See the PowerPoint: Access to Books

For information that supports this presentation, see:

Notes on Adapted Books and Writing Tools

Links to Web Pages on Literacy and Related Topics

Adapted Book Products and Information

Links to Information on Copyright

Download a PDF brochure by clicking on the image above

The SESA Library is now open at our new address:
3501 Denali Street, Suite 101
Anchorage, AK 99503

You may reach the library by email (Anne Freitag at afreitag@sesa.org ) or by phone (907-334-1301).

Topical Bibliographies

Alaska Accessible Learning Center
c/o Library Media Services
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
520 5th Ave.
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Contact: Erma Belz
Phone (907) 452-2000 ext. 243
Fax (907) 451-6001
email: dcmpalaska@northstar.k12.ak.us
http://www.dcmp.org/
Provides described and captioned media;available to students, school personnel, families, and others. Resources include media, information on captioning and describing media, and on making media accessible.

Alaska Attachment & Bonding Associates
619 S. Knik Goose Bay RD #J
Wasilla AK 99654
For more information, contact Laura Wagner at 376-0366 or laura@akattachment.org .
Books on Reactive Attachment Disorders, Adoption, Foster and Systems of Care can be checked out for a month. AABA also has wonderful children’s books on adoption. More time is given depending on the circumstance of the family and their location. AABA will mail the books if picking them up is not an option.

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General | Ebooks | Books with Props | Braille | Some Related Materials | Accessible Teaching Units | Other

http://rigby.harcourtachieve.com/en-US/rigby.htm

Soar to Success: http://www.eduplace.com/intervention/

Scholastic: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/index.jsp

Leapfrog/Leapad: http://www.leapfrog.com

Concepts about print assessment: http://wilearns.state.wi.us/apps/default.asp?cid=92

Adapting books: http://boston.k12.ma.us/teach/technology/access.asp

Creating Sticky Software by Byron Wilkes:http://clicker5lifeskills.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/Creating+Sticky+Software+Learning+Magic.pdf

Ebooks

Tumblebooks: http://www.tumblebooks.com/

Listen Alaska: http://listenalaska.lib.overdrive.com/

Classic Bookshelf: http://www.classicbookshelf.com

Books with Props

Adapted Books: http://www.adaptedstories.com

Braille

American Printing House for the Blind: http://www.aph.org

Seedlings: http://www.seedlings.org

Some related adapted print sources, including audiobooks:

Alaska State Library’s Talking Book Center: http://www.library.state.ak.us/dev/tbc.html

Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic: http://www.rfbd.org/

Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Accessible Teaching Units:

MEville to WEville: http://www.ablenetinc.com/item_detail_MEville.aspx

For our notes, go here

Weekly Reader: http://www.ablenetinc.com/weeklyreader/

Start to Finish Literacy Starters: http://www.donjohnston.com/products/start_to_finish/literacy/index.html

For our notes, go here

Balanced Literacy: http://www.intellitools.com

For our notes, go here

Other Types:

Notes on the Stuff We Demonstrated during the Hey! Try Stuff for Free presentation at ASSEC, February 2008

See the PowerPoint: Hey! Try Stuff for Free: Techniques for Teaching Literacy Using Materials in the SESA Library

See the PowerPoint: Access to Books

Note: Items with this symbol () are available from the SESA Library.

Co:Writer 4000 (Don Johnston, http://www.donjohnston.com)

Co:Writer is a word prediction program. As you type, it gives a list of words from which to choose. It can be set to speak as you select each word, and it will speak the completed sentence. You can change the voice, or you can turn it off. You can change the background color, the text color and the cursor color so the student can see the screen easier.
It is possible to save new words in the dictionary so that vocabulary related to topical units, such as one on the Iditarod, can be available to the student. The dictionaries can be edited. You can arrange the guesses (suggested words) either horizontally or vertically; and alphabetically or dynamically (changing as you type). The user’s guide is easy to use and has some specific recommendations based on student needs.

There’s a tutorial available on-line: http://www.indiana.edu/~iuadapts/technology/software/cowriter/index.html

A useful item to go with Co:Writer:

Teaching writing with Write:OutLoud and Co:Writer 4000 : essential interventions : classroom activities. (2002) Volo, IL : Don Johnston Learning.

Clicker 5 (Crick Software, http://www.cricksoft.com/uk/default.asp)

Clicker 5 is software for writing support, with pictures, words to select, and voice output. The grid at the bottom can be customized. Control-click (Mac) or right-click on a word to hear it spoken. The program comes with pictures that appear as they are entered into the grid, and you can also add your own pictures. The pictures can be animated. There are additional resources available online, including a video presentation.
Here are more supports and help: http://www.setbc.org/setbc/access/access_clicker5_resources.html

PixWriter (Slater Software, http://www.slatersoftware.com/)

PixWriter is software for writing support that can be customized for each student and for particular vocabulary uses. You can create a vocabulary set-up for a student and his or her project. It doesn’t predict the words as you type them, but it does create buttons at the bottom of the screen that the student can choose while writing. Most words will have a picture to give a visual prompt. You can import other pictures if you want. The manual has activities for students of different ages and abilities. These activities will be appropriate for different skill levels. You can also set up scanning for a student who needs to use a switch or other alternative input (switch, TouchWindow, alternative keyboards). The voice can be changed and you can choose how many buttons are available (16, 32 or 64), or you can make the buttons invisible. The program is simple to set up and to use.

