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Decorative
Literacy for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss

Strategy 2: Establish reading and writing procedures that follow a prescribed sequence

What to Do

  • Establish the purpose of the activity and determine key vocabulary and concepts to be taught
  • Identify yourself as you begin the activity
  • Cue the child that you are going to read or write
  • Let the child help locate and gather materials needed to do the activity
  • Go to the location where you will perform the activity
  • Establish joint attention to involve the student in the text or activity
  • Systematically present each item involved in the activity and give the child time to explore as interest is shown (may want to use hand-under-hand initially)
  • Complete each step of the activity with the child, closely observing if/when to provide assistance/guidance
  • Highlight vocabulary/concepts throughout all interactions within the activity
  • Indicate "finished" as the activity is completed
  • Let child help put the materials back where they got them indicating "finished" again
  • Duplicate this sequence for all reading and writing activities (e.g. sharing experience books, making a grocery list, taking attendance, reading daily schedule, writing in a journal)

Things to Consider

  • Have you identified key vocabulary/concepts you want the child to get out of the activity?
  • Are you bombarding the child with too much "verbage"?
  • Are you slowing the pace to give the child time to explore?
  • Are you watching for signs that the child is anticipating next steps in the activity?
  • Are you using the same sequence every time you read or write with the child?

 

Always Ask Yourself