Teaching Literacy to Students with Significant Disabilities: Strategies for the K-12 Inclusive Classroom by June Downing (2005) offers tips and practical strategies to provide meaningful literacy experiences to students with multiple disabilities. Each section includes key concepts, a summary, and frequently asked questions.
Table of Contents:
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Literacy and a Free Appropriate Public Education
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Key Concepts
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What is Literacy?
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Literacy and Federal Mandates in Education
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Barriers to Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities
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Attitudinal Barriers
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Low Expectations
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Limited Opportunities
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Limited Means of Accessing Literacy
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Limted Time
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The Age Factor
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Literacy and Quality-of-Life Issues
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Self-Esteem
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Self-Determination
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Independence
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Information Gathering
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Organization
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Learning
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Entertainment
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Why Teach Reading to Students with Severe Disabilities?
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Literacy and Communication
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Key Concepts
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The Relationship Between Communication and Literacy
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Building Relationships
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Reading Together
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The Benefits of Play Interactions
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Emergent Literacy for Students of All Ages
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Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices
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Building Shared Experiences for Literacy Development
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Documentation of Shared Experiences
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Drawings
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Photograph Books
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Tactile Books
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Summary
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Planning Literacy Activities
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Key Concepts
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General Considerations
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Literacy Rich Environments
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Benefits of Learning in a General Education Classroom
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Access to the Core Curriculum
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Not Just Physical Presence
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Identifying Literacy Goals
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What are the Literacy Goals of the Individual and the Family?
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Determining Present Literacy Skills
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Analyzing the Environment and the Need for Literacy Skills
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Identifying When Literacy Skills Can Be Taught Throughout the Day
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Creating Literacy-Learning Opportunities for All Ages
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Developing Literacy Materials for Individual Students
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Age Appropriateness
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Individual Considerations
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Physical Considerations
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Visual Considerations
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Cultural Considerations
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Interesting Materials
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High Quality
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Assistive Technology
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Summary
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Teaching Literacy Skills
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Evaluating Progress: Next Steps
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The Future for Literacy Access and Instruction