Signing off

At the outset of this project, the goal was to answer several questions:

• Would Ian achieve greater independence?
• Would Ian's quality of life be enhanced?
• Would his cognitive functioning improve?
• Would his capacity for learning increase?
• Would he begin to enjoy learning?

After the intervention, I'm happy to report that the answer to all of these questions is a resounding 'Yes'.  Ian's decrease in the need for physical prompts is direct evidence of being more idependent.  By growing to be more idependent, achieving more regular success, communicating that he was proud of himself, and by the overall decrease in the number of cues and prompts needed, Ian did enhance his quality of life.  His cognitive function also improved - he increased his accuracy in all 3 areas (beginning sounds, ending sounds, and rhyming); the data supports this conclusion.  As the intervention progressed, Ian's phonemic awareness improved greatly; longer-term, he will be able to use that increased awareness to read more words, segment words more effectively, and spell better - all areas that will increase his overall capacity for learning.  Through this exercise, he also began smiling, clapping, and cheering as his skills increased, it was evident that he enjoyed learning more. 

Overall, Ian's intervention was a great success and I learned a great deal about how quickly a child's capacity for learning and cognitive independence can increase when given the appropriate function.  By taking data and focusing on areas of need, I was able to develop a strategy for helping Ian to become a better, more proficient student.  In the process, he blossomed and became more confident.  It is my sincere hope that Ian's progress continues and that he will continue to be confident in his abilities and to enjoy the learning process more fully.

Video Data

                                                                      Baseline

This video was taken prior to implementation of intervention.  In this video, Ian is about 50% accurate when sorting objects by two beginning sounds.   He also needs assistant with manipulating objects, getting items into the tubs, and needs the tub handed to him in order for him to reach the object. He needs adult support to complete this activity.

 Click on the link below to view video data.

Video data prior to Intervention

After Intervention

This video was taken after 10 days of the intervention.  In this video, Ian is completely independent and does not require any physical prompting or verbal cues.  If you listen closely you can hear him say, "I know how to do this," when his additional adult support asks him if he needs help.  In this video, Ian is 100% accurate.  He also seem pleased with himself because he moves his hands in a cheering motion and says, "Yes!" when he gets all the answers correct.

Click on the link below to view video data. 

Video data after intervention

Results After Intervention

Data was taken over ten days during small groups phonics instruction.  Whole group instruction was completed by the special educator and the class was then split into two groups to work on specific skills with the special educator and instructional assistant, respectively. In the small group, Ian's additional adult support (personal assistant) was with him at all times to assist with fine motor tasks.  Data was taken by the special educator and the additional adult support to maintain data reliability.  The data was gathered around three of the skills where Ian has made the least progress this school year; beginning sounds, ending sounds, and rhyming. 

Beginning, Ending, and Rhyming Sounds Activities were created using Classroom Suite by Intellitools. The benefits of this program are that it provides Ian with multiple means of representation; he is able to experience these concepts through text, graphics, and sounds, multiple means of expression; he has a different method to demonstrate concept mastery, and universal access support; Ian was able to use adapted keyboard and adapted mouse.   I also hypothesized that Ian would be more functionally independent, given the decrease of fine motor demands. 

Beginning Sounds

Ian completed each activity in all three modes of Classroom Suite; SHOW ME, PRACTICE, and CHALLENGE. Progress was monitored and data was recorded during the CHALLENGE MODE. The 

computer activity addressed the following objectives;

• Recognition of letter-sound correspondence
• Isolation and identification of beginning sounds in words
• Recognition of objects whose names have the same beginning sounds
• Identification of upper and lowercase letters
• Increase vocabulary

The activity consisted of matching and sorting 10 objects by their beginning sounds.   Below is data, taken over 10 days. 

Ian required 2.2 verbal cues, ranging from 1-3 cues.  He required an average of 1 physical prompt, ranging from 0-2.  On average Ian was 65% accuracy, ranging between 30-100%.  Ian increased his average accuracy by 42% over 10 days. 

Ending Sounds

Ian completed each activity in all three modes of Classroom Suite; SHOW ME, PRACTICE, and CHALLENGE. Progress was monitored and data was recorded during the CHALLENGE MODE. The 

computer activity addressed the following objectives;

- Identification of ending sounds

-Identification of sound and spelling patterns

The activity consisted of matching and sorting 10 objects by their ending sounds.   Below is data, taken over 10 days. 

