Press Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Valerie Chernek
410-871-2670
vchernek@donjohnston.com
New Reading Curriculum for Students with Significant Disabilities: MEville to WEville with Start-to-Finish® Literacy Starters
MEville to WEville with Start-to-Finish ® Literacy Starters is a 'first
of its kind' reading curriculum to support students with moderate to
severe/profound intellectual disabilities.
February 25, 2008—Volo, Illinois and Roseville, Minnesota—
Don Johnston Incorporated, AbleNet and Dr. Karen Erickson, Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, announced a 'first of its kind' reading curriculum to support students with moderate to severe/profound intellectual disabilities at the 2008 Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference in Orlando, Florida.
The MEville to WEville with Literacy Starters Program is a collaborative research-proven, multi-year literacy program to provide support and guidance to special education teachers. The program combines AbleNet's early learning MEville to WEville literacy curriculum with Don Johnston's emerging literacy content to support older beginning readers.
AbleNet's CEO, Jen Thalhuber said, "This collaborative effort has helped us create a research-proven literacy curriculum that matures right along with the special education students for whom it was developed. We are confident this program will help each student reach their individual level of achievement."
MEville to WEville with Literacy Starters systematically integrates reading, writing, speaking, augmentative communicating and listening skills into lessons and activities designed to foster a classroom community. The program promotes a sense of belonging among students by offering new and different perspectives on themselves, their families and their school. It is the brainchild of Dr. Karen Erickson, who aptly nicknamed the research initiative "Project Converge" to denote the partnership between the three organizations.
Dr. Erickson states, "The program originated based on the belief that students with significant disabilities can and deserve the opportunity to develop generalizable literacy skills that can be applied in novel contexts on assessments and in every day life. The curriculum provides the type of scaffolding necessary for students to achieve this goal."
Available for purchase from Don Johnston in Spring 2008, the complete program costs $875 with volume discounts available.
A standard package includes the MEville to WEville and Extending MEville to WEville curricula paired with Start-to-Finish Literacy Starters paperback and switch accessible computer books.
The package has three units for K-2 students covering ME, My Family and My School. EACH of the three lesson sets includes:
- A 300 page spiral bound manual in full color
- 75 lessons and 60 extension activities covering word identification, comprehension, vocabulary and word walls, writing, creating books, art projects, games, brainstorming and relationship building
- Action dictionary: A differentiated instruction guide
- Assistive Technology Guide
- Reproducible activities created with BoardMaker® Symbols
- Data collection tools for student progress monitoring
The
Extending MEville to WEville component extends the curriculum, making it appropriate for beginning readers in grades 3-5. This set includes:
- 135 lessons to address word study, comprehension, and writing
- 9 paperback books
- 9 computer books on 3 CDs
- 3 vocabulary cards
- 3 teacher materials CDs
The concept of blending AbleNet's MEville to WEville with Don Johnston's Start-to-Finish Literacy Starters paperback, computer and audio books began as a cooperative research initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Special Education 'Steppingstones of Technology Innovation' grant. Dr. Erickson's objective was to extend the MEville to WEville curriculum for the benefit of older students with significant disabilities who are reading at a beginning level.
The study included 46 students between the ages 8 to 14, all with moderate to severe/profound intellectual impairments. Dr. Erickson's research showed that the MEville to WEville with Literacy Starters Program had a significant positive impact of the literacy outcomes of the students. And most importantly, the test results showed that students were able to generalize their skills!
Students improved generalized development in reading and writing skills
by an average of 40% (Cohen's d=.44) after completing 40
instructor- delivered lessons.
View Dr. Karen Erickson's study
* * *
About Don Johnston
Don Johnston Incorporated empowers educators with supplemental instruction and intervention solutions to help struggling learners build core literacy skills with confidence. Don Johnston has partnered with literacy experts, psychologists, teachers, researchers and scientists since 1980 to develop over a dozen educational technology products. The company also publishes Start-to-Finish, a collection of paperback, audio and computer books to engage struggling readers. For information visit www.donjohnston.com or call 1-800-999-4660.
About AbleNet
AbleNet Inc. is recognized for developing research-based special education curricula that meet state and federal mandates for educating students with mild, moderate or severe/profound physical and cognitive disabilities. The company offers a complete line of assistive technology products, including communication aids for non-verbal students; access aids, such as switches and wheelchair mounting devices for students who require physical supports; and classroom tools that can be used by individual students or during group activities. For information visit www.ablenetinc.com or call 1-800-322-0956.
About Dr. Karen Erickson
Dr. Erickson is the Director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She holds a Ph.D. in Special Education and Literacy Studies from UNC and is a former teacher of children with significant disabilities. Knowledgeable in literacy, assistive and instructional technologies, augmentative communication, and the learning characteristics of children with significant disabilities, she is in great demand as a presenter, consultant, and program developer. Her assessment and intervention strategies are described in numerous journal articles and book chapters. For more information visit www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds.
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Don Johnston Incorporated
26799 W. Commerce Dr.
Volo, IL 60073
www.donjohnston.com
800.999.4660
