TRAINING MATERIAL

Assistive Technology for Literacy
Rhonda Etter, 1998

Please note: This document was developed to be used with an Assistive Technology for Literacy kit that contains several devices, adapted books, tapes, etc. The kit may be available for checkout from your Assistive Technology Access Site (Kansas only, call 800-526-3648). Otherwise, the information in this document is a great source for teachers, parents, and any others who are working to teach children with disabilities how to read and/or write.

It is not easy for a child with disabilities to learn to read and write. Having one or maybe more than one disability, a child finds a world different from that of the peers without disabilities: physical disabilities, speech impairments, hearing or visual impairments, cognitive delays or seizures. Parents may be so overwhelmed with medical, therapeutic, and basic care needs that literacy has been a lesser priority (Light & Kelford Smith, 1993). Teachers may not be aware of emergent literacy research and may not include book reading and written language activities in the educational program (Coleman, 1991). Some public school teachers may not view the disabled child as capable of learning to read and write and consequently provide little written language opportunity (Light & McNaughton, 1993).
Changes in understanding how one becomes literate, as well as advances in assistive technology development and usage are helping students with disabilities to become as literate as possible. Emergent literacy theory suggests that from birth a child’s ability to read develops along with listening, speaking and writing skills. Learning to read begins with the first exposure to books, and other print materials. This view of literacy differs significantly from traditional theories of reading instruction. Traditional theories suggest that children learn to read when they are “ready”. The idea of “reading readiness” has often been misapplied, especially for persons with disabilities, who, because of their impairments could not perform tasks required on readiness checklists and may not have competency in speaking (Coleman, 1992). Reading stories, writing, and drawing activities were often withheld from children with disabilities because they could not talk or hold writing tools and did not seem to understand connected language (Koppenhaver et al., 1991).
Brian Cutting (1989) identified several key factors in learning to read that are helpful in planning literacy instruction for children with disabilities: Expectations of Learning, Motivation, Opportunities for Practice, Real Life (Functional) Use of Literacy, and Models of Reading. Each factor is briefly discussed within, offering strategies and assistive technology solutions for teaching students with disabilities. The materials included in this “Assistive Technology for Literacy Kit” are examples of these strategies. The books and writing materials included in this kit are readily available where you live--in fact, most were purchased in the children’s section of a book store or at a discount center. Adaptations with instructions have been included to make this kit accessible for children with disabilities. After using the books and writing tools in this kit, you will be ready to create your own accessible literacy materials. Enjoy.

1. Expectations of Learning – Children with disabilities may not be viewed as potential readers or writers. Literacy instruction may be rated as a low priority.
Strategies:
· Parents, teachers, and other care providers need to know that their attitudes and expectations can make an enormous difference in the literacy achievements of their children.
· Raise your own expectations, provide opportunities for reading and writing and share the message with all persons who interact with children with disabilities

Watch Patsy Pierce’s videotape of a five-year old with physical disabilities who turns the pages of her book using a head stick. She is participating in the “Concepts About Print” test (Clay, 1985). She already knows a lot about books and reading: which side is the front of the book, which direction to turn the pages, where to start reading. . . Watch what happens when the picture or the printed words are upside down on the page!

For more information about the “Concepts About Print” test, read Marie M. Clay, The Early Detection of Reading Difficulties, 3rd Edition, Heinemann, 1985. The original test booklet, Sand, is included in the kit. The content of the “Concepts About Print” test can be adapted for students of different ages and interests. Look at the “Slam Dunk” version of the test created for older beginning readers. This version was created by a Kansas teacher using pictures found on the internet. Instructions for administering and scoring the “Concepts About Print” test are located in the back of the “Slam Dunk” book. If you would like help creating a version of the “Concepts About Print” test for a reader you know, contact the Southeast Kansas Assistive Technology Access Site (620-421-6551).

Read the Student Profiles (from Emergent Literacy Success by Caroline Musselwhite and Pati King-DeBaun.) Does a child you know fit one of these profiles? How will that child participate in reading and writing activities? Musselwhite and King-DeBaun have included great “Sample Literacy Infusion Goals” for each student profile (which are located at the bottom of each page).

It is important that we be aware of the link between art and writing. During early writing, children incorporate pictures and use scribbling to tell about a story or event. As children watch the people around them writing and have more experience writing themselves, they begin to embed words and letters into their artwork. As children become more familiar with the functions of print, their drawings and writings evolve into separate, more conventional forms. When we admire their works, we are reinforcing the idea that their marks have value and that they have something to tell others (Musselwhite and King-DeBaun, 1997).

