1. There are a variety of assistive technologies (AT) available for early childhood teachers to incorporate into instruction for students with learning disabilities.

1. here are a variety of assistive technologies (AT) available for early childhood teachers to incorporate into instruction for students with learning disabilities. 

For this assignment, choose an assistive technology device that can be used to support the development of language, literacy or communication skills in either an early childhood inclusive preschool setting, or a K-3 inclusive classroom. In a 750-1,000 word essay:

1. Include a description of the setting you have selected.

2. Include a picture or illustration of the AT device you have chosen.

3. Describe the device and its uses.

4. Explain how it is beneficial to children with development delays.

5. Describe how you could implement the device in your classroom.

6. Reflect on the challenges of implementing assistive technologies in the classroom. Consider how you will seek resources or assistance in learning the device and how to best use it to help the students be successful in their learning environment.

Support your essay with 3-5 scholarly resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

2. As with all things, teachers and students may face challenges when utilizing assistive technology in the classroom.  Discuss challenges one might face when assistive technology is used, and how you as the teacher will handle such situations.

3. After reading “Emerging Literacy through Assistive Technology’” reflect on the importance of pictures and picture schedules for children who are non-verbal or limited in their speech.  Describe how picture schedules can be used at school.  Discuss other settings to which this skill can be transferred.

4. For this assignment, you will use the knowledge you have gained in this course to create a digital presentation describing five at-home activities for developing language, literacy, and communication skills that are appropriate for children described in the provided “1st grade Class Profile.”

Design a 10-15 slide digital presentation to show to parents that explains five at-home activities that can be used to develop language, literacy, and communication skills, based on the ELA standards, for their child. Your presentation should include a title slide, references slide, detailed speaker’s notes, and include the following:

1. Title and brief description of each activity. Each activity should be developmentally appropriate and engaging.  Include two activities to develop reading skills, two for writing skills, and one for speaking skills. Include 1-2 adaptations for children who may be struggling in each area, as well as 1-2 adaptations for those who are above grade level, based on data from the “Class Profile.”

2. The activities should teach cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.

3. A research-based explanation of how each activity will benefit the children, relating it back to the data provided in the “Class Profile.”

4. Ways that each activity can be remediated for students with development delays, as well as how it can be enriched for gifted students, based on the needs of students outlined in the “Class Profile.” 

5. A closing slide summarizing key points in your presentation.

Although you will be making instructional choices based on data from the “Class Profile,” remember not to call out individual children or use children’s names in this parent presentation.

Support your information with 3-5 scholarly resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. 

Program competencies and national standards assessed in the benchmark assignment:

COE 2.5: Use strategies to enhance language development and communication skills of individuals with exceptionalities. [CEC 5.4; InTASC 2(e)]

COE 3.7: Use data to select, develop, and adapt learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities that are reflective of their abilities, interests, and cultural, and linguistic factors. [CEC 5.1; InTASC 1(b), 7(b)]

COE 3.8: Use augmentative and alternative communication systems and a variety of assistive technologies to support the communication and learning of individuals with exceptionalities. [CEC 5.3; InTASC 3(h), 8(h); ISTE 1d]

COE 3.10: Teach cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills such as critical thinking and problem solving to individuals with exceptionalities. [CEC 5.7; InTASC 5(a), 7(h)]

AttachmentsECS-570-Class Profile BAR.docx

1st Grade Class Profile

Student Name	English Language Learner	Socio-economicStatus	Ethnicity	Gender	IEP/504	Academic Level of Functioning for Reading	Academic Level of Functioning for Writing	Academic Level of functioning for Speaking Skills	Level of ParentalInvolvement	Previous Educational Experience
Arturo	Yes	Low SES	Hispanic	Male	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	No Preschool or Kinder
Bertie	No	Low SES	Asian	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Low	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Beryl	No	Mid SES	White	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Brandie	No	Low SES	White	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Low	No Preschool or Kinder
Dessie	No	Mid SES	White	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Diana	Yes	Low SES	White	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Low	No Preschool or Kinder
Donnie	No	Mid SES	African American	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Eduardo	Yes	Low SES	Hispanic	Male	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Low	No Preschool or Kinder
Emma	No	Mid SES	White	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Low	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Enrique	No	Low SES	Hispanic	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Low	No Preschool or Kinder
Fatma	Yes	Low SES	White	Female	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Low	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Frances	No	Mid SES	White	Female	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Francesca	No	Low SES	White	Female	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Below grade level	High	No Preschool or Kinder
Fredrick	No	Low SES	White	Male	Traumatic Brain Injury	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade Level	Very High	No Preschool or Kinder
Ines	No	Low SES	Hispanic	Female	ASD	Below grade level	One Year below grade level	Mostly nonverbal and simple words and phrases	Low	No Preschool or Kinder
Jade	No	Mid SES	African American	Female	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	High	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Kent	No	High SES	White	Male	Emotion-ally Disabled	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Larry	No	Mid SES	Native American/Pacific Islander	Male	No	Below Grade Level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Martin	No	Mid SES	Hispanic	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Some articulation errors	Low	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Mason	No	Low SES	White	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Nick	No	Low SES	White	Male	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	No Preschool or Kinder
Noah	No	Low SES	White	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Charles	No	Mid SES	White	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Med	No Preschool or Kinder
Steve	No	Mid SES	White	Male	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Stuart	No	Mid SES	White	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Below grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Terrence	No	Mid SES	White	Male	No	Grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Wade	No	Mid SES	White	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Wayne	No	High SES	White	Male	Intellectually Disabled	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Mostly nonverbal	High	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Wendell	No	Mid SES	African American	Male	Learning Disabled	Slightly below grade level	Grade level	Grade level	Med	Yes Preschool and Kinder
Yung	No	Mid SES	Asian	Male	No	Below grade level	One year below grade level	Grade level	Low	Yes Preschool and Kinder

