Charting the Cs logo with black and blue text Unlocking Potential Charting the Cs Conference 2025: To Literacy and Beyond Cooperation Communication Collaboration April 28, 2025 The Life - Changing Impact of Comprehensive Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities Mateo Moreno & Tina Moreno, M.A. CCC-SLP, ATP Mom & Speech-Language Pathologist Tina Moreno, M.A. CCC - SLP, ATP §Serves UCP Cleveland Leaf Bridge Education Program §Co - founder of Camp ALEC §Assistive Technology Professional through RESNA §VP, People Who Use AAC and Their Families, USSAAC §Member of ASHA and SIG 12 §Mom to Mateo The Expert §Mateo Moreno, Presenter & AAC User §AAC user since the age of 4 §Dietary aide at nursing home §National presenter on AAC, disability & inclusion §Visits school classrooms to teach children about AAC §Mentor, AAC camps §Ambassador, PRC - Saltillo §Loves Disney, MLB baseball, trains and Don Bluth movies Young man with a beard and mustache, smiling broadly, wearing glasses and a blue sweater, holding a speech generating device Why I use AAC §Born with childhood apraxia of speech and dysarthria §Speech is hard for others to understand §Have a lot to say §First device at 4 years old Dynavox MT4 speech generating device Grinning young boy dressed in a suit, seated on a step My communication system now §Saltillo Novachat 8 with Wordpower 108 §Mostly use spelling and word prediction §iPhone with Assistive Express app §Multimodal communicator Screen of Assistive Express communication app on a phone. Young boy gesturing thumbs down sitting beside a man gesturing thumbs up Screen shot of Picture Wordpower 108 communication program on a Saltillo NovaChat 8 speech generating device. My work experience §Current: work at nursing home §Presenter §Camp mentor, Talking with Technology Camp and Camp ALEC §AAC family night §AAC learning modules §Visit School classrooms §PRC-Saltillo Ambassador A man in a purple shirt holding a speech generating device in a school classroom A young man standing in front of a slide presentation in front of a college class A young many standing in front of a conference poster presentation while talking to a small crowd of people Getting a little more personal §Hobbies and interests §Likes and dislikes §Dreams and future goals §A born extrovert Family of four seated outdoors at a restaurant table with a city view behind them. A young man wearing a hat and glasses with desert mountains in background A young man standing on a basketball court with a crowd of people in the background Mateo sings the National Anthem at Ohio State Mateo sings the National Anthem at Ohio State - video Play video: Mateo sings the National Anthem at Ohio State What about you? §Answer anyway you like •Nod yes / no •Sign yes / no •Thumbs up / down §Do you like rides at theme parks? §Do you like brussels sprouts? §Do you like baseball? §Do you have hopes and dreams for your future? What is communication? §Everyone is a multimodal communicator §All communication is valuable §Individuals get to be in charge of what they say and how they say it §AAC does not come naturally §Reading and writing are essential forms of communication! A group of colorful speech bubbles Why is literacy so critical for me? Graphic respresenting check writing Practical Like writing checks, checking ingredients, reading recipes Graphic representing an open book Leisure Reading about my favorite topics, playing video games Graphic representing social media Connections Writing allows me to stay connected with my family and friends Graphic of a briefcase representing work Employment Writing allows me to stay connected with my family and friends Graphic of letters A, B and C representing the alphabet and spelling Communication Spelling lets me say anything, including words not on my AAC Literacy & the practical stuff Graphic representing check writing Writing checks, checking ingredients in food items to make sure they won’t make me sick, and following recipes. Close-up photo of hand writing a check Literacy & leisure Graphic of an open book representing reading Searching for and learning more about my favorite topics (like Disney, trains, animators and baseball), reading books and playing video games. Looking for a restaurant to stop at on a road trip and searching for cool places to visit while on vacation. Photo of young girl wearing glasses seated in front of a window reading a book Literacy & connections Graphic representing social media Reading and writing allows me to stay connected with my friends and family through texts and social media. It’s how I keep up with people I care about and how I reach out when I need support. Close-up photo of hand scrolling on cell phone. Literacy & employment Graphic of a briefcase representing work Searching for, applying to and preparing for jobs. Keeping up with required trainings and quizzes. In the nursing home, taking meal orders. Responding to emails about possible speaking engagements and working on slide decks. Photo of dining hall with elderly men and women seated at tables. Literacy & communication Graphic of letters A, B and C representing the alphabet and spelling Spelling lets me say anything I want to say, including words that are not on my AAC device. Adults will never know what a child might want to say, or when they might meet a new friendwhose name is not programmed on their device. No one can predict the future and no one is a mind reader. Photo of young man with a mustache, beard and glasses seated at a table using a communication device. Life without literacy is unimaginable Loneliness Unemployment & Boredom Safety Risks Finally, why NOT literacy? Why would some students be entitled to learn to read and write and not others? Why don’t we presume everyone should and can learn to read and write? Why are we still talking about the why? Enough about why! How do we teach literacy to learners with significant disabilities? Oral & written language development Expressive Language/Speaking Reading Writing Receptive Language/Listening (Koppenhaver, Coleman, Kalman & Yoder, 1991 adapted from Teale & Sulzby, 1989) Providing the right instruction for learners is critical Providing instruction that is too hard, or too easy, is not effective. It may cause learners to become bored or discouraged, prompting them to believe they’re not capable or dampening their love of learning. First, decide if the learner is emergent or conventional