Look at the writing and drawing samples included in the “Guiding Discovery” handout in this packet. These samples clearly illustrate the developmental continuum in writing skills. For more detailed information about the emergence of writing skills, read Emergent Literacy: Writing and Reading, by William Teale and Elizabeth Sulzby. The difficulty for children with severe disabilities is often they cannot create pictures or make scribbles. Therefore, it is extremely important that we make adaptations and provide opportunities for children so that they can express themselves on paper.

2. Motivation – Parents, teachers, and other care providers must find ways to support each child’s motivation to become literate. One approach is to have fun while learning!
Strategies:
· Throw away your worksheets! Worksheets are particularly time-consuming for students with disabilities (Koppenhaver and Yoder, 1990) and worksheet completion has been found to be unrelated to literacy achievement (Leinhardt, Zigmond, and Cooley, 1981).
· Use thematic units. Using several books about the same topic helps children build their vocabulary and world knowledge across several books and activities. The books and activities included in the Assistive Technology for Literacy Kit were selected for the theme: “The Cowboy Way.”
· Use anchored instruction. Research suggests that children learn best when they and a parent or teacher share a context that both can explore together. Learning and teaching activities should be designed around an “anchor” (or situation). Plan field trips and other “anchoring” activities at the beginning of thematic units.

Here are some ideas for anchoring “The Cowboy Way”:

· Go to a “western wear” store and try on boots, hats and bandanas. Take pictures of each student in their “get up” to use in a writing activity later.

· Go to a local campground and build a cooking fire. Make beans in a cast iron kettle and try some biscuits. Tell a few stories around the fire.

· Invite a guest speaker to wear cowboy clothes, read cowboy poetry, and play a few tunes on the harmonica.

· Invite a guest speaker to demonstrate lasso tricks.

· Watch one of the classic western movies that shows cowboy life on the trail--maybe something with Gene Autry (maybe not realistic, but that would be an interesting discussion, too).

· Visit a rodeo.

For more information about anchored instruction, check out The Cognition and Technology Group at the Vanderbilt Learning Technology Center on the Internet at (http://www.ltc.Vanderbilt.edu/gpc/LTC.html).

Another great strategy for motivating students to higher literacy skills is to select books that are interesting to the child and appropriate for their learning. Musselwhite and King-DeBaun (1997) divide books into two categories for emergent readers: “Books for Learning” and “Books for Enjoyment.” Each thematic reading unit should include books from both categories. “Books for Learning” are books chosen for repeated readings. A number of researchers have observed that children use repeated readings as an opportunity to help them become more active in storybook interactions (Cazden, 1983; Samuels, 1985; Snow and Ninio, 1986; Teale, 1982). As the same stories are read again and again, children take a more active role in the story, such as filling in repeated lines, asking questions, predicting what will happen, and reading portions of the text. “Books for Enjoyment” include books intended to enrich the curriculum, widen vocabulary, help develop world knowledge, and support the current “Book for Learning.”

This Assistive Technology for Literacy Kit includes two “Books for Learning” and three “Books for Enjoyment”:

Book for Learning: Why Cowboys Sleep with Their Boots On, by Lauri Lazzaro Knowlton, illustrated by James Rice.

Story: Slim Jim Watkins, like most cowboys, is a hardworkin’, lasso-wieldin’ cowhand. All Slim Jim Watkins wants to do at the end of a long day after roping cattle is to ease out of his saddle, throw off his clothes, and take a deep snooze. But little by little, Slim Jim Watkins finds that his old way of getting ready for bed just won’t do.

Each night a desert critter steals one piece of his clothing. Before it’s all over with, he decides it’s better just to fall down on his bedroll, boots and all.

Repeat lines: “Slim Jim Watkins was one tired cowboy!”, “Rise and shine!”, “snore.”
Repeat lines are identified throughout the book by sticky mailing labels with the symbol and printed word for each line.

Props: Symbols for each item of clothing stolen by the animals have been printed using Mayer Johnson’s Board maker software. The symbols have been cut out, laminated and attached with velcro to the pages of the book. Readers can “collect” Slim Jim’s clothing as they read the story and dress him at the end of the book by velcroing them to a picture of Slim Jim wearing long johns (also created in Board maker).

