Title: The Critical Role of Literacy in the Education of Students with Severe Disabilities
1The Critical Role of Literacy in the Education of
Students with Severe Disabilities
- 2008 TASH Conference
- Nashville, TN
- Lucille A. Zeph, Ed.D.
2Literacy for All
3Why Literacy?
- Literacy is a critical component of
communication. - Literacy enhances continued language development.
- Literacy provides access to education.
- Literacy is a means of accessing information.
- Literacy offers access to independence.
4Why Literacy? (2)
- Literacy serves as a leisure activity throughout
life. - Literacy is an equalizer.
- Literacy is what many self-advocates express as a
missing element in their education and their
lives. - Literacy access is an educational, civil and
human right---a means of achieving social justice.
5Historical Barriers toLiteracy Access
- Assumption of incompetence to acquire literacy if
a student did not demonstrate typical
developmental prerequisites to literacy (i.e.
letter id, verbal language, etc.) or if the
student had certain labels. - Paucity of research related to exploration of
alternate approaches to literacy acquisition for
students with significant cognitive disabilities.
6Historical Barriers toLiteracy Access (2)
- Special education settings and curricula provided
little emphasis on literacy environments or
instruction. - Emphasis on functional skills versus academics.
7 What We Know NowEvidence-Based Instruction for
All Students
- National Reading Panel Report, 2000
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
- Contextual Teaching
8What We are Learning About Literacy Instruction
for Complex Learners
- Much of what we know about effective teaching
practices for all students applies to complex
learners. - Assessment of both content (knowledge and skills)
and process (how students learn) is critical and
individual. - New learning must be connected to existing
knowledge and skills--cognitive mapping.
9What We are Learning About Literacy Instruction
for Complex Learners (2)
- Teaching methods must match learning styles and
are best determined through dynamic assessment
and hypothesis testing with each student. - The use of technology facilitates learning
options and provides flexibility to the learning
environment.
10Characteristics of Literacy Rich Inclusive
Classrooms
- Immersion in print and high quality literacy
experiences. - Diversity of learning opportunities and
materials. - Multiple variations of targeted literacy
activities and materials.
11Characteristics of Literacy Rich Inclusive
Classrooms (2)
- Curriculum and materials that reflect five key
components of balanced literacy. - Technology used as a component of a holistic
literacy program and to facilitate access.
12Inclusive Literacy Education in Action
13Literacy Rich Inclusive Classrooms
14Matts Story
15Matts History
- Demographic Information
- Chronological age at start 5 years, 9 months
- Grade placements Kindergarten Grade 1
- Disability Description
- Multiple Disability/Down Syndrome
- Congenital heart defect
- Mild hearing loss in each ear
16Matts History (2)
- Speech and Language Delays
- Educational History Beginning K 2003-2004
- Early intervention, therapeutic and general
preschools settings developmental therapy
physical therapy
17Pre-Assessment Literacy Skills
- Some letter recognition
- Text directionality not established
- Word matching not established
- Limited book handling skills
- No sight words identified
18Literacy Post-Assessment
- Dramatically increased engagement/enjoyment of
books - Self-identified as a reader
- Demonstrated ability to read at primer level
- Spelling writing at 1st grade level
- Solid sight vocabulary
19Literacy Post-Assessment (2)
- Mastered book handling skills
- Journal writing with support initial
self-editing - Computer skills
- Turn on, launch, and execute literacy software
independently - Chose big book reading during free time
20Literacy Post-Assessment (3)
- Talked about stories with parents at home
- Wrote about experiences
- Authored his own books
- Read aloud from his journal
- Shared his journal and stories with peers at
circle time
21Parents ViewsChanges in Matts Literacy
- Oh! He has flourished so much lately.
Whenever we get in the car he has to read a book.
He always has to have a pointer, too. Mom, do
you have a pencil? And hell point to the words
over the river and through the woods. And hell
say who the book is by.sounding out the words.
22Parents Views Changes in Matts Literacy (2)
- Hell say, Mom I want to go p-l-a-y or you
knowits time for b-e-d! He spells everything
to us. Its amazing to have him spelling out the
words with things he wants to do. - When I was on the phone the other day, he
said, Mom can I t-o-c talk? That just killed
me! I want to t-o-c. I love that!
23Bettys Story
24Bettys History
- Demographic Information
- Chronological age at start 5 years, 4 months
- Grade placement Kindergarten Grade 1
- Disability Description
- Down Syndrome
- Some visual impairment (wears glasses)
- Verbal with speech and language delays
25Literacy Skills Pre-Assessment
- No letter recognition
- No text directionality
- No word for word matching
- Very limited book handling skills
- No measured sight words
26Post-Assessment Literacy Skills
- Computer skills
- Turn on, launch, and execute literacy software
with minimal support. Word for word matching. - Text directionality
- Book handling skills
- Choice of Big Book reading during free time
- Engaging with books
- Concepts about Print, Letter ID
- Vocabulary, paragraph comprehension
27Betty and Matt
28Bettys Parents Views
- I see a very advanced behavior from last year. I
see her choosing books. I see her.she has a
large array of books, but then shell only want
to read a certain book, and youll give her a big
selection, and shell still want to read the same
group of books, and usually theyre sing songy
books that she can sing to you or read to you. - She wants to read.
