What's It All About?

Program Premise

This program is based on the premise that students with moderate to severe disabilities can be successful in the acquisition of literacy skills. Our responsibility as teachers is to facilitate success.

Program Goal

The goal of this program is to assist students with moderate to severe disabilities with the acquisition of literacy skills.

Program Principles

The following principles are at the core of this literacy program:

The special needs and learning styles of the students should be kept at the forefront.

When necessary, support and modifications should be provided.

The program should be based on general education standards but should also emphasize functional skills.

Materials and instruction should be age appropriate. Through the use of age-appropriate literature, our students can learn about and relate to adventures, families, faraway places, emotions, and the experiences of others while also gaining an understanding of their own lives.

A team approach, which includes parents, should be utilized.

General education opportunities should be provided.

Planning should be based on a thematic or integrated approach. Through thematic instruction, our students make connections between life and the written word and among subjects such as science, reading, social studies, written expression, and math.

A basic, predictable structure for lesson presentation should be uti- lized throughout.

A multisensory, multimedia, multimethod, and multilevel approach should be employed.

Concrete materials and real-world experiences should be integral components. By constantly focusing on building background and language through media, real-world experiences, hands-on activities, dramatization, and real people, we are giving our students a rich world in which to develop literacy skills.

Low and high tech assistive technology should be utilized to enhance learning and assure participation and success. Through the use of media and assistive technology, our students are developing both receptive and expressive language, and are demonstrating com- prehension and knowledge.