Simple Literacy Tools and Supports: Children with Complex Support Needs
Thoughtful Support Strategies:
Assistance or Influence?
October 22, 2012Afternoon Session
Thoughtful Supports includes:- Presuming Competence and - Fostering Independence
• Meet Carly• www.carly’svoice.com
Presuming Competence• Can you think of moments when a
student’s accomplishment surprised you?
Share with a neighbor.
• Describe what “competence” means for one of your students.
Student Independence
What does it mean for your students?
• Build self-esteem• Enhance motivation• Develop sense of purpose • Foster social acceptance• Adults available to more students
Cues and Prompts,Shaping and Fading,
To Build Competence and Enhance Student Independence
Thoughtful Support leads to Student Independence
• What is student independence?• What does it look like in my
setting?• What is my role in building
student independence?
Prompting and the Prompt Hierarchy
• What is a prompt? What is a cue?
• When would you use prompts?
• Are there consequences to prompting?
Prompt Hierarchy
• Natural verbal prompts (The adult says "What do you want?")
• Verbal prompt ("You want the ball. Push ball on your device.")
• Modeling (The adult makes the sign for ball, the child imitates)
• Gestural (Point to the symbol, the student selects, signs, etc.)
• Physical assistance (Gently nudge the hand toward the symbol, item – do not consider this if the child dislikes being touched.)
• Physical guidance (Physically assist the child to make the sign or select the symbol. Physical guidance is an error-free approach because the child always produces the target skill, although not independently, guaranteeing the child’s success. *Do Not use with children who dislike being touched.) http://k-12.pisd.edu/currinst/sped/at/Prompts.htm
Strategies to build independence
• The Natural Cue
-- It’s raining outside
• The Imposed Cue
-- What is it doing outside?
-- Point to “raining”
Using Natural Cues:It’s Raining Outside!
Independent Action:
Put’s on hood
Natural Reinforcer:
Stays Dry!
Demonstrates behavior independently
Connects the natural cue, behavior, and intrinsic reinforcer
Prompt Hierarchy:
-Draw attention to the natural cues/prompts…
-Ask a question about necessary action…
-Give an option…
-Tell the student what action to take…
-Physically guide the student through the process...
1998 LRConsulting
OR
Using Natural Cues:When A Peer is Present -
Independent Action:
Student says Hi
Natural Reinforcer:
Peer Responds!!!
Demonstrates behavior independently
Connects the natural cue, behavior, and intrinsic reinforcer
Prompt Hierarchy:
-Draw attention to the natural cues/prompts…
-Ask a question about necessary action…
-Give an option…
-Tell the student what action to take…
-Physically guide the student through the process...
1998 LRConsulting
OR
Strategies to build independence
Fading
• A gradual reduction of cues/prompts and extrinsic (outside) reinforcers as the student demonstrates desired behavior or task
Fading activity
• Think of a student who receives adult support.
• Define the level of prompting from the prompt hierarchy.
• Develop a plan to reduce the level of prompt required to complete the task.
Strategies to build independence
Shaping
• To teach a behavior or task by providing cues, models, and consequences for steps demonstrated gradually until the final behavior or task is learnedExample:
Wider-lined paper Narrower-lined paper
Task:Read a sentence
Reads one word
Reinforcement delivered for reading one word
Subsequent reinforcement is delivered for reading 2 words
Connects the action or behavior with reinforcer
Shaping
Break the task into smaller steps
Model steps
Reinforce student for completion of initial, final, or adapted step
Gradually add steps, complexity
Strategies to build independence
Wait Time
• The amount of time given to the student to respond to a question or complete a task
Example:Question (wait 5-10 seconds)No response? Rephrase the question.
Wait Time Activity
• Work in pairs• Ask one another to describe
picture cards • One person simulates students
with slow processing by hesitating before responding
• One person simulates instructor. Practice waiting 5 to 10 seconds.
• What does it feel like?
Meet Lance!• How did the team use cueing and
fading to move Lance to increased independence?
Works for Me!
• Think of a student with whom you work who relies on prompts
• Consider which strategy/strategies you will use to move closer to independence
Case Scenario
Part 2Thoughtful Support Includes…
The Role of Senses/Sensation
• How is the sensation of touch affected by:– delay in development– sensory overload– cultural guidelines– INPUT OVERLOAD
Unwritten messages• How do YOU interpret different kinds of
touch:– High five– Shoulder tap– Firm grip– Physical guidance– Physical assistance– Rapid onset– Slow onset– Announced – Unannounced
Goldilocks and the 3 touches
• Sometimes touch is too light.• Sometimes touch is too …• Sometimes touch is too …• Sometimes touch is too …• And sometimes touch is just right!
Body movement meanings…
• What is meant by:– Leaning in– Folding arms– Standing up– Moving away
Looking for the Light!
• How do you know what’s going on inside a student’s head? Are they understanding?
• Look for signs of JOINT ATTENTION
• Discuss some of your students and how you know that they know…
Thoughtful Support Includes…
• Some students benefit from “Opening Remarks”– Here is my hand– I am going to place my hand under yours– Or maybe just, “Hi Jennifer”, is enough to
signal that you are going to approach her space.
• Some students benefit from “Closing Remarks”– We are finished– Thanks for working so hard
Tools to Share
• Hey, I’m talking here! • Pathways to Learning, CAST
– Pathways to Reading– Pathways to Writing– Pathways to Presenting
References
• Lifelines, LRConsulting, Katy, TX. Further information is available at www.lrconsulting.com.
• Fostering Student Independence: How to Develop a Needs Assessment and Fade Plan presented at the Council for Exceptional Children, April 7, 2005 by Janet Hull, Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
• Dickson, S. V., chard, D. J., & Simmons, D. C. (1993). An integrated reading/writing curriculum: A focus on scaffolding. LD Forum, 18(4), 12-16.
• Beed, P., Hawkins, E., & Roller, C., (1991). Moving learners toward independence: The power of scaffolded instruction. The Reading Teacher (44) 9, p. 648-655.