Literacy Learning Occurs When Children Are Actively En- gaged Children’s overall success in learning is dependent on their ability to actively engage in each of the areas described in the above section. Young children without disabilities learn by ac- tively “doing,” and without question are given free rein to ex- periment with books, crayons, and other literacy materials. In the beginning, children do not have a clear sense of what to do with these items, and their physical abilities to manipulate them are limited and random (e.g., holding books upside down, eat- ing or scribbling with a crayon). Their exploration of materials is encouraged, and over time they become more refined. Children learn about writing by writing. Children learn about books by using books. Implications for Students with Significant Dis- abilities: Due to the nature of their disabilities, these students tend to be passive observers. Professionals need to identify methods and appropriate materials that students can easily explore. Assistive technology plays a necessary role. For example, students may be unable to physically use their hands to explore books, and may benefit from using switches to turn pages in digital books on the computer or iPad. For students who cannot see the page, many digital books offer a read outloud feature. Environmental considerations will include evaluating how background noises and move- ment affect visual concentration as some students with CVI cannot look and listen at the same time. To support writing, students will need some form of “alternative pencil,” which does not require hand use to form letters (Erickson & Hanser, 2004). Alternative pencils consist of a paper or electronic keyboard from which students choose letters. Alternative pencils can be easily modi- fied to accommodate students who have even the most severe CVI, for example, using reduced letters arrays and highlighting the letters using the glow feature in Microsoft Word. (See Figure 1) Different “pencils” may be used throughout the day. Partner sensitivity to levels of visual fatigue or stress should take advantage of routines as the multidisci- plinary team discusses how to modify the environment or writing task to reduce distractions and improve performance at various times during the day. For more information about alternative pencils see: The Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds. The Functions of Literacy are Just as Integral to Literacy Learning as the Forms Not only do most children learn the different ways to form print/Braille, they also learn that print has a function—it conveys
cognitive status, needs to be “ready” for comprehensive literacy instruction (Erickson, 2000). Our task is not to determine “readiness” of the student, , but we do need to ensure the “readiness” of the environment and the right materials to provide rich literacy exposure and experiences that are meaningful and accessible to all of our students. Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening Abilities are In- terconnected and Develop Simultaneously Their interconnectedness can be demonstrated in the most common of emergent literacy experiences, such as reading stories to young children. This shared experience imparts a wealth of knowledge to children, such as the purpose of books and what it means to be a reader, as well as providing a time to bond with a trusted caregiver. Children use what they have seen about the print in books to construct their own books through experimenting with writing. Shared reading is rarely a quiet time; instead it is an enjoyable, interactive activity that facilitates children’s speech and cognition. Children build their vocabulary and are encouraged to label pictures, comment, and ask ques- tions. Adults respond to children with explanations of words and important concepts from the book. Thus, reading contributes to children’s abilities to write, speak, listen, and develop important receptive language concepts. Implications for Students with Significant Dis- abilities: Each of these areas need to be addressed in students’ daily literacy instruction, most notably com- municating and writing. Students who have difficulty speaking should be learning to communicate using some form of augmentative and alternative com- munication (AAC). In order to have the types of rich interactions and conversations as their speaking peers, AAC systems need to be robust (including generic/ functional core words, personally meaningful topic- or category-associated words/phrases, and all letters of the alphabet). To learn to express individual thoughts, students need to learn how to use the letters of the al- phabet for writing. Too often, students with significant disabilities are not given opportunities to write with the full alphabet as professionals may perceive writing as too cognitively or visually challenging. However, as seen through an emergent literacy lens, learning to communicate and write with accuracy is not the imme- diate goal. No different than young children without disabilities, when exploration and experimentation is encouraged, concepts are built and skills develop through interactions with a more knowledgeable com- munication partner.
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