A Multi-Sensory Approachto Literacy: a Partnership Between Connections and Delrey SchoolSARA K. KEMPLER, M.ED.

APRIL 2015

“Converting” the Classroom: a Collaborative Effort

Connections – Sandy 2008, Sandy came out and assessed a student’s vision Continued discussions with Sandy had me considering that many

of our students demonstrated characteristics of CVI We started a list of students, Sandy did some assessments, and

two staff members were trained to do CVI Range

Connections – Donna 2013, Delrey School and Connections formed a partnership

Donna and I consulted to transform my classroom into a demonstration multi-sensory classroom

Consulted on a regular basis to foster the partnership

Increased staff understanding of a multi-sensory approach

“Converting” the Classroom: a Collaborative Effort

Consultants Paula Hamilton and Jen Keenan Literacy and Common Core – how to create materials that are

accessible to the students, yet still address content, literacy, and the Common Core standards

Helped increase classroom staff involvement

Classroom Staff Buy-in is vital Staff works as a team to plan units, centers, and make

materials

Who are my Students? Visual Impairment – Primarily CVI

Must consider the characteristics of CVI

Color

Complexity

Movement

Light

Latency

Threat and Touch Visual Reflexes

Novelty

Field Preferences

Visual-Motor

Currently I have no students with strict Ocular VI, but previously we used Braille exposure as well

Who are my Students?

Orthopedic Impairments

Hearing Impairments

Medically Fragile

Sensory Processing issues (in addition to vision)

Sleep Issues

Seizure Disorders

What accommodations do they need?

Highlighted text

Simple Backgrounds

What accommodations do they need?

Lamps, Light Boxes, Lighted Materials

Time – Wait, Wait, Wait….

What accommodations do they need?

Familiar Materials – use the same materials each day

Movement or properties of movement

Staff attention to students’ difficulty in

using their hands and eyes together

Staff attention to Field Preferences

What accommodations do they need?

What was different for my classroom?

Typically Developing Daycare students included in class time Had to consider the needs of ALL

More students to address

Processing Difficulties I found that having textured vocabulary cards, textured books, and

props to accompany the book was too much for my students to process – they would tune it out and start refusing to touch things

Therapies are increasingly integrated into classroom – but we still have pull-out therapies as well (working to change that!)

Classroom Layout – need immense amounts of space

What I’ve Learned Literacy is not just reading and writing

Focus on symbols, language, pictures, anticipation, two-way communication, and deeper understanding of concepts

What I’ve Learned

Making choices and predictions are important parts of self-expression, communication, and literacy

What I’ve Learned

Enriching the students’ experiences during the process of reading is part of literacy

What I’ve Learned Classroom Centers are a fantastic way to add depth and

additional content areas to the classroom (e.g. Social Studies, Science)

Pocket Charts with Common Core “I Can” statements can help focus the centers’ learning objectives – these standards do not necessarily change each week, as the centers do

What I’ve Learned

Getting buy-in from the other staff – especially the classroom staff – is vital to success

What I’ve Learned

It’s a process – takes time, can’t make all changes at once

Sometimes reality steps in and interferes with what I want to accomplish – or how I want to accomplish it – must be flexible!

Classroom Centers – Math

Classroom Centers – Language Arts

Classroom Centers - Science

Classroom Centers - Vision