Literacy for Visual Learners

Teaching Children with Learning Differences to Read, Write, Communicate and Create

Adele Devine, Quentin Devine

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781849055987
• eBook ISBN: 9781784500542
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Inclusive Education

This book takes a fresh look at approaches to teaching reading, writing and communication skills. It presents a wealth of innovative ideas specifically designed to support visual learners, including those with autism spectrum conditions and special educational needs.

Some children are more responsive to visual stimulation than spoken words, and this book shows how to engage these children in literacy lessons by using strategies that cover everything from the latest assistive technology to getting creative on a limited budget. There are tips for sharing stories with children who find it hard to sit still, supporting reluctant writers, enabling the pre-verbal child to answer questions and helping the child who never stops talking to develop listening skills. The strategies are supported by practical resources, examples and case studies, to show how to instil in children the confidence to create and share their thoughts.

This is a must-have resource for special education teachers and coordinators, as well as speech and language therapists, looking for new strategies for teaching literacy.

Table of contents

• Literacy for Visual Learners
• Acknowledgements
• List of Downloadable Resources
• Introduction: A Fairy Tale
• Chapter 1. Visual Learners are in Every Classroom: Preventing a Learning Difference From Becoming a Learning Difficulty
• Chapter 2. Learning Differences and Disabilities: Autism Spectrum Conditions, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, Downs Syndrome, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy and Physical Disabilities Affecting Communication
• Chapter 3. Gifted Visual Learners: Past and Present
• Chapter 4. Visual Teachers: Past and Present
• Chapter 5. First Impressions! How We Introduce Literacy Can Help Develop a Positive Attitude to Learning
• Chapter 6. Motivation to Learn: Finding Out What Motivates the Individual Child Can Be the Key to Engaging Them to Want to Learn
• Chapter 7. Teaching Writing Right: Setting Them Up to Succeed, By Stepping Learning to Meet Individual Needs – Sandpaper Letters, Stamps and Pencil Grips
• Chapter 8. What’s in a Name? How Names and Labels Give Reading and Writing a Purpose
• Chapter 9. Reading: Practical Strategies Including Teaching Children Who Do Not ‘Get’ Phonics
• Chapter 10. Teaching a Child to Read High Frequency Words: A Structured Approach
• Chapter 11. Visuals for Communication: An Introduction to the Picture Exchange Communication System and Going Beyond ‘I Want…’
• Chapter 12. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Switches, Buttons, Android, Eye Gaze and iPad Apps
• Chapter 13. Actions Speak Louder! Gaining Attention, Adding Meaning and Improving Communication Through Facial Expressions, Signing and Movement
• Chapter 14. Listening and Gaining Attention: Becoming a Good Listener, Tutorials, Intensive Interaction and Attention Autism
• Chapter 15. Functional Communication: Within School and Out and About
• Chapter 16. Organization, Order and Visual Structure: Functional Communication: Symbols, Schedules, Tick Lists, 'To do' Lists, Diaries, Calendars, Wall Charts and TEACCH
• Chapter 17. SEN Assist: Teaching Literacy Through the Class Computer
• Chapter 18. Dance, Drama and a Sprinkle of Shakespeare: Sparking Creativity and Bringing Stories to Life Using Costume, Masks, Puppets and Props
• Chapter 19. Look Here! They Can! Believing in Futures
• Chapter 20. Happy Endings
• References
• List of Useful Websites
• Index
• Blank Page