Books I Use In Practice

I find most of what I need for daily practice in the classroom, now that I am in my 12th year of teaching learners with multiple special needs, in my head or online. However there are a few books I return to over and over to guide what I do in the classroom or to give me guidance in planning IEPs.

• The Syracuse Community Referenced Curriculum
  
• The Callier-Azuza Scale
• INCH Interactive Checklist for AAC
• FISH Functional Independent Skills Handbook
• Every Move Counts

I am sure I am missing one or two. What books do you go back to?

Creating a Summer Book Program

Image via WikipediaSummer reading programs are a staple in schools. They are also often sponsored by local libraries, book stores and other programs. As I have written before such programs can be adapted to our learners. An article on LD Online suggests the possibility of developing a summer listening program for learners with special needs. I love this idea and all of the suggestions on how to do it. From e-books with text-to-speech, to parents reading to children, to downloaded MP3 audio books and audio books from the library on a CD player. Also there are interactive books like Silly Books, TumbleBooks, and Bookflix. (Our local library just added Bookflix to their website.)

Sites and Articles about Summer Book Programs

• Reading Rockets Getting Ready for Summer
  
• Adolescent Literacy Summer Learning for Teens
• Develop a Summer Listening Program from LD OnLine
• Summer Reading Article from Don Johnston
  

Where to Find Summer Book Programs (There is no reason a student with a disability should not be able to count books listened to instead of read)

• Active Bodies Active Minds Reading Challenge
• Barnes and Nobles
  
• Book It Brain Food Program
• Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz
• Reading Warriors
• Your school
• Your local library
• Your local book store
  

Free Recorded Books for Those with Disabilities

• Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
• Bookshare
  

Download Audiobooks

• Audible Kids $$$
• Audible$$$
• Audiobooks for Free
• Lit2GO MP3 Stories
• Literal Systems Free Audiobooks
• Loud Lit
• Story Nory
  

Electronic Interactive Books

• Tumblebooks ($ubscription, many libraries offer)
• Bookflix ($ubscription, many libraries offer)
• Silly Books
• RAZ Kids ($ubscription)
• Kid Thing (purchase individual books)
  

Websites to Share with Parents

• Reading is Fundamental Reading as a Family

Worksheets

• Free Audio Thought Worksheets from Don Johnston
  

Two Free Online Book Sites For Kids

Lookybook and Big Universe have recently been featured on a few other education blogs. Both allow you to read commercially published children's books online for free. Both allow you to position your switch over the "turn page" button to create single switch access.

However, Big Universe, seems to me to be a little ad heavy and some of the books took forever to load, yet it offers a feature to create your own online books.

Maybe next there will be cell phone picture books for us?

Get Student Made Book Published in Hardback for Free

Students Treasures is a company that publishes hard bound copies of student books. They use the writing, illustrations and photographs created by your students and publish them. One of the great things that they offer is a free copy of your class book as long as you send home information to parents so they may purchase a copy. The offer is for grades K-6, but as a non-graded classroom teacher i sent away for my publishing kit today. I plan to offer my students a choice of creating a book about disability awareness or transition. Click here to order a publishing kit.