You can download a test version of the program here: http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Educational/PixWriter.shtml
There are downloads and samples here: http://slatersoftware.com/document.html

Balanced Literacy (Intellitools, http://www.intellitools.com/)

This program has nine lessons, each with an anchor book that has a theme for the supporting activities. The books can be read on the computer, and use songs to emphasize sounds. There are review questions to work with reading comprehension, games for practice, and patterned language. Text size can be changed for students with lower vision. There are overlays for the IntelliKeys (alternate keyboard).

Other materials by IntelliTools:

Classroom Suite

IntelliKeys (keyboard)

Number Concepts

Math Pad

Overlay Maker

IntelliTalk

IntelliPics

Start-to-Finish Literacy Starters (Don Johnston, http://www.donjohnston.com/products/start_to_finish/literacy/index.html)

These books are high interest and age appropriate, and can be used for different levels of beginning readers. Each kit includes three books, a teacher’s guide, vocabulary cards and two CDs. One CD has teacher materials; the other has digital versions of the books. The books can be used at three different levels (enrichment, transitional and conventional). The teacher materials include planning tools, vocabulary cards and activities; there are also some communcation displays for non-verbal students.

You can see a list of all the Start-to-Finish books in the SESA Library on this page (scroll down to the bottom; the titles at the top are another type of Start-to-Finish book):
http://www.sesa.org/index.php?view=article&catid=94%3Abibliographies&id=219%3Astart-to-finish-books-by-don-johnston&Itemid=120&option=com_content

MEville to WEville (Ablenet, http://www.ablenetinc.com/home.aspx)

This isn’t a computer program, but it is a literacy program. It works on communication while integrating reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Read more here:http://www.turningpointtechnology.com/Curricula/ABMEvilleToWEvilleFAQ.htm

Meville to Weville white paper: http://www.ablenetinc.com/meville/xecSummary.pdf

I Can Write Series (IntelliTools, http://aex.intellitools.com/searchdetails.php?act_key=icwrite)

You need IntelliTalk and Overlay Maker (both available through the SESA library) to use this series from the IntelliShare Classroom Activity Exchange. This is a free download, which can be used with the IntelliKeys. The templates are sequenced for step-by-step writing instruction. You need to join to exchange activities.

Some additional information:

Creating Sticky Software by Byron Wilkes: http://clicker5lifeskills.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/Creating+Sticky+Software+Learning+Magic.pdf

The Literacy Bill of Rights as a PDF: http://dsasdonline.org/admin/files/AT-Literacy.pdf
The website is the Down Syndrome Association of San Diego, and they have other information as well.

Talking Point, I CAN: http://www.talkingpoint.org.uk
This site has fact sheets and other resources online.

Down’s Syndrome Association (UK): http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk
This site has articles in downloadable PDF version.

Down Syndrome Educational Trust (UK): http://www.downsed.org/
This is housed at the Sarah Duffen Centre. They offer training, publications, and they do research.

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When adapting materials for classroom use, it is important to remember that copyright law may have a bearing on what you can do.  Here are some resources to help you determine what can be done.

A Teacher’s Guide to Fair Use and Copyright:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm

One form of alternative protection:
http://www.gnu.org

Copyright Basics for Educators:
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/copyright-2002/copyright-faqs.html#21

Public performance of video:
http://www.haverford.edu/av/copyright/pubperform.html

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This video gives a quick tutorial on how to use the SESA Library online catalog:

http://www.sesa.org/LibraryPix/SearchLibraryPodcast.mov

The Library of Congress has published this bibliography on accessibility.  It provides links to articles on general information, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and more.  There is also a section on children’s environments, including playgrounds and universal design for learning.

Accessibility : A Selective Bibliography

http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/bibliographies/accessibility.html

Do you know of a literacy program in Alaska that isn’t on this list?  Please email me and I’ll add it.  Thank you!

Library and Related Resources

No matter where you are in Alaska, it’s possible to get library services.  If there’s no local library, you can get them by mail through the Regional Services program.

Regional Services: http://www.juneau.org/library/mailserv/

In addition to getting books by mail, Alaska state residents can access databases of articles from journals, magazines, newspapers and other selected reference sources via SLED. There are also links to information resources for, about and by Alaskans.

Statewide Library Electronic Doorway (SLED):  http://sled.alaska.edu/

Anchorage Public Libraries:  http://lexicon.ci.anchorage.ak.us/

Many free resources for parents and children. Online catalog, readers’ guides, storytimes (lapsit and preschool, all year), Summer Reading Program, Battle of the Books, book clubs, and other special events every month (for adults and kids). There is a special collection, the Loussac Children’s Collection for parents and educators. Starting in Fall 2008, there will be Ready to Read Resource Center tubs for checkout to childcare providers, rural libraries, and parenting education providers. Continue Reading