Thanks to the work of Dr. Karen Erickson and Dr. David Koppenhaver in their book “Comprehensive Literacy for All”, the importance of providing EVERYONE with opportunities to read and write has moved to the forefront of many discussions surrounding how literacy teachings can and should be introduced, and taught to AAC users. While there are many different techniques and strategies for executing the “Comprehensive Literacy For All” framework, this post will focus on choosing books to engage emergent literacy learners in shared reading and get them excited about reading. With all of the books available to us, this may sound like a daunting task. To ease the overwhelm, in this post, I will share my five favorite strategies, in no particular order, to help you choose the next book you can read with the AAC user(s) you support easy and fun!
Choose a book YOU like.
We spend a lot of time thinking about what books the people we are reading to will like, however, we also need to think about what books we like! When you choose books that you like you are naturally more excited to read and your excitement easily becomes contagious. When learners see you enjoying reading, they will learn that reading is fun and will want to share that excitement with you - building a connection surrounding the routine of reading!
Look for books with core vocabulary, familiar gestalts, etc., in the text.
When the text has core vocabulary, familiar gestalts, etc., in the text it often makes modeling language for your AAC user easier. When you come across a core word, gestalt, etc. during reading, you can model that vocabulary on their AAC system. Doing this helps build the connection between reading and communicating and how literacy is a bridge between the two.
Find books with engaging illustrations
When you open a picture book, one of the first things that grab your attention is the illustrations. This may be a hot take, but I think the illustrations are often more important than the text. While we are learning to read and understand how all the words work together to create a story, we look to the illustrations to help us build a connection between what the words are saying and what we see in the pictures. So, while you are looking through books, if you find a book with engaging illustrations pay attention. Can you talk about what is happening in the illustrations? Can you build connections between the illustrations and the learner’s life?
Explore wordless books
This strategy pairs well with the previous strategy of choosing books with engaging illustrations. With wordless books, you have no choice but to pay attention to the illustrations. While the fact that there is no story or text may feel overwhelming for some, think about it this way - the possibilities are endless! With wordless books, you have the freedom to make up your own story and make up a different story every time. Wordless books allow and encourage flexibility in reading and following the lead and interest of those who are reading - talk about a connection builder!
Offer books surrounding their interests
If you are interested in something, you often want to do it more, or learn more about it, right? The same is true for reading and while there is a lot of talk about age-respectful materials, I feel interest-respectful is just as important. Older learners might be interested in something others think is too “young” for them, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy that topic or want to learn more about it. We can, and should, use the personal interests of learners to help build their excitement around literacy and reading. As they build their interest and excitement about reading, we can introduce new ways to build upon their interest while furthering their literacy skills.
Keep in mind, that while these strategies will help you find books that both you and your AAC user will enjoy, the book is not the most important part of the interaction. The connection between you and the learner(s) you are reading with should be the primary focus. Building a connection and interest in reading as a shared experience is something that will encourage them to learn more about reading, literacy, and beyond! There is no right or wrong way to read - just keep reading; and remember, as author Mem Fox said, reading to a child should sound like chocolate - and who doesn’t love chocolate?!?!
“When I say to a parent, 'read to a child,' I don't want it to sound like medicine. I want it to sound like chocolate.” - Mem Fox
References:
Erickson, K. A., & Koppenhaver, D. A. (2020). Comprehensive literacy for all: Teaching students with significant disabilities to read and write. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Megan Stewart, MS CCC-SLP is a Speech/Language Pathologist with over 20 years of experience, most of which have been spent serving students with complex communication needs, within a variety of settings, including early intervention, home health, hippotherapy, and elementary school level. Megan received her Masters degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and now resides in Jacksonville, FL. With extensive knowledge regarding various forms of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) from low to high tech, Megan’s passion is to help guide students, parents and professionals alike in their journey to find the AAC system(s) that will help them become the most independent and autonomous communicators possible. Megan also owns and operates SENSEable Literacy, empowering everyone to bring the love of literacy, AAC, and sensory based experiences together for all learners.
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