you brainstorm approaches, guide you toward helpful resources, help you to understand assessment documents, and let you know about the latest information on special education.

When you call or email, you will reach the Resource Line Coordinator, Holly Smith. Holly is available to answer your questions, Monday to Thursday, 12:30 to 4:30 during the school year.

Holly also travels throughout the province offering in-school support, so if she is away when you call, she will follow-up as soon as possible upon her return.

Contact the Resource Line:Toll-free 1-877-547-1919hollys@fnesc.caConnections is the monthly newsletter of the Resource Line. Back issues of Connections are available from:

www.fnsa.ca/resource-line.htmThe Resource Line is a collaborative project of the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and the First Nations Schools Association (FNSA), made possible thanks to financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

aNewsletter of the First Nations Special Education Toll-free Resource Line Vol. 10, No. 5 Jan. 2010

Welcome to a new year of Connections, the monthly newsletter of the First Nations Special Education Resource Line. In Connections, many of the resources we share require Internet access but if you need a print copy of an article or downloadable resource, just contact me at 1-877-547-1919. Holly SmithResource Line Coordinator

Enlightening Reading

Oral Language Teaching Series

Teaching Vocabulary, Part 2

By Guest Contributor: Ben Perry FNESC/FNSA Speech/Language Therapist

In the December edition of Connections, I wrote about a technique for direct teaching of vocabulary to students. This technique suggested teaching 400 words per year directly in context. Words were to be chosen from a three-tier system, ignoring tier one (common) and tier three (rare) words, and instead teaching tier two (uncommon) words. The words were taught in the context of read-alouds or in material that the students read themselves. Rich instruction was given around each word, which involved several minutes of interactive activities around each word.

Besides teaching vocabulary directly, vocabulary-related skills can also be taught. These include exploring relationships between words (such as categories, attributes and senses), looking at parts of words (prefixes, roots and suffixes), and learning to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words. Some of these techniques are more suited to younger students (e.g. relationships between words) and some are better for older students (e.g. teaching word parts and how to infer the meaning of a word).

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Relationships Between Words

Words can be grouped together in categories. They can also be associated in other ways – for example words can represent relationships between parts and wholes (e.g. bone, skeleton), opposites (e.g. hot, cold), and many other relationships (e.g. scissors and paper).

Learning to think about the connections between words leads to better reasoning ability. Also, because memories are anchored by their connections to other memories, teaching students to connect new words to other words improves their ability to learn vocabulary.

Try using word sorts and brainstorms to provide practice in these areas. These can be a good way to review words that you have taught directly.

Word Parts: Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots

English has many words that are made up of parts that carry their own meaning. Teaching students the meanings of word parts can support their ability to figure out the meaning of a new word. For example, do your students know the prefixes “anti-“ or “de-“; the root “-ject” as in “eject”; or the suffixes “-able” and “-ify”? Can they use them to figure out word meanings?

Help your class brainstorm words that contain a certain word parts, or ask them to figure out the meaning of words you provide.

Figuring Out Word Meaning

People who read widely have large vocabularies because they learn new words as they read them. Several researchers have found success in teaching students how to figure out the meanings of words. One successful technique had the teacher read a story with a student and repeatedly model (out loud) the “figuring out” process. The first step was to look at the sentence the word came in, as well as the sentences before and after and trying to learn something about the meaning. The second step was to look at the root, prefix and suffix of the word and gather more clues to the meaning. The final step is to read through the three sentences again.

Another study showed that simple, focused practice improved students’ ability to figure out meanings of new words: Students were given sentence with an unknown word in it and asked to figure out the meaning. Repeated practice led to gains in this ability.

All of these techniques can be adapted to just about any grade level and will enhance children’s ability to learn.

Reading comprehension requires that students know the meaning of most, if not all, of the words that they are reading. Furthermore, words are routes to new concepts and new learning; every word symbolizes an aspect of our collective knowledge. They are important

building blocks of knowledge.

For more on vocabulary instruction, visit the Big Ideas in Reading website: http://www.editurl.com/7js

1 Here are the most common prefixes: un- (not), re- (again), in-, im-, il- ir- (not), dis- (not), en-, em- (in), non- (not), in-, im- (in), over-, mis-, sub-, pre-. Here are the most common suffixes: -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -ly, -er, -or, -ion, -tion, ation, and -ition.

Ben Perry welcomes your comments and questions. You can contact him at benp@fnesc.ca.

Downloadable Resources

Foundations for Literacy: An Evidenced-based Toolkit for the Effective Reading and Writing Teacherhttp://www.editurl.com/7hr

Staying informed on the latest developments in reading and writing is not an easy task, given all of a teacher’s commitments.

The aim of the Foundations for Literacy resource is to provide teachers with a succinct

review of recent findings from well-designed research studies on the teaching of reading and writing.

Even when teachers are already familiar with some of the research findings presented here, this resource will supplement and enhance their knowledge and serve as a useful reference tool in daily practice.

The information presented here is explained using examples of how to bring evidence into classroom practice. In addition, the kit provides access to useful related resources. Foundations for Literacy is a valuable resource for practicing teachers, both as part of professional development training program and as a daily reference tool.

