Literacy Beyond Picture Books
Teaching Secondary Students With Moderate to Severe Disabilities
- Dorothy Dendy Smith - Buncombe County Schools
- Jill Fisher DeMarco - Buncombe County Schools
- Martha Worley - Buncombe County Schools
"I was rejuvenated by the opportunities for exciting and meaningful instruction. My creative thoughts ran rampant with how I could use these ideas with my novice teachers as well as within my classroom."
—Jayne Englert-Burns, Consulting Teacher, Special Education
Montgomery County Public Schools, Germantown, MD
"The authors have done a nice job of describing how to make teaching student-centered by focusing on individual student interests and learning styles and by making classroom instruction exciting and fun."
—Dennis H. Reid, Director
Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center
Engage students' interest and build foundational literacy skills!
Teaching literacy to middle school and high school students with significant disabilities can prove challenging when available reading materials often don't match students' reading levels and interests. This accessible, step-by-step guide shows teachers how to match students with appropriate texts and develop inventive themed units that encourage literacy learning.
Teachers can build whole units around a selected text and create hands-on activities that engage multiple senses. This valuable resource includes sample activities and lesson plans, ideas for adapting general education materials, and essential information on how to:
- Build vocabulary and use retelling and guided reading
- Teach functional skills on a daily basis
- Incorporate media and assistive technology
- Coordinate with general education teachers and involve parents
- Assess students' learning and meet IEP goals
Perfect for special education and inclusive classrooms, this resource features everything teachers need to motivate students with disabilities and help them develop literacy skills!
"I was rejuvenated by the potential opportunities for exciting and meaningful instruction. My creative thoughts ran rampant with how I could use these ideas with my novice teachers as well as within my classroom."
"Provides everything needed to start an appropriate curriculum that is motivating and challenging for students with moderate to severe disabilities. This book is a winner!"
"We’ve tried for the last few years to adapt the grade level material to help our students feel like part of the general education setting, while still meeting their IEP goals. It’s been a real challenge, but this book helps bring the concept to more of a reality."
"Each chapter is chock full of excellent ideas that have stood the test of time. The conversational tone of the authors conveys their enthusiasm for the work they share and the students they teach."
"Presents a wealth of information for using a thematic approach for teaching literacy skills to students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. The teaching approach is comprehensive, with procedures built in to facilitate team teaching, parent involvement, use of assistive technology, and inclusive practices. The authors have done a particularly nice job of describing how to make teaching student-centered by focusing on individual student interests and learning styles and by making classroom instruction exciting and fun for students."