Emergent Literacy Instruction and the Trifocus Approach to Communication
what they can see and/or touch with their hand. As a re- sult, vocabulary may be limited to a few basic needs, which limits rich conversations during reading and writing. How- ever, interprofessional collaboration (Bruce & Bashinski, 2017) can consider different strategies to minimize the vi- sual complexity while still having access to a robust AAC system. Examples: hiding/showing vocabulary (teacher/ SLP), systematic branching which decreases number of vi- suals while branching to more vocabulary (SLP), increased spaces between cells or use of switches (OT, PT), and use of auditory prompts (teacher/SLP). (See Figure 2 and 3 - Core Word Displays) Comprehensive Emergent Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities While students with significant disabilities have had extreme- ly limited emergent literacy experiences, there is direction from the field that can guide appropriate instruction. Erickson (2017) recommends the following daily activities for learners who are at the emergent literacy level: • Shared Reading, • Predictable Chart Writing, • Alphabet and Phonological Awareness, • Independent Writing with the whole alphabet, and • Self-Directed Reading. Literacy is a complex process and requires learning in many different areas in order for students to truly grasp and internalize what it means to be a writer and a reader. Upcoming articles in this series will focus on each area in depth with details about the “what and how” of implementing the activities with students with CVI. A critical element of the “how,” will be understanding how CVI characteristics affect access to learning opportunities for each student. The sections below describe how consider- ations of the learner, partner and environment can be reviewed in our efforts to enhance partner sensitivity.
Including students with CVI and CCN in literacy learning in- volves considering their communicative attempts and requires highly individualized approaches. Any attempt to describe how a learner is functioning and what adaptations are neces- sary must also consider the communication partner and envi- ronment. Bruce & Bashinski (2017) offer these five strategies to guide interprofessional collaborative practice (ICPC): • Building Partner Sensitivity - can foster feelings of empa- thy and lead to greater mutual understanding A teacher who understands why a student closes his eyes when listening will recognize times when the stu- dent is listening and when she can be encouraged to look (without other competing distractions). The teacher can learn to respond consistently to the non-symbolic or id- iosyncratic signals that the student uses for expression. • Using Instructional Routines - can reduce stress and pro- vide a context for learning Once a student is comfortable with a repetitive routine that is naturally or regularly occurring, he/she is more like- ly to notice when/where changes occur. For example, a predictable song or story can be modified with differ- ent sounds and/or letters for each student in the class. • Increasing communication opportunities - can increase interest and engagement Students can be given frequent opportunities to ex- press themselves for multiple purposes (e.g., giving opinions, asking questions, denying/protesting, etc.) • Modifying the communication environment - can im- prove function Performance improves when materials are adapted to address visual needs and environmental context is also considered (e.g., using non-glare laminate when creating high contrast
Figure 2: Core Word Display - Template 1
Figure 3: Core Word Display - Template 2
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