Fresh off her return from an amazing conference, we sit down with Julie Ortlieb to explore her learning around the essential strategies for addressing literacy among students with complex needs. Julie shares her expertise on what works and what doesn’t in the complex needs classroom, offering practical tips for educators.

Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Literacy to Students with Complex Support Needs" infographic. The image is divided into two columns, each containing five sections. The left column lists "Do's" with a green checkmark, and the right column lists "Don'ts" with a red 'x'.</p>
<p>First Row:<br />
Do: "Teach all letters and sounds in a cyclical manner."<br />
Don't: "Only teach 1 letter each week."<br />
Second Row:<br />
Do: "Teach students how to spell & write with letters and keyboards."<br />
Don't: "Equate writing with copying/tracing or fill in the blank activities."<br />
Third Row:<br />
Do: "Show AAC users how to use their vocabulary to describe things."<br />
Don't: "Create book specific communication displays."<br />
Fourth Row:<br />
Do: "Turn off symbolated text and use authentic pictures to support comprehension."<br />
Don't: "Use symbol supported text."<br />
Fifth Row:<br />
Do: "Individualize but teach in groups to maximize instructional time."<br />
Don't: "Limit instruction to 1:1."<br />
The image has a blue background with grid lines, green checkmarks, and red 'x' symbols. At the bottom, there is a website link: www.learn.mciu.org. The background includes flowers and grass elements.

CATCH UP ON THE BLOG SERIES

This is the third post of a mini-series being presented by Julie Ortlieb. Check the MCIU Learning Network throughout this year to see more posts from this series.