why literacy?

W H Y L I T E R A C Y : L I T E R A C Y & A A C I N P A R T N E R S H I P

T O D E V E L O P L A N G U A G E

J A N E F A R R A L L

ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Literacy

AAC/Speaking

Writing

Listening

Reading

Koppenhaver, Coleman, Kalman & Yoder, 1991.

Adapted from Teale and Sulzby, 1989

ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Literacy

AAC/Speaking

Writing

Listening

Reading

Erickson 2015

STEPHANIE

• Age: 14

• Sensory impairment: Cortical vision impairment

• Other diagnoses: Scoliosis, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy

• Communication: Stephanie is able to provide a yes and no answer using the symbols on her tray. Stephanie had a one symbol per page PODD but now has a 20 cell partner assisted PODD.

STEPHANIE

• Literacy: Stephanie uses her

PODD to answer questions

about the stories and to

generate ideas for free writing.

She is working towards

improved letter recognition in

reading and using letters in

writing with a flip chart. Also

focusing on distinguishing initial

sounds in words. Stephanie has

developing concepts about

print.

GROUP SHARED READING

STEPHANIE – EMERGENT LITERACY OUTCOMES

• Concepts about Print

– 2012 – Answered 3/13 items correctly

– 2013 – Answered 4/13 items correctly

• Letter Identification (modified with Braille)

– 2012 – Identified 24/52 letters correctly

– 2013 – Identified 28/52 letters correctly

• Phonological Awareness

– 2012 – No response to all items

– 2013 – Identified 11/23 items correctly

• Writing Sample

– 2012 – Unable to complete writing sample

– 2013 – Writing sample using flip chart; emergent writer

STEPHANIE - COMMUNICATION OUTCOMES

• Yes/No

– 2012 – had no yes/no response

– 2013 – clear yes/no response in familiar situations

• Communication

– 2012 – had a one symbol per page PODD; rarely used

– 2013 to now – 20 cell PAS PODD used to initiate, respond, ask

questions, tell stories, express opinions, etc

STEPH “WRITING” NOVEMBER 2013

AAC AND LITERACY LEARNING

• There are no basic prerequisites to communication beyond being

conscious. Likewise, there are no prerequisites to AAC.

• (Augmentative Communication and Early Intervention. Myths and

Realities, Romski and Sevcik 2005)

• There are no basic prerequisites to literacy.

EMERGENT LITERACY INTERVENTION

• Two primary aims:

• 1. To promote children’s positive regard for literacy and their

understanding of the functional, intentional use of literacy.

• 2. To increase children’s skills in discrete skill areas that are critically

linked to later reading success.

Justice & Kaderavek, 2004

EMERGENT LITERACY INTERVENTION

• Involves a building of understandings and experiences, not an

accumulation of isolated skills in a predetermined sequence.

• Behaviours are fleeting and variable depending on text, task, and

environment.

• The functions of print are as integral to literacy as the forms.

• Over 1400 hours of literacy before school even begins.

Farrall & Clendon, 2016

COMPONENTS OF EMERGENT LITERACY INTERVENTION

• Shared reading

• Independent reading

• Letters and sounds

• Writing

– Writing with (shared writing, predictable chart writing)

– Writing for (morning message)

– Writing by myself (independent writing)

S H A R E D R E A D I N GI T ’ S A L L A B O U T T H E I N T E R A C T I O N

SHARED READING

• In the beginning we need to teach students how we interact around books

• We get them interested and involved

• We model, model, model

• And THEY learn lots of different skills:

– Language comprehension

– Joint attention

– Vocabulary

– Conversational structure

• Commenting, questions, responding

– Print and book concepts

– Conceptual knowledge and reasoning skills

– Letter names, shapes and sounds

SHARED READING

• Shared reading is a collaborative learning activity, based on research by

Don Holdaway (1979), that emulates and builds from the child's

experience with bedtime stories (Parkes, 2000)

• Can be done individually or in small groups

• Books can (and should) be read repeatedly

• Use a framework, such as CAR, during shared reading

COMMENT, ASK, RESPOND (CAR)

• The CAR strategy (Notari‐Syverson, Maddox, and Cole, 1999)

encourages adults to support students during shared reading by

‘following the car’.

