Conventional Literacy Level
Students:
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have an extensive sight word vocabulary.
demonstrate attentiveness as a listener through body language or facial expressions.
know practiced consequences and problem solving strategies.
speak appropriately for a variety of purposes and audiences.
read to obtain basic information (e.g. adapted telephone directory, direction words,
familiar locations, etc.).
make predictions and inferences from a short passage read aloud with guidance.
use inventive spelling moving towards conventional spelling by using a word all.
write two or more related sentences with assistance.
write short notes, greeting cards, or e-mails with assistance.
relate personal experiences that are relevant to what is heard with assistance as needed.
ask questions for clarification or for information when needed or when prompted.
use descriptive language to express ideas, opinions, and feeling when conversing with others.
Learning Objectives: Listening/Speaking
The student will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
make announcements, give directions, and make introductions.
listen to gather information, solve problems, and enjoy and appreciate literature.
participate in and contribute to small or large group discussions and activities.
gain increasing control expressive language by combining words to convey ideas.
Learning Objectives: Reading/Print Awareness
The student will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
decode simple words using letter-sound knowledge.
learn new vocabulary words through selections read aloud.
use graphs, charts, signs, and captions to acquire information
ask relevant questions and use a variety of resources (with assistance) to gather
information.
draw conclusions from information gathered, with assistance.
self-select from a variety of texts based on personal interests (e.g. magazines, books,
poems, etc.).
use adapted forms of literature independently for increasing periods of time.
make and explain important inferences in a text with assistance as needed.
Learning Objectives: Writing
The student will:
1. write short messages, labels, lists and captions for illustrations using knowledge of letters
and sounds.
2. write for different purposes and audiences such as composing notes, letters, stories and
poems, using examples as needed.
3. high school only: Apply writing skills to completing forms and writing checks, with
examples and assistance given when needed.
xxii
CONVENTIONAL
LISTENING/SPEAKING
xxiii
T.E.K.S. (K.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and
occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
1. The student will make announcements, give 1. Have students practice
directions, and make introductions.
greeting each other, other
adults. As visitors come to
encourage the students to
skills.
appropriately
students, and
the classroom,
practice these
2. Using target words for direction, a student
will hide an object (candy, a toy, etc.) the
classroom.
The student gives verbal
instruction to a peer to find the object.
Encourage student giving directions to use
vocabulary below:
go
outside
around
up
inside
behind
down
corner
under
next to
3. Develop a daily routine of assigning one or
two students to arrange a pictorial display
of day’s lunch menu choices on a poster
board at the entrance to the school
cafeteria.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Large pictures of directional words and
directions
Food symbols
Bulletin board on poster board
Objects for Activity 2
An All-Turn-It Spinner (AbleNet) may be
used to allow a student with physical
difficulties the opportunity give directions
using target words in Activity 2.
Conventional E-1
T.E.K.S. (1.1) The student listens attentively and engages actively in a variety of oral language experiences.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
2. The student will listen to gather 1. After reading classic stories, poems and
information, solve problems, and enjoy and
other
literature,
provide
numerous
appreciate literature.
opportunities for students to listen and to
participate in a variety of reading
appreciation activities, which require
response and action. Some suggested
activities include:
• Action songs: “If You’re Happy and
You Know It,” “Hokey Pokey,” “Itsy
Bitsy Spider;”
• Action
poems
and
chants:
Going On a Bear Hunt;” “Five Little
Pumpkins;” “I’m a Little Teapot.”
• Puppet and Role-Playing activities
using story props and/or costumes.
Provide picture symbols to assist students
with recall and comprehension.
2. Read a variety of classic children’s books
during the course of a school year (The
Three Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats
Gruff, The Gingerbread Boy, Cinderella,
etc. ). Create a story map for each book,
keeping symbols for each section consistent
from one story map to the next. In each
story map include the title of the book, the
main characters (who is in the story), other
characters in the story, the setting of the
story (where the story happens and the
time), a description of the problem, what
happens first, what happens next, what
happens last, and how the problem is
solved. Complete the story map over
several days, assigning specific parts of the
story map for individual students to
identify.
Conventional E-2
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
(Continued)
Allow students to illustrate the different
parts of the story map as appropriate.
Display the story maps along with the book
or book jacket.
VARIATION:
Generalize this same
strategy to other books as they are read
aloud. Display story maps in the school
library, if appropriate.
3. Have students survey a group of students or
staff, asking questions about a specific
topic, such as preference of Girl Scout
cookie, preference of movies, preference of
fast-food restaurants, etc.
Summarize
information that is gathered on a bulletin
board, in a school newsletter or in a note to
parents. Illustrate student participation
with photographs as appropriate. Use
photographs to illustrate ways in which
students participated.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Action song posters
Action poem/chant posters
Picture symbols
Story map symbols
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Program songs, poems, chants into multilocation voice output devices.