in their understandings of literacy. Where is the learner on the literacy continuum? Emergent §Describe the reading and writing experiences of young children before they learn to write and read conventionally §Begins at birth, regardless of whether or not a child has a disability §Working to understand the functions of print and print conventions §Examples: interpreting a story through pictures rather than through text, manipulating books in nonconventional ways, scribbling Conventional §Reading and writing that follow the form, content, and use of standard conventions §Built on discoveries and understandings made during the emergent literacy phase of development §To produce and understand conventional literacy an individual must develop phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension of connected text (National Reading Panel) §Working toward constructing messages that can be accurately interpreted by other conventional readers Ask 4 questions / Does the learner…? Graphic of letters A, B and C representing the alphabet and spelling Know most of the letters most of the time? Graphic of an open book representing reading Engage actively during shared reading? Graphic of a speech bubble representing communication Have a means of communication and interaction? Graphic of a hand holding a pencil to write Understand that writing involves letters and words? Does the learner…? Empty check box Know most of the letters most of the time? Close with solid fill Engage actively during shared reading? Empty check box Have a means of communication and interaction? Empty check box Understand that writing involves letters and words? Emergent (if the answer is no to ANY question) A checked box Know most of the letters most of the time? A checked box Engage actively during shared reading? A checked box Have a means of communication and interaction? A checked box Understand that writing involves letters and words? Conventional (if the answers are yes to ALL questions) Instructional routines for emergent learners 1.Shared reading 2.Predictable chart writing 3.Alphabet and phonological awareness 4.Independent writing 5.Self - directed reading 6.Symbolic communication (with few exceptions) Instructional routines for conventional learners 1.Guided reading (text comprehension) 2.Vocabulary 3.Self - directed reading 4.Phonemic awareness/Phonics/Spelling 5.Writing Goals of shared reading vs. guided reading Shared reading Emergent §Encourage interaction §Support communication §Attribute meaning to text §Allow learners to lead interaction §Cultivate enjoyment of reading §Engage learners §Demonstrate connection between language and print Guided reading Conventional §Actively engage in text §Think critically about text §Apply background knowledge §Make personal connections to text §Read for set purposes §Process text in entirety An example: The Three Little Pigs Photo of three young pigs in straw Shared Reading [Emergent] Follow the Car [Comment –Ask –Respond] §COMMENT §STOP and wait 10 - 15 seconds (or much more!) §ASK for or invite participation §STOP and wait 10 - 15 seconds (or much more!) §RESPOND by repeating and adding more Example GOOD pigs [child points to pig] Yes, YOU SEE pig I SEE THREE pigs too I LIKE pigs [child reaches to turn page] Let’s read MORE Engagement, Interaction & Communication Guided Reading [Conventional] Anchor -Read -Apply §ANCHOR •Activate or teach background knowledge •Determine purpose for reading §READ (OR LISTEN) •Read entire text, without pausing •Takes most time §APPLY •Complete brief activity directly related to purpose for reading •Confirm responses Example ANCHOR Purpose: Sequence events of story Activity: Sequence events of school day READ (OR LISTEN) APPLY Activity: Sequence the actions of the wolf Return to story to confirm Critical thinking All means all All individuals, regardless of disability, can learn to read and write with comprehensive instruction. All individuals have a right to learn to communicate, read and write. All means all. Tools for deeper exploration Comprehensive Literacy for AllComprehensive Literacy for All Easy to read for parents, educators, teachers and administrators! Available in print and as e - book. Tar Heel Shared ReaderTar Heel Shared Reader Professional development, materials, and technology that support the implementation of shared reading for learners who do not read connected text with comprehension above a 2nd grade level. No cost. Cursor with solid fill Cursor with solid fill Project-CoreProject-Core Cursor with solid fill Professional development, materials and resources that support emergent communicators and literacy learners. Includes core vocabulary boards that may be used for children who do not yet have access to robust AAC. No cost. DLM Professional DevelopmentDLM Professional Development Cursor with solid fill Professional learning modules about instructional strategies for both emergent and conventional literacy learners. Includes shared reading, guided reading approaches (such as Anchor - Read - Apply), writing with alternative pencils and predictable chart writing. No cost. Camp ALECCamp ALEC Cursor with solid fill Camp ALEC is a week - long, independent summer camp experience for conventional literacy learners ages 8 - 21 who use AAC with an emphasis on literacy. This AAC and literacy camp also provides advanced, hands - on training to educators. Camp ALEC offers workshops open to anyone seeking evidence - based strategies. Building BridgesBuilding Bridges Cursor with solid fill A collection of training and support resources for teachers and related professionals with new resources and supports posted as they are developed and evaluated. Check back periodically for updates. No cost. More tools for deeper exploration Project VCProject VC Cursor with solid fill Supports teams in their efforts to provide this instruction through a series of professional development, formative assessment, and implementation supports designed to track and improve literacy outcomes for all students. No cost. Be the one to provide life-changing comprehensive literacy instruction! Thank you! Questions? MATEO MORENO mateomorenoaac@gmail.com www.ussaac.speaker.org @mateomorenoaac TINA MORENO voices4all.tina@gmail.com @tmorenoslp Middle-aged woman with glasses and orange sweater hugging tall young man with glasses, beard and mustache, and colorful short-sleeved shirt. Both are smiling broadly.