CAR

• Comment on what the student is doing e.g. “Oooh, a dog” (then wait

5 seconds)

– • Ask a question e.g. “Do you like the dog?” (then wait 5 seconds)

• Respond by adding more e.g. “I like the dog. He looks very friendly”.

• http://www.walearning.com/products/language-is-the-key/car-

strategies/

http://www.walearning.com/products/language-is-the-key/car-strategies/

PUT THE CROWD IN THE CAR

Corinne Gandy Watson, 2008

TEEN CROWD IN CAR

Yvette Theodorsen CPSP, Interactive Speech Pathology, 136 Le Souef Drive Kardinya WA 6163,

Phone 0416 167 788, Email [email protected]

Based on an image created and shared by the CLDS http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/files/early-childhood-resources/CROWDinCARPoster.jpg/view

CROWD

• Completion

• Recall

• Open Ended

• Wh- Questions

• Distancing

Centre for Literacy & Disability Studies

COMPLETION

• Leave a blank at the end of the sentence and the learner fills it in

• This is typically used in books with rhyme or books with repetitive

phrases

• Example “But he was still ………” letting the child fill in the blank

with the word “hungry”

• Completion questions help learners being to understand the

structure of language in books


RECALL

• Questions about what happened in a portion of the book that has just

been read

• Example “tell me what the truck did.”


OPEN-ENDED

• Questions that do not have specifically right/wrong answers

• Usually focus on the pictures in books

• E.g. “Tell me what’s happening in this picture.”


WH- QUESTIONS

• Questions that begin with what, where, when, why and how

• Typically focus on the pictures in books

• Example, “what does the man have?”


DISTANCING

• Questions that relate what is in the book to experiences outside the

book

• Form a bridge between books and the real world

• E.g. “You saw animals when we went to the farm. What animals did

you see at the farm?”


SHARED READING

• Appropriate at any stage for a student who is emergent

REMEMBER TO:

• Follow student’s lead

• Keep it low pressure - no testing

• Relate to what student knows

• Attribute meaning to student attempts

• Use teacher aides as models

Hanser, 2011

WHY ATTRIBUTE MEANING?

• A natural response to children without disabilities

• Teaches students to be less random.

• Builds cognitive understandings over time.

• Sends message of competence and high expectations.

Hanser, 2011

The animals in this

story are all from the

zoo. What animals

have you seen at the

zoo? [Distancing]

Just pause and get

them to tell you the

animal. They sent me

a _____ [sentence

completion]

What animal do you

think it might be? [WH

Question / Prediction]

Yay! A camel. Do you

remember any other

animals that were sent?

[Recall]

Tell me why you think

the puppy is perfect.

[Open-Ended]

NOW LET’S TRY IT….

• In small groups do a mini-shared reading with the following book

• Make sure you:

– Comment

– Ask

– Respond

YEAH BUT ...

• “My students won’t sit and attend”.

• “My students will not engage with books”.

It’s all about finding the right book..

PETE THE CAT AND HIS FOUR GROOVY BUTTONS

• Great example of a text for shared reading

• Watch the video

• Read the book as a shared reading with a prop

PETE THE CAT

PROPS

• There is one study indicating that use of 1 or 2 props can help

emergent students’ engagement (Roy, 2006)

• Never more than 1 or 2 props

• The props are for the adult to call attention to the book, not for the

students

• Need to make sure the focus remains with the book.

AIM FOR …

• Communication

• Enthusiasm

• Engagement!!!!

Farrall & Clendon, 2016

I N D E P E N D E N T R E A D I N GA S I N D E P E N D E N T A S E A C H S T U D E N T

C A N B E

HOW TO ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENT READING

• Have books available!