Book for Learning: Just Like My Dad by Tricia Gardella, Illustrated by Margot Apple

Story: A young cowhand wears a cowboy hat, chaps and spurs, likes the smell of hay and leather, currycombs and saddles his horse, listens to cowhands tell tales, helps rope and brand calves and feels tired at the end of the day . . . just like his dad.

Repeat line: “Just like my dad.” Suggestions for alternative words for two pages are suggested to provide more opportunities for readers to use the repeat line. Alternative text was printed onto sticky mailing labels and placed on each page.

Book for Enjoyment: Little Red Cowboy Hat, by Susan Lowell, illustrated by Randy Cecil.

Story: Little Red Cowboy Hat has saddled up her buckskin pony and is off to Grandma’s house with fresh bread and a jar of cactus jelly. It’s rattler season in the desert, but Little Red has more to worry about than snakes. A big gray wolf in a tall black hat is lurking behind a cactus, and he has a hankerin’ for a Little-Red lunch. Getting this cowgirl won’t be easy, though, because he must get past Grandma first! A lively southwestern spin on the fairy-tale classic, Little Red Riding Hood.

Book for Enjoyment: Pecos Bill by Steven Kellogg.

Story: Raised by coyotes, Pecos Bill grew up to be the greatest cowboy in Texas or anywhere else. Besides lassoing, cattle roping, and being in rodeos, he could tame rattlesnakes, wrestle dangerous critters, and even make the terrible Hell’s Gulch Gang turn respectable! But his two greatest feats were winning the hearts of Lightning, the wildest horse and Slewfoot Sue-the wildest woman in the West!

Book for Enjoyment: Cowboys by Glen Rounds.

Story: This “reference” book describes what a cowboy does, from saddling a horse and stopping a stampede to playing cards and reading western story magazines.

For more details on selecting books, read Books for Learning: Features that Enhance Success (from Emergent Literacy Success by Caroline Musselwhite and Pati King-DeBaun), included at the back of the handbook.

3. Opportunities for Practice – Practice is one component of immersion, or surrounding children with print. Materials must be accessible!

Strategies: Provide opportunities and accessible materials throughout the day.
Look carefully at the books included in the Assistive Technology for Literacy
Kit. All have been adapted so that they are accessible to children with disabilities:

The pages have been cut apart and laminated so that the pages are stiffer and water-proof. This can also be accomplished using vinyl pockets (page protectors) with cardboard inserted between the pages. Note: When using this strategy for adaptation, two copies of the book must be purchased.
“Page puffers” have been added to make the pages easier for children with physical disabilities to turn independently using fingers, head sticks, or other strategies. Page puffers can be made using pieces of styrofoam, sponge, packing “peanuts,” or even weather stripping.
Communication boards have been added to the books for children who need augmentative communication to participate in story reading.
Alternative text and props have been added to some books to increase opportunities for participation.

A page listing signs needed for each book for learning has been included in the back to support children who use sign as a communication mode and the people who read to them.

Look at the writing materials included in the Assistive Technology for Literacy Kit. All have been adapted so they are accessible to children with disabilities:
Magna Doodle ™ . This commercially available children’s toy can be a great writing tablet. The small magnets included with the board can be hot glued to larger, easier to grasp blocks. Additional shapes can be made using adhesive magnet pages purchased at craft supply stores. These adhesive magnets can be cut into various forms, shapes or characters and placed onto adapted stamp mounts. The examples included in the Assistive Technology for Literacy Kit are cattle brands created by children for a writing activity in “The Cowboy Way” unit.

Blocks: Blocks can be used with giant clothespins attached to the top with hot glue. A crayon or marker is attached to the clothespin. Depending on the child’s ability, it may be necessary to add weight to the bottom to provide resistance (Burkhart, 1993). We have included “Outdoor Scented” Crayola markers for “The Cowboy Way” theme.

Adapted stamps: Letters, shapes, or character stamps may be used for independent participation in art activities and writing activities. Adapted stamps are easy to make. Hot glue wood blocks together to create the stamp base and handle. Cut out shapes from sponges, thin foam material available at craft stores or bicycle tubing and glue them to the stamp base.

Pipe insulation: Foam pipe insulation available from the hardware store can be used to increase the thickness of crayons and markers making them easier to hold. Cut a piece of insulation long enough to hold onto. If the hole in the pipe insulation is too large for the art tool, cut out a wedge and fasten the insulation tightly around the crayon or marker with duct tape.

