Engaging Learners

and Supporting Literacy

using Visual Symbols

High Impact Literacy Practices

2012

Kimberly Kode Sutton, Ph.D.

This session will explore

the various ways that teachers can

use Boardmaker

software to strengthen their literacy

programs and better engage

struggling learners.

What is Boardmaker? Commercial software that combines printed

text with visual supports. Visual Supports are things that we can see

that enhance the communication process. Body Movement Environmental Cues Written Words Pictures and Symbols

Visual Supports serve as way to

make language and literacy “visible.”

What is Boardmaker?

Who are these Struggling Learners?

English Language Learners Children with Disabilities

Learning Disabled Intellectually Impaired Pervasive Developmentally Disordered Communication Disordered

Emergent and Early Readers

English Language Learners Fastest growing subgroup of students in the

United States Student subgroup with the highest dropout

rate and lowest achievement scores

Predicted that half of the United States’ K-12 population will speak a language other than English on their first day of school by the year 2002

McCardle, Mele-Mccarthy, Cutting, & D’Emilio, 2005

Eubanks, 2002

Children with Disabilities Approximately 11% of the population ages 6-

17 is identified as having a disability In a typical classroom of 30 students, there

may be 3 students with disabilities Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is often

the regular education classroom

U.S. Department of Education, 2007

Emergent and Early Readers At the beginning of their literacy development

Could be ELL Could have an identified disability Could have an undiagnosed disability Could be an at-risk learner Could ???

Many of These Students Need Help With…

Phonemic Awareness Alphabetic Principle Fluency Comprehension Print Conventions Concepts of Word Vocabulary Development Narrative Concepts

How Can Boardmaker Help? Can pair words with pictures

From embedded visual supports From personal photo library

Can read print Computer-generated Human voice

Can adjust font size, style, and colorBoardmaker can provide

an age-appropriate, nonthreatening approach to literacy instruction and activities.

What Can You Make? Picture Exchange

Communication (PECS) Communication Boards Classroom

Organization Behavior Picture-Letter Matching Picture-Word Matching Sequencing Sorting

Visual Word Walls Personal Dictionaries Vocabulary Focus Wordless Books Repetitive Phrase

Stories Adapted Books Repeated Readings Personalized Stories

Picture Exchange System (PECS)

Communication Boards

Classroom Organization

Behavior

Picture-Letter Matching

Picture-Word Matching

Sequencing

Sorting

Visual Word Walls

Personal Dictionary

Vocabulary Focus

Repetitive Phrase Stories

Wordless Books

Adapted Books

Adapted Books

Personalized Books

Let’s Get Started!1. Click on the Boardmaker Plus icon2. Open a Template3. Let’s look at the provided templates4. Open BM Calendar…

www.Boardmakershare.com Search for Activities

Type of activity (which Boardmaker version) Grade level Curriculum/subject

Can view on any computer Cannot download/use unless computer has

Boardmaker software Create an account to download activities or

create groups

One More Thing…