Provide symbol-aided storyboards and song
boards to assist students with to recall of
information.
Program story map components into voice
output devices.
Program survey questions into sequencing
or multi-location voice output devices.
Conventional E-2
T.E.K.S. (K.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and
occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
3. The student will participate in and 1. Play a variety of games such as Talk It Up,
Uno, Junior Monopoly, Candy Land, etc.
contribute to small or large group
Initially explain the rules of play to the
discussions and activities.
students.
For subsequent games have
students review the rules. Encourage each
student to ask questions, request dice to
role, count squares to move, choose colors
of game pieces, tell whose turn is next.
Involve students in as much discussion as
possible as a part of the game.
2. As part of the school-wide community or as
part of the general education music classes
involve students in school plays, PTA
programs or other opportunities where all
students take part in a presentation.
3. As students prepare to go on Community
Based Instruction or at other appropriate
times, have students discuss appropriate
behavior: what level of voice is
appropriate; whether it is appropriate to run
or walk; when it is appropriate to ask
questions; what specific responsibilities
each student will have. Encourage students
to discus what to do if they become lost, if
they need to go to the restroom, how to get
an adult’s attention appropriately, etc.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Talk It Up game (PCI Educational Publishing)
Variety of games intended for small groups
•
The Talk It Up game may be adapted by
allowing students to use the All-Turn-It
Spinner (AbleNet) to select categories and
discuss questions.
Use voice output device to record or
program speaking lines for a student’s part
in a school program.
Conventional E-3
T.E.K.S. (2.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and different occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
4. Gain increasing control of expressive 1. Allow a student to give verbal directions as
language by combining words to convey
other students complete simple activities,
ideas.
such as preparing a simple snack, directions
for setting the table, giving directions for
simple art projects, etc. When activities are
complete, have other students summarize
either the snack and how it was served or
the art project and where it is displayed at
school or at home.
2. Play a simple game, such Simon Says, that
requires verbal instructions.
Allow
students to take turns giving the
instructions for the game.
3. During circle time ask different students to
summarize the facts about the day:
• the current date;
• yesterday’s date;
• tomorrow’s date;
• any special activities that are planned;
• current month and holidays;
• current weather conditions;
• any other facts that are relevant to the
date.
4. Provide opportunities for students to order
snacks (ice cream, soft drinks, etc.) from a
local fast-food restaurant, such as
McDonald’s or Dairy Queen.
Adaptations:
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
•
Materials used to complete various classroom
activities
•
•
Provide picture symbols representing
vocabulary used to give directions for
various activities.
Program sequencing voice output devices
with messages for giving directions in
various activities.
Program multi-location voice output
devices with vocabulary for Simon Says.
Conventional E-4
T.E.K.S. (K.3, 1.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
1. The student will make announcements, give 1. Explore opportunities with building
directions, and make introductions
administration and office personnel to
include students in making morning
announcements. The student may open
announcements with the current date, may
lead the Pledge of Allegiance, or may give
the “Daily Buzzword” from Ask Jeeves
Kids.
Ask Jeeves Kids (www.ajkids.com) that has
a variety of resource activities including the
“Daily Buzzword”. Assist students to
locate the “Daily Buzzword” section, to
download the buzzword and to practice
saying the buzzword.
As school
announcements are made each day, allow
one student to give the daily buzzword.
Other teachers, such as the reading teacher
or the English teacher, can have his/her
students look up the word in the dictionary,
use the word in a sentence or in other
activities that are appropriate for the class.
A simple speech output device programmed
with appropriate information may be
helpful to all students who are assisting
with announcements, even those who are
verbal.
2. Give students the opportunity to organize
the sequence of information for completing
a task or locating a familiar destination.
For example, the student may give
sequential instructions for completing an art
project, or step-by-step directions to a
familiar location in the school or
neighborhood.
Conventional M-1
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
(Continued)
3. Students
will
make
introductions
appropriately and will practice the skills on
a regular basis. Students need to know how
to introduce themselves and how to
introduce another person.
Appropriate
times for introductions include open house
at school, greeting classroom visitors, or
meeting friends on Community Based
Instruction.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Simple voice output devices (AbleNet, MayerJohnson)
Picture symbols to represent sequences of
information.
Conventional M-1
T.E.K.S. (1.1) The student listens attentively and engages actively in a variety of oral language experiences.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
2. The student will listen to gather 1. Have students create a “Rub Over Book,”
information, solve problems, and enjoy and
as described in The Book Shoppe. Students
appreciate literature.
listen to the teacher for step-by-step
instructions. The students will find a secret
object to rub over, will display their
rubbings and will give clues for other
students to guess what the object from
which the rubbing was made. The student’s
rubbings may be displayed on a bulletin
board or made into a book.
