Course 1: Creating a Culture of Inclusion

Module 6: Connecting Students with Complex Needs to Literacy in the B.C. Curriculum

Strategies for Middle and Secondary Students

Most strategies for elementary students also apply to secondary students who are at an emergent literacy level. When planning for middle and secondary school students, it’s important to think about age-appropriate materials for students to engage with at their level, which address their interests. Many students with complex needs will require modified or alternative texts in order to engage with grade-level literacy concepts. Ideas or resources to consider include simplified texts and means of alternative access such as:

• Graphic novels
• Audiobooks
• Monarch Reader
• Tarheel Shared Reader
• Self-created books through apps like Book Creator or Pictello

Authentic Literacy Activities

Literacy materials should be relevant and connected to a student’s interests. Students should be given opportunities to make choices about what they are reading, and the topics they are writing on. When provided choices, ensure that you are giving choices related to your students’ interests and that they have an accessible way to respond (for example, pointing, reaching, eye-gaze, partner-assisted auditory scan, etc.).

Consider different literacy forms that are meaningful to your student:

• Social and digital literacy (such as email, text messaging, posts on social media, podcasts, etc.)
• Collaborative projects with peers (such as co-writing, contributing ideas through AAC)
• Functional literacy that teaches reading through real-life texts (for example, recipes, schedules, etc.)