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Downloadable Teacher Resources
Under contract with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Center for Literacy & Disability Studies has developed the following resources in response to the needs of the students and the teachers in the DB Model Demonstration Classrooms. The activities and materials are based on exemplary literacy instructional practices and are currently in use in the classrooms. These activities are appropriate for all students, but have been specifically adapted for students with the most significant disabilities, including deaf-blindness. Click on each of the files to download. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in order to read this files. A free version of
Acrobat Reader is available by clicking on the graphic to the right.
Classroom "How To" Handouts
All downloadable handouts reference the North Carolina Extensions from the Standard Course of Study addressed within each activity.
Shared Reading
Shared Reading is an instructional activity during which teachers 1) encourage student communication, 2) demonstrate how books work, and 3) discuss important conceptual knowledge. This handout describes how to engage students with disabilities who have little experience with books and limited world knowledge in shared reading. Examples of communication messages for augmentative communication devices are provided in a format for sighted students and in a tactual format for students with deaf-blindness or other vision impairments.
Predictable Chart Writing
Predictable Chart Writing is a shared, group writing activity that results in a classroom book. Engaging in writing is typically a challenging and often abandoned activity for students with significant disabilities. This writing activity has been adapted for students who are unable to speak and unable to hold a pencil. It has been modified from the activities described in Predictable Chart Writing, by Williams, Carson & Dellosa.
Alphabet Activities
Provides specific, simple activities that foster student interactions around the alphabet. Such activities increase students' background knowledge needed to make learning letters and letter names more effective.
Supporting Topic Selection: Making & Using Experiental Remnant Books
Describes how to make remnant books-an ideal way for students with significant disabililties, including deaf-blindness, to record their experiences. Made out of little brag books, remnant books can contain most anything that is important to the student, such as tactuals, (i.e. locks of hair from haircut, balloon scrap from parade, or a shell from the beach), pictures/print items (movie ticket stubs, part of menu, napkins with logos), textures, and scents. Students can use these to choose topics for communication or writing.
Top 10 Tips for Partner Assisted Scanning
Partner assisted scanning is a way for communication "partners" to "assist" students by listing or "scanning" through possible choices. This is a quick strategy to use when a communication device is not available or does not have the needed vocabulary. This short handout offers simple tips for implementing partner assisted scanning.
It's a Switch Mount! It's a Device Mount! It's Loc-Line!
Successful switch use starts with having the switch consistently in the proper position throughout the day. Commercially available mounting equipment is often used to position switches, however, this equipment may not always be available. Loc-Line can be a great alternative to these commercially available mounts. Loc-Line is a type of re-positionable plastic tubing. It's cheap, easy to get and easy to use!!
Tactual Book Kit Directions
In order to foster literacy learning for students who are blind or who are deaf-blind, they need to have access to a changing assortment of accessible books. The books described below have been brailled and adapted with tactuals and are currently being used by students with deaf-blindness in North Carolina model classrooms. All directions contain a materials shopping list and page-by-page directions that includes photographs. The books themselves need to be purchased separately.
All downloadable handouts reference the North Carolina Extensions from the Standard Course of Study addressed within each activity. The below books are appropriate for all students, but have been specifically adapted for students with the most significant disabilities, including deaf-blindness.
Start-to-Finish Literacy Starter Kits
Studets with significant disabilities, like all students, require experiences with a range of text types. Access to a range of book types, including informational texts, will support the development of background knowledge and knowledge of the world that can't always be developed through direct experience. The Start-to-Finish Literacy Starter books were developed by Don Johnston, Inc to address the needs of older students with significant disabilities. They address address a range of curriculum-based content areas through three types of text that address the language, print processing, and word identification skills required for early, successful reading. The Start-to-Finish Literacy Starter books come in sets of 3 related titles available in paperback book format and switch-accessible compute-based formats, The full Start-to-Finish Literacy Starter kits also include vocabulary cards and a Teacher Resource CD. The paperback books can be purchased separately.
We have been making the paperback books accessible to the students with signficant visual impairments in the deafblind model demonstration project by adding tactual features. Below are directions on how to tactualize the books for your own use.
Plants-Science & Surroundings Kit (Click on each title to download directions)
Other Titles to be Added Soon Include:
Life Cycles-Birth & Beyond Kit (Click on each title to download directions)
Recycling-Cash in the Trash Kit (Click on each title to download directions)
Dirtie Bertie
7 Blind Mice
Cash for Trash
Book from Caroline Musselwhite's R.A.P.s Reading for Older Students Project. The CD is available from www.aacintervention.com or www.learningmagic.com.
(last updated 8/29/07)
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