Down with Demands; Up with Invitations!

Demands?

Too often, we make unrelenting demands on individuals who use AAC

- Show me _______

- Where is ________

- Direct Questions:  'What do you want?'  'How do you feel?'

- Drill & Kill - constant inauththentic activities

This can be overwhelming to students who are learning AAC, and may be impossible for students with apraxia.

Instead of constant demands, let's change to . . . 

Invitations!

Invitations means that we:

- Motivate (fun, interactive, authentic activities)

- Model 

- Reflect ('I think you're saying __________'; 'Are you telling me _______?')

- Pause (expectantly)

- Move on!  If students don't respond, we continue to motivate, model, reflect and pause!

For more information and ideas, watch the webinars of the Angelman Communication Training Series.

Angelman Communication Training Project

Dr. Gretchen Hanser's CTG Phonics Phun

Below is the link to Gretchen Hanser's Closing the Gap Phonics Phun Handouts:
Hanser: Phonics Phun CTG 15

Gretchen Hanser's Handouts from Nova Scotia!

Below is a link to the handouts prepared by Dr. Gretchen Hanser for her recent workshops in Nova Scotia.  Enjoy!

Hanser's Nova Scotia Workshop

Communication Circles for People Who Use AAC

What:  This full day session will focus on setting up and maintaining a Communication Circle for people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

When:  November 23, 2015, 9:00 - 3:00

Where:  PRCVI Conference Room, 1750 W75th Ave #106,
Vancouver, BC

Who:  This presentation is for teachers, therapists, and family members of students who learn AAC, whether they are beginners or experienced at using their systems.

How to Register:
Communication Circles Vancouver Flyer 

 

Tarheel Reader - A Few Great Authors!

Below are a few great authors on Tarheel Reader:
http://tarheelreader.org/find/

Reed A Booke (a.k.a., David Koppenhaver!)
Features Include:
- Both explicit and subtle humor
- Lots of practice with pronouns (ex: He blew it; she knew it)
-  Fun use of homophones (ex:  knew / gnu; X / eggs)
- Some alliteration (ex:  My Friend Loves to Eat)

CLDS (Center for Literacy and Disability Studies)
Features include:
- Chapter summaries of book classics (e.g., Blue Shoes summarizes the book Holes, but does not give away the ending)
- Predictable books, with repeated language (e.g., However You Dance)
- Caption books, or pictures with a single word, such as 'waking' or 'swimming' to describe each page (e.g., My Action Words Book )

Jane Farrall (literacy guru from Australia)
http://www.janefarrall.com/
Features include:
- Engaging books about fashion ( I Like Earrings; Lipstick )
- Books about pop culture ( Spiderman; Shrek; Taylor Swift )
- Alphabet books (e.g., Z to A) and letter books (e.g., S is for Shopping)
- Concept books (Light;  Ice)
- Great books about Australia (Captain James Cook - Explorer; Koalas)

DLM (Dynamic Learning Maps)
Features include:
- Frequent use of repeated lines (e.g., "Tom got in trouble." from Tom's in Trouble)
- Books connected to classic literature, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (e.g., Aunt Polly;  Tom's Fence; Tom's Adventurous Day). 
- Some of the literature-related books help students think about concepts such as making choices that get you into trouble, vs making better choices (e.g., Trouble)
- Changing carrier phrases such as "Cats like ______" and "Cats chase" (What Do Cats Do)

maureend 
Features include:
- Great chapter summaries with photos for chapters of classic literature that are part of the common core (e.g., About Hatchet:  About Tuck Everlasting; About Shiloh)
- Predictable books, such as "There can't be too much ________." from In My World.
-  Books that tap into important feelings (e.g., Not Afraid; My Pet, My Friend)

 

EMERGENT BALANCED LITERACY FOR PRE-K AND EARLY ELEMENTARY – APPS INCLUDED!

When:  December 1, 2015, 8:30 - 3:30

Where:  North County Regional Education Center
255 Pico Avenue, San Marcos, CA 92069

Who:  Pre-k and early elementary teachers of students with moderate/severe disabilities

What:
The prospect of teaching students with significant disabilities to begin to read with comprehension and begin to write generatively can
seem overwhelming. This presentation will cover: assessment for students who are difficult to assess, shared reading (developing a love
of reading, and supporting language through reading), emergent writing (beginning to write with symbols, words, and the alphabet), self selected
story listening (listening to and interacting with a range of engaging books across a range of genre), alphabet interaction and
phonemic awareness (understanding spoken language at the word, syllable, and letter level). Throughout the day, you will see student
samples, videos, and creative use of apps.

Learning Outcomes:
Describe 3 assessment tools that can be used for students who are difficult to assess with standard tools
Identify at least 2 activities to support: Shared reading, emergent writing, self-selected story listening, alphabet learning, and phonemic
awareness.
Describe at least 3 apps, and tell how you would use them interactively to support literacy learning.

Download Flyer Below:
Emergent Balanced Literacy Younger Flyer

 

EMERGENT BALANCED LITERACY FOR UPPER ELEMENTARY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL – APPS INCLUDED!

Where:  North County Regional Education Center
255 Pico Avenue, San Marcos, CA 92069

When:  December 1, 2015, 8:30 - 3:30

Who:  Elementary through high school teachers of students with moderate/severe disabilities

What:  
The prospect of teaching older students with significant disabilities to begin to read with comprehension and begin to write generatively
can seem overwhelming. This presentation will cover: assessment for students who are difficult to assess, shared reading (developing a
love of reading, and supporting language through reading), emergent writing (beginning to write with symbols, words, and the alphabet),
self-selected story listening (listening to a range of engaging, age-respectful books), and an introduction to phonics (developing letter sound connections) and phonemic awareness (understanding spoken language at the word, syllable, and letter level). Throughout the day,
you will see student samples, videos, and creative use of apps. Use of age-respectful activities and materials will be considered for each
section.

Learning Outcomes:
1) Describe 3 assessment tools that can be used for students who are difficult to assess with standard tools
2) Identify at least 2 activities to support: Shared reading, emergent writing, self-selected story listening, phonics, and phonemic
awareness.
3) Describe at least 3 apps, and tell how you would use them interactively to support literacy learning.
4) Summarize at least two strategies for ensuring that activities and materials are age-respectful for older students.


Download flyer here:
Emergent Literacy Older Students