2. To promote the appreciation of literature,
combine simple cooking experiences, with
specific books to expand the meaning of the
book or to illustrate a portion of the book.
If students have enjoyed books such as the
Goosebumps series or the Spinetinglers
series, prepare snacks found in the
cookbook Gross Grub. If students have
enjoyed the Hank the Cowdog series,
prepare a cookout at a community park.
3. The News-2-You Newspaper (Clark, 1996)
provides a variety of opportunities for
students to become involved in literature.
After reading about current events, students
can prepare the recipe that accompanies the
current event story of the week. Students
can also learn the accompanying Knock
Knock joke and practice telling the joke to
other students and adults.
Conventional M-2
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
(Continued)
4. The class will listen to a modified (high
interest/low vocabulary) audio book with
the teacher. The teacher will pause the tape
at strategic points in the story to ask the
class to recall information, make
predictions, etc.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Audio or video book
The Book Shoppe (AbleNet)
Materials to create “Rub Over Book”
Modified books on tape
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•
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Students with physical disabilities may
need hand-over-hand assistance in creating
the “Rub Over Book.”
Picture symbols may assist students to give
clues about the secret object that has been
rubbed.
Start-to-Finish (Don Johnston) is a series of
high interest/low vocabulary books
consisting of the book, audiotape, and
computer book. This series is available in a
wide range of classic literature.
Program sequential lines from jokes into a
sequential voice output device.
Conventional M-2
T.E.K.S. (1.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
3. The student will participate in and 1. Using Circles I and Circles II: Intimacy and
contribute to small or large group
Relationships, design group discussions to
discussions and activities.
use with the students. The Circles program
incorporates instructional videos and group
discussions focused toward teaching
students the concepts of personal space,
social distance and social/sexual concepts.
This organized program helps students
learn to act and interact in an appropriate
manner. This curriculum helps students
generalize their learning across many
settings; such as school, home, social and
vocational settings.
2. Through group discussion have students to
generate:
• menu for lunch that they will prepare;
• ingredients for a salad;
• restaurant to be visited for community
based instruction.
3. Students will engage in discussions on
coping skills such as:
• interpersonal conflict;
• feelings;
• anger management;
• problem solving;
• dealing with peer pressure;
• resisting a gang.
Conventional M-3
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
(Continued)
4. Students and teacher will discuss
appropriate actions to take in an
emergency, such as:
• when a tooth is knocked out;
• when there is a head injury;
• when someone faints;
• when someone has a heart attack;
• when someone chokes;
• when there is a drowning;
• when there are severe storms.
Give students the opportunity to role-play
each situation after participating in a class
discussion. Provide an opportunity for the
students to make a first aid kit for the
classroom.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Circles I and Circle II: Intimacy and
Symbols for indicating choices, emotions
and feelings, problem solving.
Relationships (Champagne and WalkerHersh, 1993)
What Would You Do? (Schwartz, 1990)
What Do You Think? (Schwartz, 1993)
Second Step: Violence Prevention Program,
Levels I-II (Committee for Children)
Conventional M-3
T.E.K.S. (2.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
4. Gain increasing control of expressive 1. To encourage the ability of students to
language by combining words to convey
convey information:
ideas.
• Allow students to give directions for
preparing one dish that will be part of a
meal that is prepared by the class.
• Have one student give directions for
setting the table.
• Encourage students to name the foods
that were included in a meal.
• Have a student give directions for
making a simple art or craft activity.
2. As students play games in the classroom,
encourage them to use complete sentences
as often as possible. For example, the
student may state the color of game piece
he/she prefers (“I want to be red.”); the
number of spaces to move (“I rolled 3 and
will move 3 spaces.”); the card that he
wants (“Do you have a 4?”), or request
other directions as they are required.
3. In an effort to incorporate students into
school activities, have one student each day
assist with announcements by giving the
day of the week and the current date.
Students may be included in portions of
the announcements that can be practiced
ahead of time.
Conventional M-4
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
(Continued)
4. Plan Community Based Instruction at a fast
food restaurant. Prior to going to the
restaurant, encourage students to practice
what they want to order. At the restaurant
have students order their meals as
independently as possible.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Materials used to complete various classroom
activities
Fast food menus
Various classroom games
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•
•
An All-Turn-It Spinner (AbleNet) can be
used for various games.
Provide picture symbols representing
vocabulary used to give directions for
various activities.
Program multi-location voice output
devices with vocabulary for games.
Program multi-location voice output
devices with vocabulary for ordering at
various restaurants.
