Building Wings

Using News Currents gives educators more than news articles for classroom discussion. Instructional slides, article text written at multiple levels, videos for building mental models and background knowledge, lessons, and a Teacher Guide to name a few. Also, click on Downloads and Activities to access additional lesson materials and a list of Common Core standards for ELA, as well as NCSS and NGSS content area standards that apply to the articles for the week. #CurrentEvents #NewsCurrents #CommonCoreStandards, #SocialStudiesStandards #ScienceStandards #Civics #SocialStudies

Attending The Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education Fall Conference? Look for this session by Assistive Technology Facilitator Erin Ross from Glenview School District #34 and Trisha Johnson on inclusive literacy instruction strategies for students with complex needs. https://lnkd.in/gehPGsXy

New Readtopia literacy instruction thematic unit! While advancing their literacy learning, students using the new Readtopia thematic unit, "Be the Light: Amanda Gorman, A Poet for the Country," will also learn about Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. They will also learn that she was a student who benefited from speech-language pathology services for auditory processing and speech articulation. Like all Readtopia units, educators have access to videos to build background knowledge and mental models, graphic novels with differentiated text written at five different levels by Maureen Donnelly and the Readtopia Team, interactive lessons to provide literacy instruction across subject areas including civics, art, and poetry and an extensive Teacher Guide to provide explicit literacy instruction. Lessons also investigate how having goals and dreams are part of our lives, the difference between fiction and non-fiction, and about Maya Angelou’s life. We hope this unit also inspires students to explore reading and writing poetry! #LiteracyInstruction #SpecialEducation #AllMeansAll

In addition to free access to accessible digital books for anyone using Monarch Reader, Smartbox Assistive Technology users also have access to integrated accessibility options within their Grid 3 app.

Increasing global awareness and exposure to vocabulary in context using current events articles. The names, places, and words #NewsCurrents and #Newstopia users are covering this week!

Making the most of the time you have as an educator. At the upcoming Closing The Gap conference, Trisha Johnson and Maureen Donnelly will present a framework for designing and delivering meaningful weekly literacy instruction for learners at beginning levels, while providing guidance on monitoring progress and maximizing learner engagement. Their session will be held on Oct. 24, 2024, from 10-11 am in Minneapolis. #CTG2024

Is it shared reading if the book you're reading from doesn't have sticky notes with reminders for pauses, comments, and questions? Probably, but those sticky notes help! Read the difference between shared reading and a read aloud and strategies to make the most of shared reading (including avoiding comprehension questions!) https://bit.ly/483zAna

Vocabulary instruction strategies for students who are also learning augmentative and alternative communication. If you're attending Closing The Gap conference, Erin Sheldon and Maureen Donnelly will outline evidence-based practices that support vocabulary development and will demonstrate how pairing a robust AAC system with comprehensive literacy instruction drives growth and confidence for learners during a session on Oct. 24 at 8 am. https://lnkd.in/gjp4gzXt

"Regular opportunities for independent reading and writing to help students apply their learning and cultivate habits essential for becoming lifelong readers and writers." A fundamental component in literacy education via Trisha Johnson: https://lnkd.in/g3bmmmmG [Image Description: photo of a learner with long auburn hair writing independently at a table with a communication board on a tablet by her side.] #LiteracyInstruction

If you're attending the Closing The Gap conference, you can find us when you're there in Booth #303. We'll also be hosting a Literacy Lab at the conference in Veranda Room #2, where you can attend sessions by literacy experts on a variety of topics related to literacy instruction, including: Wednesday, Oct. 23: • 11:20 am-12:20 pm: Sara Gokey, M,Ed.: Enhancing Literacy Instruction with Effective Classroom Management • 12:40-1:40 pm: Sarah Wakabayashi, MS, CCC-SLP, Unlocking Literacy for All: Strategies for Building Background Knowledge in Diverse Learners • 2-3 pm: Maureen Donnelly, MEd, and Chris Gibbons, PhD, CCC-SLP, Smartbox Assistive Technology + Building Wings: Access, Engagement, and Independent Learning • 3:20-4:20 pm: Caroline Musselwhite, PhD, CCC-SLP, Quick Writing FUN - Supporting Beginning Writers Thursday, Oct. 24: • 9-10 am: Karla Rachfal: Coffee Chat: Exploring the Best of Readtopia and ReadtopiaGO • 11:20 am -12:20 pm: Sarah Starr, M.Ed., All Means All - Creating Fun and Engaging Literacy Environments for ALL Students • 12:40 - 1:40 pm: Maureen Donnelly, MEd., and Beth Poss , MA, CCC-SLP, LessonPix - Custom Learning Materials + Building Wings: A Perfect Combination: Core-Focused AAC and Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction • 2-3 pm: Paige Buckingham, MS, CCC-SLP, Letter by Letter: AAC Adventures in Writing • 3:20-4:20: Tara Hanson, M. Ed., from Beyond Limits Learning Solutions Designing Dynamic Readtopia Units: Interactive Planning for Engaging and Interdisciplinary Lessons. Hope to see you there! #CTG2024 #CTG2024LiteracyLab