Ian required an average of 3 verbal cues, ranging from 2-5 cues.  On average, Ian needed 1.9 physical prompts, ranging from 1-3 prompts.  Ian's accuracy was an average of 26% ranging from  0-40%.  As his accuracy increased, physical and verbal prompts decreased.   Over 10 days, Ian increased his average accuracy by 20%.  

Rhyming

Ian completed each activity in all three modes of Classroom Suite; SHOW ME, PRACTICE, and CHALLENGE. Progress was monitored and data was recorded during the CHALLENGE MODE. The 

computer activity addressed the following objectives;

• 
  
  
  Students will build phonemic awareness.
• 
  
  
  Students will identify words by rhyming sound. 
• 
  
  
  Students will match words by sound.

The activity consisted of matching and sorting 10 objects by their rhyming sounds.   Below is data, taken over 10 days. 

Ian required an average of 4 verbal prompts, ranging from 2-6 cues.  On average, Ian was 38% accurate, ranging from 30-50%.   Ian increased his accuracy by 11% over ten days.  

Analysis

Verbal Cues

Prior to the intervention, Ian needed an average of 4.95 verbal cues, but after the intervention he required 3.1 verbal cues, a 38% decrease. 

Physical Prompts

Prior to the intervention, Ian required an average of 5.8 physical prompts.  After the implementation of intervention; which consisted of adapted keyboard, adapted mouse, and Classroom Suite phonemic awareness activities, Ian required 1.45 physical prompts; a decrease in 75%. 

Accuracy

Prior to the intervention, Ian was about 18.6% accurate.  After 10 days of intervention Ian demonstrated an average of 43% accuracy, an increase of 24 percent.  

Classroom Suite by Intellitools

Classroom Suite 4

Classroom Suite 4 is an intervention tool that is designed to help students in grades Pre K through 5 in the areas of reading, writing, and math.  It is a researched based product designed to help students with special needs or who are at risk of failure.  Click here to read Case Studies




Classroom Suite 4 can be used for;

• Supplemental Instruction- to target specific skills for struggling students
• Response to Intervention- a Tier 2 or 3 intervention solution
• Curriculum Access- for struggling students with learning, cognitive, or physical disabilities

Main features of Classroom Suite 4 are;

• Reading Instruction aligned with national standards
• Math Instruction targeting number sense and automaticity
• Writing templates across many genres
• Creativity tools for whole class instruction and student presentations
• Early Learning activities for emergent learners
• Whole group instruction with interactive white boards

Classroom Suite supports Individuals different learning needs;

• Provides Multiple Means of Representation- students experience concepts through text, graphics, and sounds
• Provides Multiple Means of Expression- students have a variety of methods to demonstrate concept mastery
• Provides Means of Engagement- computers provide information in an engaging format. Information is presented at the student's learning pace keeping the interest level high
• Universal access support, including alternative keyboard and switch inputs

Templates target very specific learning objectives;

• Students begin in SHOW ME (I do) Mode- the material is presented in small steps using clear instructions and modeling
• Next, students move into PRACTICE (We do) Mode-provides opportunities for supported practice.  Students are guided to the correct answer through auditory and visual feedback
• Finally, students move in CHALLENGE (You do) Mode- provides independent practice.  Progress is monitored and students return to practice if they do not achieve mastery

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO- of how to manage your students using Classroom Suite

Curriculum Activities


There are five key areas of reading addressed in Classroom Suite 4;

• Phonemics Awareness; sound matching, isolating, segmenting, blending, and manipulating
• Phonics; letter-sound correspondence, high frequency words, major and minor sounds, etc.
• Fluency;building word, sentence, and paragraph reading fluency
• Vocabulary; building student vocabulary by creating personal vocabulary notebooks
• Comprehension; building comprehension through strategic approaches

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO: Classroom Suite Phonemic Awareness Activity

Activities Adapted using Classroom Suite 4

Adapted Activities using Classroom Suite 4

The original activity to practice beginning sounds was sorting objects by their beginning sounds using letter tubs.  This was not a functionally independent task for Ian, given the number of times his additional adult support had to assist him.  By using an adapted trackball for a mouse  and Classroom Suite 4, templates were created to increase accuracy, decrease verbal cues and physical prompts, and increase functional independence.  