Conventional M-4
T.E.K.S. (K.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
1. The student will make announcements, give 1. During calendar time, allow students to
directions, and make introductions.
make simple daily announcements to class
members regarding scheduled activities,
special occasions, and routine calendar
information (i.e. Today is ____; The month
is ____; etc.).
2. Students will plan a meal on a regular basis.
Provide opportunities on a rotating basis
for students to serve as the host. The
student who is the host is allowed to invite
a favorite teacher, a friend or his parents as
a special guest.
Ask the student to
introduce his guest to the class.
3. Provide opportunities for students to give
directions for preparing a sandwich, a drink
or other food items. Use symbols or words
as cues to remind the student of each step
of the process.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Recipes and ingredients
Symbols
Invitations
Calendar with symbols
Symbols representing scheduled activities,
special occasions, days of the week,
numbers, months may assist students to
recall information for announcements. This
information may also be programmed into a
simple speech output device.
Conventional H-1
T.E.K.S. (1.1) The student The student listens attentively and engages actively in a variety of
oral language experiences.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
2. The student will listen to gather 1. Students will gather information about the
information, solve problems, and enjoy and
local weather forecast. Sources for this
appreciate literature.
information may include television, radio,
the internet or local newspaper. The
teacher assists the students in graphing
information.
2. Students will listen to teacher or another
student read the lunch menu.
After
students have been given menu item
choices
represented
by
picture
symbols/words, they will make selections
and place them in a communication wallet
or reference list.
3. Assist students in setting up a classroom
library. Refer to Listening/Speaking M-16
for items to include in the classroom
library.
Encourage students to utilize the school
library and the community library to check
out books, records or magazines.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Picture symbols of menu item choices
Printed words of menu item choices
Communication wallets
TV, radio, newspaper, internet access
Adaptations:
•
•
•
Books on tape.
Electronic books on computer.
Voice output devices.
Conventional H-2
T.E.K.S. (1.3) The student speaks appropriately to a different audience for different purposes and occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
3. The student will participate in and 1. Students will participate in discussions
contribute to small or large group
about current events. Topics may be
discussions and activities.
chosen from newspaper articles or News-2You.
2. Teacher and students will read a social
story that has been adapted with picture
symbols.
Students will participate in
classroom discussions about topics such as:
• using appropriate greetings;
• interrupting;
• appropriate topics of conversation;
• appropriate personal behavior and
hygiene.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
Social Skills Stories (Johnson, et.al., 1995)
More Social Skills Stories (Johnson, et.al.,
1998)
Newspaper
News-2-You (Clark, 1997)
•
Students may use an All-Turn-It Spinner
(AbleNet) to make topic choices.
Program lines from simple social stories
into voice output devices so that students
may read story.
Conventional H-3
T.E.K.S. (2.3) The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions.
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
4. The student will gain increasing control of 1. Using situations presented in What Do You
expressive language by combining words to
Think? (respecting privacy, using your
convey ideas.
allowance, fighting in the car, name calling,
forbidden friend, following the crowd,
shoplifting), assist students to answer
questions about each situation. Extend the
students’ language so that each student uses
a complete sentence to answer each
question or provide information requested.
Extend the students’ understanding of
subject-verb agreement and other elements
of grammar by using a pocket chart or
flannel board with pictures for nouns, verbs
and objects.
Students can provide
information by placing picture cards in the
correct position in the sentence.
For an alternate activity, use a pocket chart
with pictures for noun, verb and object.
Have students choose a card in “round
robin” fashion and then construct a sentence
with the words that were chosen.
2.
Have students’ practice providing personal
information or responding to requests using
complete sentences and correct grammar.
For example: “My name is Suzy Doe. I
live at 721 Happy Place. My mother’s
name is Jane Doe. My father’s name is
John Doe.”
Conventional H-4
Area: Conventional Listening/Speaking
OBJECTIVE
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
(Continued)
3. To encourage the inclusion of students in
the school community, create opportunities
for students to share a job in the school
office. Students may pick up attendance
slips or run simple errands, such as
returning books to the school library.
Activities such as these require students to
either request an attendance slip or a
specific material or to deliver a specific
message.
4. Plan Community Based Instruction to a
cafeteria in the community and to a sit
down restaurant. Prior to going to either
location, have students practice ordering
from a menu or from selections on the
cafeteria line. Have students also practice
requesting assistance and paying for their
meals.
Encourage students to be as
independent as possible when at the
cafeteria or restaurant.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Adaptations:
•
What Do You Think? (Schwartz 1993)
Pocket chart
Restaurant menus
•
Represent words/phrases with picture
symbols and allow students to point to or
use eye-gaze in order to combine words and
phrases.
Use OverlayMaker and IntelliKeys
(IntelliTools) to make overlay which can be
used to give personal information.
Conventional H-4