29Bettys Parents Views (2)
- Oh, yeah. Im thrilled with how she thinks of
herself. She now thinks of herself as a reader.
Before shed go through books, but she wouldnt
read them. Now she has to read me the book before
I can read it to her. She goes to every single
page. She goes right to the right spot where you
begin to read. She goes right to the bottom. She
checks the end of each page. She loves to sit
there with the book that was made for her.
30Diannes Story
31Diannes History
- Demographic Information
- Chronological age at start 8 years, 1 month
- Grade placements Grade 1 and 3
- Disability Description
- Diagnosis of nonspecific seizure disorder
- Overall significant delays in speech, cognitive,
motor and sensory development - Non-verbal limited vocalizations and gestures
- Uses signs and exchanges Mayer Johnson pictures
and points to communicate requests
32Diannes Literacy Pre-Assessment
- No measured letter identification
- No measured book handling skills
- No measured sight words
- No measured word for word matching
- No use of computer
33Diannes LiteracyPost-Assessment
- Formal assessments yielded little data
- Marked increase in engagement and interest in
books - Observable book handling skills
- Page turning (Computer and print)
- Orientation
- Page order
34Diannes LiteracyPost-Assessment (2)
- Letter recognition
- D and not D
- M and not M
- Letter sound recognition
- Identifies target sound from distracter sounds
- Word name and picture matching
- Identifies target word and icon from spoken word
name
35Diannes LiteracyPost-Assessment (3)
- Demonstrated comprehension
- Making correct choices
- Laughing at appropriate times
- Responding to book directions
- Turning page after text had been read
- Responding to questions by pointing to pictures
in story.
36Diannes LiteracyPost-Assessment (4)
- Book reading as a chosen activity
- Spontaneously chose print and digital books when
given the opportunity to (Clifford books, Andy
Ant, Hannah Likes Hats) - Increased focus/attention span
- Developed computer skills
- Navigated menus, turned pages, selected
activities and exited program independently and
with verbal prompting.
37Diannes Parents Views
- These are the books shes been reading,
programmed into the springboard (communication
device).. She picks this book, Hello Clifford.
She presses the button. It says, Hello
Clifford. She opens it up, presses the button,
and it says, Hello Clifford. She knows to turn
the page. She looks at the picture. She presses
the button, I am Clifford. She waits for it,
turns the page until the end of the book, presses
the end and then wants to read it again.
38Diannes Parents Views (2)
- But I dont think she would have done it last
year. I mean it was just this year because of the
reading program. I had her participate in it like
the other kids, and that really prompted us to
read. Weve always read to her, but this really
prompted us to read more to her and sit and have
her attend to just reading a picture book, were
reading Julie Jones and theres very few
pictures, and shes fine with that. I dont even
think the last time I read to her, she didnt
care to look at the pictures. She was just happy
having us there reading to her.
39Diannes Parents Views (3)
- She definitely holds books now. She loves
books, and has recently started to use her voice
output device to read us short little phonic
books. - Strengths in reading.she has a love for it.
There really isnt a day that goes by that she
doesnt pick up a book. She has books in her room
in the morning. You can hear her in there
flipping pages. - We read chapter books to her now and then.
She attends to that. She has books in several
locations in the house, and she often is looking
at a book.
40Diannes Parents Views (4)
- You know. Its real interesting. She likes to
do it, and shell study pictures, you know,
shell look at a book. She doesnt just turn
pages and just, she might turn a page and shell
look at it. You can tell shes absorbing some
sort of information. What it isyou dont know.
41Sooo, what are the barriers?
- Outdated beliefs and understanding
- Uninformed attitudes
- Lack of research
- Lack of personnel preparation/professional
development
42Barriers (2)
- Lack of information for parents
- Limited instructional practices
- Low expectations
- Limited accountability
43What Can We Do About It?
- Assume competence
- Provide access and opportunity to literacy
instruction to all students. - Build upon what we already know about literacy
instruction for typical students. - Incorporate teaching strategies that we already
know are effective for students with varied
learning styles.
44What Can We Do About It? (2)
- Collect ongoing data for each child and modify
instruction when progress is not being achieved. - Utilize technology and the principles of
universal design to ensure equal access. - Prepare both general and special educators to use
technology as an integral aspect of
instruction---rather than an add-on.
45More We Can Do
- Incorporate what we currently know about learning
strategies to support varied instructional
methods. - Continue to explore new advances in neuroscience
to inform instructional methods. - Utilize classroom-based action research to test
hypotheses related to literacy acquisition for
complex learners.
46Additional Questions
- Can students with significant cognitive
disabilities who receive early and continuous
balanced literacy instruction continue to acquire
literacy at a rate similar to that of their
typical peers? - Is there a limit to the level of literacy
achievement for students with significant
cognitive disabilities? - Is the level of potential achievement a function
of their ability to learn or our ability to
teach?