PVC Pipe crayon holder: Slip a large size crayon or marker through the “T” of a PVC “T” joint for 1/2” PVC pipe. Cut a piece of 1/2” PVC pipe to desired length as a handle. Put cap on the end. If the crayon or marker does not fit tightly, put “poster tack” (a gummy substances for hanging posters) in the hole and push the marker in snugly.

Mop handle clamp marker holder: Glue a c-clamp onto a 5” length of 1” diameter dowel. Snap the crayon or marker into the clamp.

For more ideas to support literacy learning every day, see “The Print Rich Classroom Checklist” (Musselwhite & King-DeBaun, 1997) and the “Classroom Observation Checklist for Literacy Artifacts and Events” (Coleman, 1991), included in this packet. They contain guidelines for measuring opportunities for literacy provided to students. How does your classroom measure up?

4. Real life (functional) use of literacy – Literacy instruction must go beyond “survival words” to include reading and writing as a part of daily routines. Literacy development is best fostered when reading and writing are used to accomplish a goal.

Strategies: Make reading a meaningful part of everyday activities.

Read recipes. The recipe book, “Cowboy Cooking: Beans ‘n Weanies,” was adapted using step-by-step instructions with pictures. More information about Picture Symbol Reading is included in this packet. For more detailed information and to download more example books, see http://www.sped.ukans.edu/~pix_lit/index.html#choices.

More ideas for functional literacy activities in the classroom include:
· Taking attendance
· Reading morning messages
· Taking orders for snacks or lunch
· Maintaining a lost and found area
· Signing out for temporary absence from the classroom
· Letters of complaint
· Notes and notices sent home
· Displays and posters
· Note passing

Plan for participation during reading. Pause before repeat lines and let the child “read” the line. Students who do not speak can use inexpensive communication devices to read their lines:

“Rise and shine!”, “Slim Jim Watkins was one tired cowboy” and “snore” are repeat lines for the book Why Cowboys Sleep with Their Boots On. One student can read all three lines using the Cheap Talk switch output device included in the Assistive Technology for Literacy Kit or three students can each read a line using switches plugged into the Cheap Talk. (Plug the switch for “Slim Jim Watkins was one tired cowboy” into the Switch #1 spot, “Rise and shine!” into the Switch #2 spot, and “snore” into the Switch #3 spot). If the child you are working with uses a special switch to activate things, just plug their switch into #1, #2 or #3 on the Cheap Talk.

“Just like my dad” is the repeat line for the book Just Like My Dad. A student can “read” the repeat line using the Big Mack that has been included in the Assistive Technology for Literacy Kit. If your student uses a special switch to activate things, plug the switch into the Big Mack.

When planning writing activities, write real words for real audiences.

Here are some ideas for writing activities for “The Cowboy Way” theme.

· Create an alphabet book using lasso rope.
· Take pictures of the students dressed up in western gear and give them cowboy nicknames. Use the pictures to make “Wanted” posters.
· Design your own cattle brands, like the BAR M or the CIRCLE E.
· Make a book of rules for being a cowboy; call it the Cowboy Code.
· Make a picture instruction book for biscuits.
· Make a new label for a can of beans.
· Make a calorie chart for cowboy food.
· Write a letter of complaint from Slim Jim Watkins about his stolen clothes.
· Listen to “The Cowboy’s ABC” on the Riders in the Sky “Saddle Pals” tape (included in the kit) and make your own Cowboy’s ABC book.
· Listen to “One, Two, Three Said the Miner” on the Riders in the Sky Saddle Pals tape and make a counting book using footstep stamps.
· Write cowboy epitaphs.
· Write a cowboy resume.

Note: Any small tape recorder may be adapted so that it can be activated using a switch. Plug one of the switches included in the kit into the switch jack or use your student’s switch.

5. Provide Models of Reading and Writing – Seeing other people read and write is important for children with disabilities. A special concern is that children with severe physical disabilities may not be positioned to see everyday models of literacy. From a wheelchair it may be hard to see a sister looking up a number in the phone book or Dad writing a note to a teacher.

Strategies: “Think out loud” when you are engaging in everyday literacy events.

Examples:
A memo comes to the teacher at school announcing Picture Day next week. The teacher points to it and reads it aloud while the children see the text, then goes to the calendar and writes “Pictures” on that day.

Dad is making cupcakes for a birthday party at school. He holds up the cake mix box and points to the instructions as he reads each step.

When a student has significant physical disabilities, work closely with the physical therapist to determine the best position for reading and writing activities. Bring materials to the student’s eye level as you model literacy activities.

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