Sorting by Beginning Sounds

                             

This template consists of sorting 10 picture cards and the students are required to sort by their initial sound.  The following templates were created so Ian could sort by; ai, b, ch, c, d, e,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,q,r,s,t,v,w,y, &; z.  This activity is completed on the computer using the adapted track ball mouse and Classroom Suite 4.  Ian can experience this concept through text, graphics, and sounds. It has a SHOW ME mode in which the program will be model the activity.  Next, the student can PRACTICE and this program provides immediate feedback and will guide Ian to the correct answer through auditory and visual feedback.  Finally, he can complete the CHALLENGE, which provides independent practice, and monitors progress.  The same activities were created for Ian to sort by ending sounds and rhyming sounds. 

Matching Beginning Sounds

This activity consists of six picture cards and students are required to match the picture by the same beginning sounds.  Each activity consists of matching three letter sounds, such as long a, b, and d in the example above.  It also contains a SHOW ME, PRACTICE, and CHALLENGE mode.  After the activity is modeled, students can click on the picture cards to hear their names again.   The following templates were created so Ian can match beginning sounds such as; ai, b, d, ee, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, sh, t, v, w, y, & z. The same activities were created for Ian to match by ending sounds, and rhyming sounds.              

                                                                                                    
                                                                                                   

Sort by Ending Sounds


This template consists of sorting 10 picture cards and the students are required to sort by their ending sound.  The following templates were created so Ian could sort by; ai, b, ch, d, ee, ar, ie, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, v, th, and z. This activity is completed on the computer using the adapted track ball mouse and Classroom Suite 4. 

Match by Ending Sounds

This activity consists of six picture cards and students are required to match the picture by the same ending sounds.  Each activity consists of matching three sounds such; p, s, and t the example to the left.  It also contains a SHOW ME, PRACTICE, and CHALLENGE mode.  After the activity is modeled, students can click on the picture cards to hear their names again.   The following templates were created so Ian can match ending sounds such as; ai, b, ch, d, ee, ar, ie, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, th, v, and z. 

Sort by  Rhyming Sounds

This template consists of sorting 10 picture cards and the students are required to sort by their rhyming sound.  The following templates were created so Ian could sort by; ack, ag, ake, at, an, ash, aw, ide, ig, ill, ight, in, ip, ock, op, and ug. This activity is completed on the computer using the adapted track ball mouse and Classroom Suite 4.       

   

Match Rhyming Sounds

This activity consists of six picture cards and students are required to match the picture by the same rhyming sounds.  Each activity consists of matching three rhyming sounds such as; ig, aw, ill  in the example below.  It also contains a SHOW ME, PRACTICE, and CHALLENGE mode.  After the activity is modeled, students can click on the picture cards to hear their names again.   The following templates were created so Ian can match rhyming sounds such as; ack, ag, ake, at, an, ash, aw, ide, ig, ill, ight, in, ip, ock, op, and ug. 

Baseline Data

Baseline Data

Data was taken over ten days during small groups phonics instruction.  Whole group instruction was completed by the special educator and the class was then split into two groups to work on specific skills in  with the special educator and instructional assistant, respectively. In the small group, Ian's additional adult support (personal assistant) was with him at all times to assist with fine motor tasks.  Data was taken by the special educator and the additional adult support to maintain data reliability.  The data was gathered around three of the skills where Ian has made the least progress this school year; beginning sounds, ending sounds, and rhyming.

Beginning Sounds 

Alphabet Sounds Teaching Tubs were used to provide a hands-on introduction for letters and their sounds.  Each tub included 6 miniature objects that shared the same beginning sounds, making it easier to reinforce the letter- sound connection.  

We played a quick 10 minute game with the alphabet tubs and addressed the following objectives;

• recognition of letter-sound correspondence
• isolation and identification of beginning sounds in words
• recognition of objects whose names have the same beginning sounds
• identification of upper and lowercase letters
• increase vocabulary

The game consisted of sorting objects from a brown paper bag by their beginning sound. Each day, Ian was asked to sort 10 objects by two sounds.  Below is the data, taken over 10 days:

Ian required an average of three verbal cues, ranging from 2-5 cues.  Verbal cues  consisted of the teacher over emphasizing the beginning sound, such as, "B-b-b all starts with what sound?". Ian needed an average of 7 physical prompts to complete the task, ranging from 5-10 physical prompts.  He also needed assistance opening the bag, grasping certain objects, moving and manipulating the tubs.  On average, Ian was about 23% accurate, ranging between 0-40% accuracy. 

