1. Transition for teachers of students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Aligning Instruction to Standards
Karen Erickson, Ph.D.
Center for Literacy & Disability Studies
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2. Transitioning from an emphasis on ACCESS to an emphasis on LEARNING

3. History of Reductionist Approaches
“reductionist interventions” (Katims,2000, p. 4)
Are sequenced and hierarchical
Employ drill and practice to train
Focus on skills such as:
letter names and sounds,
word decoding,
sight words, and
filling out written forms
(Joseph & Seery, 2004;Zascavage & Keefe, 2004)

4. How is this reflected in the Survey?
Emphasis on “redunctionist” skills:
Phonemic awareness
Phonics
Vocabulary
Emphasis on “redunctionist” approaches:
Attention
Memorize/recall

5. Reductionist View Emergent View
Literacy is learned through interaction with and exposure to all aspects of literacy (i.e. listening, speaking, reading, and writing)
Literacy is learned in a predetermined, sequential manner that is linear, additive, and unitary
Literacy learning is school-based
Literacy is a process that begins at birth and perhaps before
Literacy learning requires mastery of certain pre-requisite skills
Literacy abilities/skills develop concurrently and interrelatedly
Some children will never learn to read
All children can learn to use print meaningfully

6. Expressive Communication (speaking)
Reading
Receptive
Communication
(listening)
Writing
Oral and Written Language Development
( Koppenhaver, Coleman, Kalman & Yoder, 1991
adapted from Teale & Sulzby, 1989)

7. Expressive Communication (speaking)
Language
Expressive Communication (speaking)
Reading
Receptive
Communication
(listening)
Writing
Oral and Written Language Development
( Koppenhaver, Coleman, Kalman & Yoder, 1991
adapted from Teale & Sulzby, 1989)

8. The Common Core State Standards require us to emphasize:
Learning that builds over time.
Application of knowledge and skills.
Active participation and interaction during learning activities.
Collaboration and communication.
Ongoing comprehensive instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

9. What might it look like?

10. Corey will identify 50 sight words with 80% accuracy on 4 out of 5 days.

11. Working collaboratively with Henry

12. Cate will identify the main character in a story with 80% accuracy on 4 out of 5 days.

13. Constructing Understandings

14. Instructional Transitions for Teachers of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Transition 1: From mastery of skills in sequence to application of knowledge and skills.
Transition 2: From independent work to active participation, interaction, collaboration and communication.
Transition 3: From accessing pieces of the standards to comprehensive instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.