• Have books accessible!

• Electronic book selection

• Maybe have shelf/book box for each student

• Make books interesting and exciting!

CURATING RESOURCES

ELECTRONIC ACCESSIBLE BOOKS

• Accessible books allow students to do independent reading

• Talking books also give them the option for support from the

computer if needed

ELECTRONIC ACCESSIBLE BOOKS

INDEPENDENT READING RESOURCES

• Commercial books

• Custom books

• TarHeel Reader books

• Other digital storybook website e.g. Starfall, MeeGenius

• Digital storybook apps on iPads

L ET T E R S A N D S O U N D S

ALPHABET KNOWLEDGE

• Read alphabet books

• Point out letters and print in the environment

• Talk about letters and their sounds when you encounter them in

every day activities

• Provide opportunities to play with letter shapes and sounds

• Explicitly reference letter names and sounds in shared reading and

writing activities

• Use mnemonics and actions

• Use student NAMES!

PLAYING WITH LETTERS

• In the primary grades, learners will still have an interest in magnetic

letters, letter puzzles, alphabet toys, and letter stamps.

• Older learners may be more interested in using a computer with a

talking word processor, word prediction, and other software that

provides visual and auditory feedback as they select letters.

• Use alphabet cards instead of numbered cards to play Go Fish, War,

and other popular card games.

Koppenhaver, Clendon & Farrall, 2012

ANY AND EVERY CHANCE TO INTERACT WITH THE ALPHABET…

USING FOODS, ACTIONS & PEOPLE

• When students struggle with specific letters:

– Pair the difficult letters with foods students like or dislike: z for zucchini,

m for M&M

• Prepare the food & take pictures so the association is memorable

– Pair the difficult letters with actions: jump for j, yawn for y

• After teaching the actions, practice them by showing students the letter and

asking them to name it and perform the action.

– Pair the difficult letters with people: J for Jane, etc

Koppenhaver, Clendon & Farrall, 2012

ALPHABET BOOKS

• Commercially available books

• Large selection of accessible alphabet books on Tar Heel Reader

www.tarheelreader.org

• You can make your own alphabet books

– Not all alphabet books include A-Z

– You can focus on a single letter or contrast two letters that a student

confuses often

http://www.tarheelreader.org/

A-Z ALPHABET BOOKS

LETTERS OF THE WEEK

• Focus on two letters each week

• Use alphabet songs and videos

• Make tactile letters

• Use finger spelled alphabet and Braille if appropriate

• Brainstorm

• Create a name wall

• Custom alphabet book

OTHER LETTERS OF THE WEEK IDEAS:LETTER BAGS OR BOXES

LETTER BOX M & O

WHEAT BAG LETTERS

SCHOOL, CLASSROOM OR STUDENT ALPHABET BOOKS

FINDING LETTERS FOR WORDS

ALPHABET SOUP

LETTER BAGS

Helps to

make sure

you use

different

fonts!

ALPHABET AAC

LETTERS IN THE GARDEN

• Tie cards with two letters in

the garden

• Find the letters

• Sort them into two piles

RUN TO THE LETTERS

A T

ONSET RIME

W R I T I N GW R I T I N G W I T H , W R I T I N G F O R &

W R I T I N G B Y M Y S E L F

W R I T I N G W I T HS H A R E D W R I T I N G / P R E D I C TA B L E

C H A R T W R I T I N G

PREDICTABLE CHART WRITING

• Interactive group writing experience based on the Structured

Language Experience Approach (Cunningham, 1979)

• Used extensively in general education (e.g., Hall & Williams)

• Adults and children compose text together.

• Teacher scribes the story.

Zangari & Farrall, 2014

PREDICTABLE CHART WRITING

• Adult chooses a topic & creates a sentence stem.

– My favorite snack is ___.

– I feel happy when ____.

– At the beach, I like to ___.

• Using the predictable structure, children learn:

– That they can dictate their sentences.

– That they can read their sentences.