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A Balanced Reading Approach for Canadians Designed to Achive Best Results for All (ABRACADABRA) http://grover.concordia.ca/abracadabra/ABRACADABRA is an interactive, flexible, and evidence-based literacy tool designed for use in early elementary classrooms across Canada. Taking a balanced reading approach, it aids beginning readers by offering a variety of resources such as professional development training for teachers, literacy activities, digital stories, assessment capabilities, and a communication tool. Currently, ABRACADABRA contains 32 alphabetic, fluency, comprehension and writing activities linked to 17 interactive stories and stories written by schoolchildren.

Resource Book Spotlight

Vocabulary Their Way: Word Study with Middle and Secondary StudentsBy Shane Templeton, Francine R. Johnston, Donald R. Bear, and Marcia Invernizzi

Vocabulary knowledge is an indicator of students’ reading ability and comprehension, and therefore, a predictor of their success in school. Vocabulary Their Way will help you build a solid content area vocabulary foundation with students because it gives you the tools to assess your students’ knowledge to determine where instruction should begin. The team of authors provides hands-on activities that will maintain students’ interest as they develop their vocabulary knowledge.

Vocabulary Their Waypresents the essential knowledge and strategies needed for developing students’ vocabulary through the exploration of the meanings and the structure of words.

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Kids as Reading Helpers: A Peer Tutor Training Manual By Jim Wright http://www.editurl.com/7hsSchools can train their own students to deliver effective tutoring in reading to younger peers. Kids as Reading Helpers: A Peer Tutor Training Manual is a complete package for training peer reading tutors. Peer tutoring helps answer the problem of delivering effective reading support to the many struggling young readers. Furthermore, peer tutoring programs can improve the reading skills of tutors as well as tutees (Ehly, 1986) and - in some studies-have been shown to build tutors’ social skills as well (Garcia-Vazquez & Ehly, 1995). Young children tend to find the opportunity to read aloud to an older peer tutor reinforces their reading skills and heightens their motivation to learn and succeed.

bubbl.us: brainstorming made simplehttp://bubbl.us/Bubbl.us is a simple and free web application that lets you brainstorm online.

With bubbl.us, you you can:

• Create colorful mind maps online

• Share and work with friends

• Embed your mind map in your blog or website

• Email and print your mind map

• Save your mind map as an image

And it’s FREE!strategies needed for developing students’ vocabulary

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Teachers have reported that the book contains useful information and helpful resources for those who would like further vocabulary information. The graphics and examples are quite useful, and the book provides a solid background on words, word origins and the development of vocabulary knowledge. Step-by-step strategies for sharing this knowledge with students are also included.

Available from: www.amazon.com

2010 Provincial Software Acquisition Plan

Special Education Technology – British Columbia (SET-BC) is pleased to offer BC school districts and First Nations schools the opportunity to join SET-BC provincial software licenses. Through the Provincial Software Acquisition Plan (PSAP), schools are able to acquire recommended software at preferential prices and access SET-BC’s online training modules. SET-BC recommends software to support students with diverse needs in literacy, early math, concept development and communication.

To learn more about PSAP or to order and save 20% to 30% on all orders received before May 1st 2010, go to :http://www.setbc.org/psap/

Mark Your CalendarsJanuary 18-21, Delta. Introduction to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Completion of this course provides the participant an overview of ABA history and theory, but the emphasis will be on practical hands-on coaching and training. http://www.autismoutreach.ca/training/course-calendar

See the latest ConnectionsProfessional Development Issue

on the FNSA website for more opportunities...

http://www.fnsa.ca/specialed.htm

January 21-22, Vancouver. BCAEA (Alternate Education Association) “Challenge and Change” Conference at the Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre. Opening the conference is the Vancouver TheatreSports League followed by keynote speaker David Hatfield. In addition, there are 35 sessions covering a wide variety of topics for educators dealing with at-risk or troubled youth, including bullying, gangs, legal issues in schools, addictions, FASD, procrastination, and psychiatric programs. Hands-on sessions such as claymation, art, bookmaking, storytelling, cooking, and sword play are also available. See the brochure and register online. Many sessions have limited enrolment, so register early! www.bctf.ca/bcaea

FEBRUARY 2010

February 4-6, Victoria. Early Years Conference 2010: The Rights of the Child. The conference will explore early childhood, family and community development through the lens of Child Rights. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990) articulates various inherent human rights that should be afforded to children. Policies designed to support and provide general and specific services to children and their families should reflect these rights in order that all children may reach their full potential in society. Conference participants will have the opportunity to consider research, policy, and practice from a child’s rights perspective in order to further the quality of their work with children, families and communities. http://www.idpofbc.ca/Advnot_EarlyYears20102.pdf.

February 19, Victoria. Tapestry 2010 Conference. Presented by Greater Victoria and Sooke Teachers’ Associations at Spectrum Community School. Featuring keynote speaker Dr. Egan on “Developing Students’ Minds and Imagination.” Dr. Egan will introduce new theories, principles, and practical techniques for making teaching more effective. Engaging students’ imaginations in learning and teachers’ imaginations in teaching is crucial to making knowledge in the curriculum vivid and meaningful, to teachers and to students. Dr. Egan will extend these ideas in the workshop connected with this presentation and show how this can be done routinely in everyday classrooms. For registration and more detailed information, contact www.gvta.net or www.sooketeachers.com