Using the Common Core Successfully through a Multi-Sensory Approach to Literacy

What are the Common Core Standards?

• a set of common goals + expectations • for students K – 12 • in preparation for success in college +/or the

workplace • research, evidence-based + internationally

benchmarked • voluntarily adopted by Maryland, 44 other

states + the District of Columbia

Application to Students with Disabilities (www.corestandards.org)

“The  Common Core State Standards articulate rigorous grade-level expectations in the areas of mathematics and English language arts. These standards identify the knowledge and skills students need in order to be successful in college and careers.

Students with disabilities must be challenged to excel within the general curriculum and be prepared for success in their post-school lives, including college and/or careers.

These common standards provide an historic opportunity to improve access to rigorous academic content standards for students with disabilities. The continued development of understanding about research-based instructional practices and a focus on their effective implementation will help improve access to mathematics and English language arts (ELA) standards for all students, including those with disabilities.

Students with disabilities are a heterogeneous group with one common characteristic: the presence of disabling conditions that significantly hinder their abilities to benefit from general education (IDEA 34 CFR§300.39, 2004) Therefore, how these high standards are taught and assessed is of the utmost importance in reaching this diverse group of students.

In order for students with disabilities to meet high academic standards and to fully demonstrate their conceptual and procedural knowledge and skills in mathematics, reading, writing, speaking and listening (ELA), their instruction must incorporate supports and accommodations, including: •  supports  and related services designed to meet the unique needs of these students and to enable their access to the general education curriculum (IDEA 34 CFR §300.34, 2004)

•  an Individualized Education Program (IEP) which includes annual goals aligned with and chosen to facilitate their attainment of grade- level academic standards •  teachers  and specialized instructional support personnel who are prepared and qualified to deliver high-quality, evidence-based, individualized instruction and support services

Promoting a culture of high expectations for all students is a fundamental goal of the Common Core State Standards. In order to participate with success in the general curriculum, students with disabilities, as appropriate, may be provided additional supports and services, such as: •  Instructional supports for learning  ―   based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning  ―   which foster student engagement by presenting information in multiple ways and allowing for diverse avenues of action and expression

•  Instructional accommodations ―   changes in materials or  procedures    ―       which do not change the standards but allow students to learn within the framework of the Common Core •  Assistive technology devices and services to ensure access to the general education curriculum and the Common Core State Standards

Some students with the most significant cognitive disabilities will require substantial supports and accommodations to have meaningful access to certain standards in both instruction and assessment, based on their communication and academic needs. These supports and accommodations should ensure that students receive access to multiple means of learning and opportunities to demonstrate knowledge, but retain the rigor and high expectations of the Common Core State Standards.”

Furthermore

“While  the  standards  set  grade-specific goals, they do not define HOW the standards should be taught or WHICH MATERIALS should be used. States and districts recognize there will need to be a WIDE RANGE of SUPPORTS in place to ensure that all students, including those with special  needs,  can  master  the  standards…”

What does this mean for our student population of special needs?

Teachers + other direct care staff need to be - flexible - creative - proactive - willing to learn + use new strategies + evidence-based practices

It  means…we  as  educators  need to • raise the bar for our students + have higher

expectations

• respect + regard them as unique individuals

• allow extra processing time + encourage their active participation

• try anything + everything to gain their attention + keep their interests

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) • addresses + reduces the primary barrier in

learning environments --- that is, the inflexible “one-size-fits-all”  curricula

• provides flexibility in goals, methods, materials + assessment to meet the needs of all learners

• includes 3 primary principles

Principle 1. Provide multiple means of Representation = to present information +

content in different ways

Principle 2: Provide multiple means of Action + Expression = to differentiate the ways students

can express themselves

Principle 3: Provide multiple means of Engagement = to stimulate their interest +

motivation for learning

Instructional Accommodations • scheduling - give student extra time to process,

respond + complete tasks • setting - have student work in small group, with

a partner or one-to-one w/ educator • student response - allow student to respond

orally/use voice output device, computer, stickers,  markers,  “yes  no”  gestures/pointing,  etc.