– A lot about letters, words, and conventions of print.

Zangari & Farrall, 2014

SELECTING THE LANGUAGE

• From a comprehensive AAC system!!!

• From objects

• From specific language display

• From photographs

PREDICTABLE CHART WRITINGDAY 1

• Generate the language needed for a predictable chart.

• An example predictable chart would be:

• Things we like in the garden by Room 10

– I like flowers (Nola)

– I like trees (Caitlin)

– I like grass (Cody)

– I like sprinklers (Sam)

– Etc

• Write it up on chart paper or in a Word document as each person picks

their language for the sentence.


• Re-read the chart

– Point to particular words, look for certain words or letters

– Recognize own work & read it back

• Record the whole chart on a step-by-step and then have the students

read out their line from the story (and the ones who can read can do

their turn verbally of course)

• Focus is on students finding their name on the chart and reading their

own line.



• Chop up the students'

sentences and have them stick

them back down.

• For some students we are just

interested to see if they go from

left to right – the words don't

have to be in the right order at

all.

• Whatever order they pick, that's

what you leave it as.



• Talk about pictures you might use to illustrate each sentence/page

• Google pictures, draw them or take photos



• Combine the pictures and the text to make up a book.

• You could make the book in Clicker 6 or PowerPoint or in Keynote

on the iPad or low tech.

• Print the book and add it to your self-selected reading resources in

the classroom.

READ THE STORY WITH AIDED LANGUAGE INPUT

W R I T I N G F O RM O D E L L I N G , M O R N I N G M E S S A G E

WRITING FOR

• Show students how print works

• Write down information as it becomes relevant

• Morning message

• Show students that anything we say, we can write

MORNING MESSAGE

WRITE DOWN RELEVANT INFORMATION

W R I T I N G B Y M Y S E L FI N D E P E N D E N T W R I T I N G

WRITING AND EMERGENT LITERACY

• The function of literacy is as important as the form

• Students need to understand why writing is important

EMERGENT WRITING

FUNCTION VERSUS FORM

EMERGENT WRITING

WRITING WITH FLIP CHART

HANDWRITING

• Many student’s writing input has favoured motor development

• We need to help them to understand what it means to be a writer

• We need to give them a chance to develop their skills in the other

areas of writing without motor skills adding a second“red light”

• Then we can go back to handwriting if needed/appropriate

ALTERNATIVE PENCILS

• For every student we need to find a pencil that they can use easily

• Many students will need time to scribble with their pencil ie emergent

writing

• Other students just need something that is physically easier

• The right pencil allows them to focus on the cognitive aspects of

writing

WRITING FOR REAL REASONS

• We need to give students real reasons to write every day

• These can include classroom tasks

• They can sign in and then write their name on every piece of work

through the day

• NO copying or tracing – students do not learn how to write from

these activities!

EXAMPLE WRITING PURPOSES

• Book of the week “Blue Hat, Green Hat” by Sandra Boynton

• Monday - Write about the funniest thing the turkey did

• Tuesday - Personal writing – choice of pictures to write about

• Wednesday - Letter to another student

• Thursday – Personal writing – choice of pictures to write about

• Friday – write about what funny things you could wear when

swimming

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WRITING

• x

HIGH INTEREST TOPICS

SIGNING IN

LETTER WRITING

AND REMEMBER…

Literacy

AAC/Speaking

Writing

Listening

Reading

Erickson 2015

THANKS TO

• Students and Staff at all the schools I work with, especially Malkara

School, Claremont Special School, Kiparrin Assessment and Teaching

Services, Willans Hill School, The Grove Education Centre, Adelaide

West Special Education Centre, Acacia Hill, Malibu School, Rachel

Dougherty, Mudgeeraba Special School, Cobram Specialist School

• Centre for Literacy and Disability Studies

• Erin Sheldon

• Yvette Theodorsen, Interactive Speech Pathology

• Professor Carole Zangari, PrAACtical AAC

• Dr Sally Clendon