A, B, C, …
Did you start to sing the Jackson Five Song, or the Alphabet Song that is sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?
Thinking about the alphabet probably invoked a variety of memories, because all of us, regardless of language, have an experience with learning the written or visual representations of oral or signed language.
The relationship between reading, writing, and communication is complex and interwoven. Reading only has value when you understand the written messages being communicated. If you don’t, then reading is a phonics exercise, and lacks purpose; kind of like the song John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.
When we think about learning to read, we often begin with the alphabet, yet for most of us, we interacted with literature long before we focused on the letters. We heard stories, looked at books, and saw shows or videos with words highlighted for songs and stories. Children with verbal speech also played with sounds, typically called babbling. This verbal play grew into songs like (I Like to Eat) Apples and Bananas and the Name Game, both songs that encourage the singer to exchange sounds and create new, nonsense words.
All of these activities support literacy.
Literacy is complex and involves the integration of a variety of skills at the same time. Many students progress in class, becoming fluent readers as they learn new skills and about the English language. But for some students, we need to provide focused, targeted skills instruction.
Scarborough’s Literacy Rope is a useful analogy for reading. It visually shows how the skills develop simultaneously while also demonstrating that students can develop a “rope” even if a strand is slower to develop and weave into their skills. This is important for planning instruction, but also for IEP development and planning a student’s day.
Students who have not become independent readers can benefit from instruction that provides them access to literature or text and conversations with peers. Maybe they listen to the text instead or read it. Or maybe they read the graphic novel version of the text instead. Simultaneously, they may have a time in the day when a special education teacher or literacy coach works with them on phonics and decoding. The combination helps the student develop a rope that is strong and will carry them into their chosen career.
When we look at literacy as a messy process with multiple pathways and ways to weave together a rope, we open the possibilities for students with disabilities. They might not be proficient according to grade level standards, but they are weaving together the skills and becoming increasingly literate. The timeline may be different, but it doesn’t make their learning any less important.
As we enter October, we will look at the various threads on Scarborough’s Literacy Rope and what that could look like for a student with a significant cognitive disability.