• materials - provide student with visible written/pictured directions, teacher notes or taped information

• instruction - break task up into smaller parts + shorter steps to encourage student participation

Instructional Accommodations

“Yes  No”  Pointing

Peer Partner

Smaller parts

Assistive Technology

• adapted computer work stations - special needs software, electronic storybooks, adaptive keyboard, touch screen

• environmental control units + adaptive switches - switch adapted toys/appliances

• augmentative communication - vods, iPads

Assistive Technology

• iPad

Special software + touch screen Adaptive pour switch

Common Core Standards are divided into two major subjects:

Mathematics • greater focus on fewer

topics

• linking topics across grades

• building on foundations from previous year

English Language Arts (ELA) • building knowledge through

content-rich nonfiction

• immersing students in information about the world around them

• focus on reading, writing, speaking + listening within all subjects (literacy)

What does Literacy mean for children with visual or multiple disabilities?

• Literacy is more than just reading and writing print or braille.

• According to a definition by Wright (1997), literacy is an

integrated process which encompasses "proficiency in understanding and using written as well as spoken language as a reader, writer, speaker and listener."

• With this broader focus on language, literacy includes recognizing objects, pictures or other symbols, and using them to communicate. Making choices, anticipating events, following simple recipes, creating or "reading" lists, and other forms of self-expression are all a part of functional literacy.

Who are my students? • Assessment reviews (Learning Media Assessment,

Psychological, Hearing + Vision reports) • IEP reviews • Consultations w/ previous teachers/staff • Informal checklists/observations All give insight into their learning styles, their modes of communication + access, their handicapping conditions + strengths, their motivations + interests

What accommodations will they need to access the core curriculum?

• Hearing

• Vision

• Motor

Hearing Accommodations

Preferential seating

Touch cues + Total Communication hand-under-hand approach ASL + co-active signing

Vision Accommodations

Lighting

Visual aids (CCTV,

Tap-it) Large print

Contrast, bright colors +

Braille exposure

Opportunities for active participation

Monitoring of fatigue to determine best time of day Accessibility + Assistive Technology Proper seating + adjustable height tables Motor Accommodations

Program Structure

• Emotional Structure

• Physical Structure

• Lesson Structure

Emotional Structure

• Clear expectations, routines, routines within routines (such as what happens 1st, 2nd, 3rd) offer consistency + predictability

• Schedule/calendar systems teach anticipation, sequence + completion

• Individual cubbies + separate work spaces provide a sense of self + organization

Daily morning meeting reading group has routine within routine

• 1st “Name”

• 2nd “Calendar”

• 3rd “Book”

Object picture symbol schedule systems

Organized work spaces set up in left-to-right progression

Vital to Emotional Structure

• Trained paraprofessionals, such as interveners for students w/ deafblindness

instill trust + develop bonds provide communication, information, access to environment + incidental learning * MSB has the largest group of nationally certified interveners in the state of Maryland

Physical Structure

• Consistent physical set-up of classroom furniture, individual + group work areas

provide room familiarization • Landmarks, environmental cues + textured

signs/labels of learning centers teach orientation + mobility

Room familiarization

Learning Centers

Lesson Structure Lesson + activity planning considers prior knowledge, use of repetition, need for extra processing + response time Unit planning is a group effort w/ the entire student team Therapies are integrated into class lessons

Prior knowledge from previous unit reinforced in next

Student Team meets monthly to plan lessons, create materials + share ideas

Main theme is chosen from core curriculum outcomes

Standard 3.0 Life Science: The students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the dynamic nature of living things, their interactions, and the results from the interactions that occur over time. C. Genetics 1. Explain that there are identifiable stages in the life cycles of plants and animals a. Investigate and describe that seeds change and grow into plants

Units are teacher-led and carried out for 4 weeks

Example of weekly integrated therapy

How  to  turn  all  of  this…

Into this

Adapting literacy materials

• Student should have their own individual book • Teacher-generated • Presented electronically • Downloaded off educational sharing websites • Copied + texturized to student learning style