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), 6th ed. Fall scores and level of support at the beginning of first grade

Student Name	Letter Name Fluency	Nonsense Word Fluency- Correct Letter sounds	Nonsense Word Fluency Word Recoded Correctly	Word Use Fluency
Arturo	38/Core	3/Core	3/Core	27/Core
Bertie	40/Core	5/Core	5/Core	29/Core
Beryl	39/Core	6/Core	7/Core	32/Core
Brandie	37/Core	4/Core	4/Core	26/Core
Dessie	38/Core	5/Core	5/Core	25/Core
Diana	37/Core	6/Core	6/Core	28/Core
Donnie	40/Core	7/Core	7/Core	30/Core
Eduardo	35/Core	3/Core	3/Core	25/Core
Emma	36/Core	4/Core	5/Core	27/Core
Enrique	33/Strategic	19/Strategic	1/Strategic	14/Strategic
Fatma	34/Strategic	21/Strategic	1/Strategic	13/Intensive
Frances	33/Strategic	18/Intensive	0/Intensive	14/Strategic
Francesca	35/Strategic	21/Strategic	1/Strategic	15/Strategic
Fredrick	32/Strategic	20/Strategic	1/Strategic	16/Strategic
Ines	33/Strategic	15/Intensive	0/Intensive	1/Intensive
Jade	40/Core	28/Core	2/Core	29/Core
Kent	39/Core	27/Core	2/Core	29/Core
Larry	39/Core	19/Strategic	1.Strategic	14/Strategic
Martin	34/Strategic	20/Strategic	1/Strategic	17/Strategic
Mason	33/Strategic	22/Strategic	1/Strategic	18/Strategic
Nick	40/Core	4/Core	5/Core	30/Core
Noah	32/Strategic	20/Strategic	1/Strategic	15/Strategic
Charles	34/Strategic	19/Strategic	1Strategic	18.Strategic
Steve	38/Core	27/Core	2/Core	28/Core
Stuart	35/Strategic	20/Strategic	1/Strategic	14/Strategic
Terrence	40/Core	29/Core	2/Core	29/Core
Wade	32/Strategic	24/Strategic	2/Core	19/Strategic
Wayne	5/Intensive	2/Intensive	0/Intensive	3/Intensive
Wendell	30/Strategic	18/Intensive	1/Strategic	33/Strategic
Yung	32/Strategic	22/Strategic	1/Strategic	33/Strategic

6. Identify a local resource center and how it could be beneficial to a child with special needs, as well as to his or her family.  Based on the information that you gathered, what do you consider to be the most valuable service offered through the center? Please explain your reasoning.

7. After reading “Emerging Literacy through Assistive Technology’” reflect on the importance of pictures and picture schedules for children who are non-verbal or limited in their speech.  Describe how picture schedules can be used at school.  Discuss other settings to which this skill can be transferred.

8. Special education services are funded through different sources and agencies. Describe services available for children in three different age groups:  Birth-3, 3-5, and 5-8. Which age group has the most access to services and discuss why you think it is that way.

Oral language forms the foundation of reading comprehension and affects our understanding of the symbol systems that are used for reading and writing. Teachers have opportunities to promote reading and writing through various activities that involve oral language such as group activities that engage students in conversations about what they read and write.

Review the following case study to inform the assignment below:

Student: Raymond

Age: 6.1

Grade: K

Raymond is having difficulty mastering basic reading skills and his teacher is concerned. Most of the students are able to rhyme CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. However, Raymond is having difficulty identifying rhyming words. He can match all upper and lower case letters and can identify all upper case letters. Raymond has trouble with lower case letters, he mixes up /b/ and /d/, /g/ and /j/, /m/ and /n/, and /p/ and /q/.

His teacher is also concerned about Raymond’s comprehension skills. He enjoys listening to stories and is able to identify the characters and setting of the story. He is able to identify what happened at the beginning and at the end of the story, but has difficulty sequencing the middle of a story.

His teacher has spoken with his parents about the possible need for additional support and his parents have agreed to help at home with any activity the teacher sends home. The following are goals for Raymond to achieve:

· Given a list of CVC words, Raymond will match the rhyming words.

· Given a CVC word, Raymond will produce rhyming words.

· Identify lower case letters.

· After listening to a story, Raymond will identify the main ideas.

· After listening to a story, Raymond will sequence three or four events.

Case scenario used with permission from The Iris Center.

http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf_case_studies/ics_earrd.pdf

In a 500-750 word essay, describe the effect of oral language on decoding, reading comprehension, and written expression.  In addition, describe communicative strategies that teachers can use to improve Raymond’s reading and written expression skills. Your essay should include:

· A discussion with examples about how oral language affects decoding, reading comprehension, and written expression.

· Describe at least two communicative strategies that can be used to develop Raymond’s reading skills. Explain how these strategies improve decoding and comprehension.

· Describe at least two communicative strategies that can be used to develop Raymond’s written expression skills. Explain how these strategies improve the quality of writing samples.

· At least two examples of assistive technology that could be used to support the development of Raymond’s reading and writing skills.

Include at least three scholarly sources to support your essay.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

9. the years, there has been much discussion about the best order in which to introduce young children to letters and letter sounds. What do you feel is the best order in which to introduce letters in the classroom and why?

10. How can environmental print be used to build pre-reading skills?  Give an example of an environmental print and your proposed plan to use it.