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Project Update

August 2005

Identifying Needs

Four surveys have been completed for assessment purposes:

1. Environment/Opportunity Checklist
   This survey tells us what resources and opportunities exist in the classroom.


2. Team Needs Survey
   This survey tells us what teachers, educational assistants and clinicians want in terms of information, skills and resources.


3. Parent Needs Survey
   This survey tells us what parents want in terms of information, skills and resources.


4. Student Observation Form
   This survey tells us what students are currently doing in terms of their literacy development.

These forms are posted on our website in the Resources area.

Resource Development

We have acquired and/or made a number of resources accessible for students with physical and/or communication disabilities. This has involved the creation of story book kits. The kits include the story in hard copy and electronic formats with supports for students who are unable to speak and for those who have physical disabilities. The kits also include accessible drawing and writing activities. These adaptations facilitate page turning, pointing to pictures and words, and drawing and writing. Adapted resources for students who are unable to speak include communication displays and voice output devices for participating in story retelling and in conversations about stories.

While we are not able to post the electronic stories for copyright reasons, we the activities that support the story from each of the kits will be posted in September 2005.

Software and hardware donated by Bridges-Canada, one of our project partners, has supported the creation and use of these resources.

Lending Library

A lending library has been established for parents, so that they can support the literacy development of their children at home and reinforce the efforts of the staff at school.

Training

Training sessions were held in November and January for parents and staff on creation and adaptation of early literacy resources.

In April 2005 a workshop was held for early literacy professionals in the Kitchener Waterloo area. See more detail about this workshop posted in the Workshop area of our web site.

In May 2005 a workshop was held as part of the Ontario Division of Physical and Health Disabilities Symposium, a division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

In October 2005 the resources developed through this project will be posted on the resources page of the web site.

The Early Literacy Project ends on November 1, 2005.