Emergent Literacy Supports for Students who are Deafblind

NCDB Topical Conference May 13, 2008

Amy R. McKenzie, Ed.D.Florida State UniversityProgram in Visual Impairments

Role of the DB Team

Role of the DB Team

The DB Team consists of:• Teacher of students with

visual impairments• Teacher of the deaf and

hard of hearing• Deafblind specialist

Role of the DB Team

#1: TVI Assessment• Current eye report and

FVE• Learning Media

Assessment• ECC Assessment• Consult with others

regarding implications of VI/DB

Role of the DB Team

Learning Media Assessments• Required by IDEA for all

students with visual impairments

• The only method of ensuring objective decision making regarding a student’s preferred learning channels & literacy media (print/braille)

Role of the DB Team

#2: HI Assessments • Audiologist Report • Functional Hearing

Evaluation• Consult with others

regarding implications of HI/DB

Role of the DB Team

#3: Communication Assessments

• Visual impairment multiplies by a hearing impairment has large implications on a student’s ability to communicate and their preferred modes of communication

• Completed in collaboration with other team members

Role of the DB TeamCommunication Assessment• Every Move Counts: Sensory

Based Communication Techniques (Korsten, Dunn, Foss, & Francke, 1993)

• The Callier-Azusa Scale (Stillman et al., 1978)

• Communication: A Guide for Teaching Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments (Hagood, 1997)

Role of the DB Team

#4: IEP Development • ECC Goals and Objectives

(TVI) • Consult or Team Teach

– Classroom Teacher - Literacy Skills

– Related Service Providers – Literacy-related Skills

• Accommodations & Supplementary Aids/Services

Role of the DB Team

#5: Direct Instruction in Unique Need Areas

• Instruction in literacy-related areas – Communication– Concept development– Listening skills – Early braille skills (TVI) – Visual efficiency skills (TVI) – Assistive technology skills

Role of the DB Team

#6: Consultation with Team Members

• Organization and adaptation of the environment

• Teaching methods• Activities that encourage

literacy development • Literacy at home and in

the community

Environmental Supports

Environmental Supports

Research-based practices in emergent literacy include:

• Print rich environment with extensive labeling

• Organization of the classroom into areas or centers– All areas/centers should

include literacy props

Environmental Supports

For students with DB:• Environmental print/labels

must be in all students’ literacy media and in an accessible location

• Example: Labels can include print, large print, braille, real objects, tactile symbols, pictures, and Mayer-Johnson symbols on one large piece of cardstock or cardboard.

Strategies & Activities

Strategies & Activities

The following strategies and activities can be implemented by the DB Team in a variety of ways:

• Direct instruction• Team teaching • Modeling for other team

members• Consultation with other

team members

Strategies & Activities

Early, Hands On Experiences

• Essential for concept development

• Repetitious, consistent, and comprehensive

• Variety of environments• Lay the ground work for

further development in all areas – especially communication & literacy

Strategies & Activities

Early, Hand On Experiences

• The problem? It was often observed that books were being read to students who had no grasp of the concepts being addressed.

• Can a child truly begin to develop literacy skills if they are unaware of the content of the literacy experience?

Strategies & Activities

Just Read... Aloud! • Make a part of daily

routines in all environments

• Select books that are based on concepts that are understood by the students – real life experiences, a classroom theme, etc.

Strategies & Activities

Just Read… Aloud!• Make the reading process

as multi-sensory as possible– Real objects– Tactile symbols

• Model book reading behaviors – Page turning – Book orientation (Newbold, 2000)

Strategies & Activities

Just Read… Aloud!• Utilize a Shared Reading

approach where the adult and student read together

• Select stories with predictable patterns or related story lines

• Include communication devices in a meaningful manner! (Holbrook & Koenig, 2005)

Strategies & Activities

Using Communication Devices in a Meaningful Manner

• Do not simply place a switch in front of the student with the repeated line recorded

• Include a meaningful symbol on the book and device to help make the connection; change for each story read.

Strategies & Activities

Experience Stories • A joint story writing

process based on an activity or event experience by a student.

(Holbrook & Koenig, 2005)

Strategies & Activities

Book Bags and Boxes • Bags or boxes with objects

associated with a book or story

• Use the objects while reading the book

• The type of objects should be based on students’ communication needs!

Strategies & Activities

Shared Writing and Scribbling

• Shared writing or scribbling is a vital component of literacy development; model writing for students whenever possible.

• Have plenty of paper, crayons, pencils, paints and a braille writer in a location accessible to students in a variety of locations. (Holbrook & Koenig, 2005)

Strategies & Activities

Unique Needs of Students who are Deafblind

• Activity or Schedule Calendars/Boxes

• Choice Boards• Braille Readiness/Early

Braille Activities

Resources

Questions & Answer