Literacy improves lives—and with the right instruction and supports, all students can learn to read and write. That's the core belief behind this teacher-friendly handbook, your practical guide to providing comprehensive, high-quality literacy instruction to students with significant disabilities. Drawing on decades of classroom experience, the authors present their own innovative model for teaching students with a wide range of significant disabilities to read and write print in grades preK–12 and beyond. Foundational teaching principles blend with concrete strategies, step-by-step guidance, and specific activities, making this book a complete blueprint for helping students acquire critical literacy skills they'll use inside and outside the classroom. An essential resource for educators, speech-language pathologist, and parents—and an ideal text for courses that cover literacy and significant disabilities—this book will help you ensure that all students have the reading and writing skills they need to unlock new opportunities and reach their potential. READERS WILL: Discover 10 success factors for helping students with significant disabilities become literate Teach emergent readers and writers skillfully, with evidence-based strategies for shared and independent reading, early writing instruction, and alphabetic and phonological awareness Help students acquire conventional literacy skills, with adaptable strategies for teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, decoding, and spelling Organize and deliver comprehensive literacy instruction in a variety of settings, both inside and outside of school Use assistive technology effectively to support reading, writing, and communication Engage and motivate students and make literacy instruction meaningful to their everyday lives PRACTICAL MATERIALS: Sample teaching scenarios and dialogues, how-to strategies, and downloadable resources, including sample lessons, a quick-guide to key literacy terms, lesson sequences, and flowcharts to guide instruction. Table of Contents: Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction Section I: Core Understandings Chapter 1. All Children Can Learn to Read and Write: A Theoretical Rationale Chapter 2. Establishing the Environment for Successful Literacy Learning Section II: Building a Foundation for Literacy Chapter 3. Alphabet Knowledge and Phonological Awareness Chapter 4. Emergent Reading Chapter 5. Emergent Writing Section III: Learning to Read and Write Chapter 6. Comprehensive Literacy Instruction: A Research-Based Framework Chapter 7. Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Instruction Chapter 8. Self-Directed Reading: Supporting Motivation and Fluency Chapter 9. Writing Chapter 10. Decoding, Word Identification, and Spelling Section IV: Implementation Chapter 11. Using Assistive Technology Effectively to Support Literacy Chapter 12. Organizing and Delivering Effective Instruction References Index |