Informational text

is taken from grade level textbooks and other resources, then back-mapped to student level

Switch It Maker 2 is a switch accessible software program for creating electronic computer stories, activities and books

Simplified text

Large print Photographs

Simple graphics

High contrast Clear/crisp background

Content in book is broken down into main topics + key vocabulary with

one topic per page

Pages can be laminated + easily bound using binder rings

Use a single texture to highlight a single feature on each page

Individual communication device can be programmed with adapted book

Other resources such as Boardmaker Share or Boardmaker Achieve

Unique Learning System (ULS)

News-2-you

Pre-recorded story on voice output

device gives opportunities for shared reading + turn-taking

Creating literacy bins

• Literacy bins hold real objects or tactile representations of the main idea, concepts + vocabulary being taught

• Each student should have their own literacy bin that reflects their learning style

• Include large print, Braille or textured word cards on tilt boards for visual contrast + accessibility

Each vocabulary word has a concrete object as a form of multi-sensory input

Real objects used for exploration during Plant Cycle unit

Velcro Sensitive tiltboards offer color contrast

Word cards are differentiated by learning style of each student

Props used should also be based on learning style and accessibility

Example of word cards + props per page

Labels for communication devices match the main topic/vocabulary word

for each page

Adapted books, props + word cards are kept  in  each  student’s  literacy  bin  along with their communication

device, switches + tiltboard

Developing learning centers

• Learning centers support the curriculum theme by adding multi-sensory extension activities

• Core areas of Reading/ELA, Math, Science + Social Studies should be available

• Other learning centers might be Vision, Computer, Health, Music

Students rotate through hands-on

learning stations to reinforce monthly concepts + vocabulary

Reading/ELA Center

Tactile Word Wall offers literacy review + pulls on prior knowledge for future

units

Repeated exposure to vocabulary words and topics

Braille exposure + tracking left-to-right

Letter recognition

Picture word matching

Reading list for nature walk

Answering questions about the text

Writing exercises offer a form of self-expression

Class discussion

Language cardmasters offer repetition + promote student participation

Math Center

Main vocabulary reinforced in math activities + textured numberlines

Fractions with seeds

Concepts  “same”  and  “different”

Tools for measurement/weight

Plant growth recorded on textured graphs using wiki stix

Making  “Carrot  Patch  Cookies”  reinforces thematic unit

Picture recipe on personal communication device

Story sequence 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Science Center

Exploration + discovery

Compensatory tools such as trays,

magnifiers + vocabulary models presented in high contrast colored bins

Complex concepts such as

Photosynthesis represented through objects

Hands-on multi-sensory activities

Experiment investigating different types of soil + how well they absorb

water

Use of assistive technology promotes student engagement + active participation in experiment

Opportunities to make predictions and follow  procedures…

and to make observations and conclusions

Sample of student data collection + analysis

Following pictured directions to make a Land Habitat Terrarium

Student responsibility

Social Studies Center

Textured map of Maryland

Prevalent crops of each Maryland region

• corn

• wheat

• soybean

Discover the world

Voyage of Plastiki

Talking educational materials

Vision Center

Computer/Technology Center

Music Center

Teach in natural settings whenever possible

• Outdoor garden, greenhouse • Kitchen, bedroom, dormitory • Career ed settings, workshop • Re-cycling • Community-based instruction • Grocery/shopping in neighborhood • “Normal”  childhood  experiences  (movies,  etc)

Greenhouse setting

Community-based instruction reinforces the unit

What kind of crop/grain do farm animals eat?

Use content from previous lessons for Alt-MSA

Trip to movies to see Dolphin Tale as culmination activity

References

• Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/ccss

• Applications to Students with Disabilities. www.corestandards.org

• CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0. Wakefield, MA; Author.

• Success for All Foundation (2012). www.successforall.org/commoncore

Speaker contact information Paula Hamilton PaulaHamilton1953@gmail.com Sara Kempler skempler@uc2.org