All students should have the opportunity to have literacy experiences and develop literacy skills. Many classrooms around the world are adopting a balanced literacy approach to literacy development. A balanced literacy approach includes guided reading, self-selected reading, writing and word study. This model includes time spent in each area every day to provide students with daily practice, experience and repetition they need to develop fundamental literacy strategies as well as literacy skills. Recent research has shown that students with disabilities benefit from explicit, daily instruction in each of these areas.
Educators struggle with identifying appropriate intervention strategies and tools.
Educators need interventions for each area of balanced literacy. Students with disabilities need interventions that support a variety of access needs and learning needs. Literacy intervention tools should provide teachers with strategies and models of best practice. Students should receive explicit instruction when they struggle so they can develop their own literacy learning strategies. This presentation will demonstrate how to integrate computer access and emerging literacy skills in each area of the balanced literacy curriculum.