Ending Sounds

These sorting mats were used for Ian to practice ending sounds.  He simply chose an activity mat, then found 3 illustrated tiles that featured words with that ending sound.  These mats were used during small group instruction and addressed the following objectives:

• identification of ending sounds
• identification of sound and spelling patterns. 

Ian was also asked to sort 10 cards by two ending sounds.   Below is data taken over ten consecutive days:

Ian required slightly more verbal cues for ending sounds, an average of 6.9 verbal cues, ranging from 6-9 cues.  Because there was less fine motor skills required for this task, Ian required less physical prompts, with only an average of 4.7, ranging from 3-6 prompts.   Ian was less accurate on this skill, with an average of 6 percent accuracy, ranging from 0-10 percent accuracy. 

Rhyming

These Rhyming Magnetic Sound Sort  Boards were used to build phonemic awareness, identify words by ending sounds, and match words by sound. Kids match a sock with a clock, a block and a rock, etc.  Two starter magnets were placed at the top of the board, then Ian could add magnets to the columns below to sort words that share the same rhyming sound.   

Ian required an average of 5.7 physical prompts, ranging from 4-7 prompts.  Over the 10 days, he was about 27% accurate, ranging from 20-40 % accuracy.

Analysis

The aforementioned skills are not mastered yet for Ian with an average accuracy of 18.6%.  The materials the students are currently using may not be the best for Ian given the number of physical prompts he requires.  An assistive technology assessment was completed and it was found that  in order for Ian to make progress on his IEP objectives and to increase his functional independence, he required access to an authoring program with a talking word processor, enlarged keyboard with color coded keys, adapted track ball mouse, and voice amplification system. 

Ian's Story

Medical and Developmental History
Ian was the result of a twin pregnancy that was complicated by pre-term labor beginning at 25 weeks.  Ian's mother reported that she took Terbutaline to halt the symptoms but still required bed rest at 29 weeks gestation.  Ian and his twin sister were born at 34 weeks and 5 days' gestation and Ian was anoxic; which is a total decrease in level of oxygen at birth.   He required ventilator support for several days.  Ian has been diagnosed with microcephaly of unknown origin, (a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the circumference of the head is more than two standard deviations smaller than the average for the person's age and sex.) cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and sensory integration disorders. Ian has a history of failure to thrive and significant feeding issues due to trouble with fine motor skills.  Ian was diagnosed with urinary reflux as an infant and was on antibiotics for first year.  Ian receives occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech language therapy, special educational service, and goes horse back riding.  

What is Fundations?

The curriculum I am adapting for this project is Wilson Fundations for students in grades K-3.  I have used Fundations as a teacher for the past 4 years and have found it to be an effective phonics intervention program for students in the lower 30th  percentile.  It incorporates the multisensory techniques that most young students with disabilities require in order to learn. Research indicates that because Fundations incorporates explicit and systematic techniques, it is the most effective approach to reading and teaching spelling.

Welcome to my blog

Hi everyone! Thanks for coming to my blog and checking out my "Adventures in Assistive Technology." The picture above is of the boy who inspired me to do this project.  His name is Ian and he has cerebral palsy. He is the hardest working 6-year old I've ever met and I hope my work can make his life a little easier.

The question at the crux of this project is:

Will this 6-year old student with cerebral palsy realize an increase in phonetic skills through the use of an adaptation of the phonics curriculum, Fundation using Classroom Suite 4.2?

In addition, I hope to answer other questions including;

• Will he achieve greater independence?
• Will his quality of life be enhanced?
• Will his cognitive functioning improve?
• Will his capacity for learning increase?
• Will he begin to enjoy learning?

Thanks for following me in my journey; I hope to see you again.  Feel free to comment on any of my posts and let me know what you think about my progress, methods, etc.

Thanks! 

Stephanie  

Quote of the moment: Who dares to teach must never cease to learn- John Cotton Dana