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.
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