The Bridge School - Program - Literacy Development

The School Program: Literacy Development

Photo of student Recognizing that children who are unable to verbalize as well as to physically manipulate pencils, paper and books present with unique needs in the area of learning to read and write, specific strategies for teaching literacy have been developed at the Bridge School. These strategies also take into account that many Bridge School students are also cognitively and visually challenged as well. We still hold an underlying belief that "literacy" (an appreciation and understanding of written material) is available to all individuals, whether they can decode and comprehend written text or not.

The following summary presents an outline of activities that are incorporated into the curriculum. Not all activities are appropriate for each child, and varying components may be emphasized at different points in time. It should be noted that this overview is not comprehensive; teachers are encouraged to create and expand on these ideas.

Activity Ideas for Developing Literacy Skills with Students Using AAC and Assistive Technology

READING:

Shared Reading

To participate in a "reading aloud" activity with his/her peers
To have the opportunity to tell parts of a story aloud
To have the opportunity to hear a story repeatedly
To have the opportunity to comment and respond during/after the "reading aloud" activity

Story Retelling

To participate in a story retelling activity using icons/communication systems
To participate in the reading of a story by anticipating a repetitive line within the story
To understand the beginning, middle, end sequence of events in a story

Story Comprehension

To develop skills which will enable students to answer comprehension questions and provide information regarding the characters and events of the story
To develop familiarization with vocabulary from the story (the student gets repeated practice with the written word paired with its icon)

Story Sequence

To understand the concept of story development by analyzing events of the story (written, pictorial) and arranging them in logical sequential order

Word Identification

To develop a sight word vocabulary of content words taken from the literature
To develop a sight word vocabulary of most frequently used words at the student's grade level

Sentence Completion

To develop an understanding of "completing a sentence/statement" using the context of a familiar story by inserting the correct icon/written word to "fill in the blank" (rebus story format)
To develop reading skills at the sentence level within the context of the story

Story Analysis

To develop skills to identify and describe, using icons/written word, a story structure and the elements of literature read to the student or independently read. Identify and describe:

the setting (when and where)
the character(s) by physical attributes and actions
the sequence of events of the story
the main idea of the story
the point of view from within the story

Reading- word by word

To develop decoding and contextual (i.e. pictorial clues) strategies
To demonstrate "reading" by learning to associate single words with icons using a voice output communication system

Independent Reading

To give students the opportunity to read/listen to (with adaptations made, i.e. larger print) appropriate high interest books inputted into the computer
To develop an appreciation for reading/listening to stories independently

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Letter match and identification

To develop skills to identify the letter names

Sound/symbol correspondence

To develop skills to identify consonant sounds
To develop skills to identify vowel sounds

Spelling: Initial letter, CVC words, word families

To develop skills to identify and use the initial and final sounds in words
To develop strategies for vocabulary development and word recognition to read with understanding

Sentence Formulation

To gain experience "formulating a sentence" using familiar vocabulary words/pictures that have been organized into grammatical categories

LANGUAGE ARTS-WRITING:

Journal Writing

To participate in an individual writing activity
To develop the skill of making appropriate word choices in their writing
To write X number of sentences on a given topic (this may be done with/without a template)

Creative Writing

To participate in individual and group writing activities
To develop the skill of making appropriate word choices in their writing
To write X number of sentences on a given topic (this may be done with/without a template)
To develop the skill of creating an appropriate title for their story
To be able to respond with understanding and appreciation to literacy works through writing

Story Illustration

To participate in making choices to illustrate their story (this may be done using software programs on the computer or by giving directions to a partner to complete their illustration)