Typical methods for teaching foundational literacy skills are very difficult, if not impossible, for students with limited verbal skills.   The opportunity to learn to read and write should be afforded to ALL, regardless of spoken communication ability.  Education, self-determination, employment, quality of life, and enjoyment all may hinge on an individual’s ability to read and/or to write.  Students who are nonverbal or who require additional supports such as AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) need comprehensive literacy instruction that is adapted to meet their unique needs.   In this course, you will learn instructional strategies for teaching foundational literacy skills to students with limited verbal abilities.

All students need rich opportunities to engage in reading and writing experiences throughout the day.  We will explore a comprehensive approach to literacy that is designed to meet your students’ unique needs.  We will discuss emergent and conventional literacy strategies and how to identify interventions that match your students’ instructional level.  You will learn how to integrate foundational literacy skills into comprehensive literacy instruction so students learn to generalize these skills.  Join this series to explore instructional strategies that build reading comprehension and vocabulary skills, expand decoding skills, and create meaningful reading & writing experiences.

Students with limited verbal skills typically require some form of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication).  AAC users may rely heavily on reading and writing skills for expressive communication; therefore, comprehensive literacy instruction is particularly important.  In this course, we will connect best practices of literacy instruction to AAC to ensure that non-speaking students have meaningful opportunities to engage in reading and writing.