MEville to
WEville
MEville to WEville was specifically developed for students with disabilities
who have difficulties learning to read and write through traditional
instructional methods. Designed to build a classroom community that
promotes a sense of belonging, each unit offers students a new and
different perspective on themselves, their families and their school.
In 2004, Dr. Karen Erickson from the Center for Literacy and Disability
Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill completed
a research study, in special education classrooms, to evaluate the
effectiveness of the MEville to WEville program.
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Initial results indicated:
- Children initiated more communication and interaction during the program.
- Children developed stronger social relationships with their peers in
special and general education.
- Children became more socially responsive.
- Teachers were able to spend more time addressing communication and literacy
Each unit includes:
- 300-page spiral bound manual in full color
- 75 lessons and 60 extension activities that focus on
- reading activities
- vocabulary and word wall activities
- writing activities
- creating books
- art projects
- games
- brainstorming
- relationship building
- Action Dictionary: Assistive Technology Guide
- One literature book that supports the theme and content of the lesson
- Activity reproducibles created with BoardMaker Symbols
- Data collection tools for collecting and sharing student progress
Choose from The Following Sections to Learn More about MEville to WEville
Support Materials
How does MEville to WEville work?
View a Sample Lesson
A Research-Based Curriculum
User Stories
Teaching Tips
Recommended Assistive Technology
| NEW! MEville to WEville Addendum for Prenke Romich
devices available! |
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Visit the Prentke
Romich Company to purchase the MEville to WEville Unit 1 Addendum
for Vantage and Vanguard users.
NOTE: CD supports Unit 1 - Me only.
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Support Materials (Login Required)
MEville to WEville includes downloadable reproducibles which are available online. You may use the user and password found on page Viii in each of your units to access these files.
Click here to login.
How does MEville to WEville work?
Q: What is the MEville to WEville curriculum all about?
A: Beginning literacy and communication development are addressed while
supporting student development of self and a sense of belonging within a community
of learners.
This curriculum is the first ever research-based literacy program that meaningfully
and systematically integrates reading, writing, speaking, augmentative communicating
and listening for elementary students with disabilities in the moderate to
severe range. Lesson activities are written based on the understanding of
the early literacy learning as described in the reports and additional research
readings such as National Reading Panel, National Reading Research Council
Project, Reading Difficulties in Young Children and Rand Reading Comprehension
Reports.
Q: How is MEville to WEville organized?
A: This curriculum is organized into three parts with five specific
lessons in each part. Unit Parts:
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Unit 1 - Me |
Unit 2 - My Family |
Unit 3 - My School |
| Part 1 |
Who I Am |
Who Is In My Family |
Who Is At My School? |
| Part 2 |
How I Feel |
Things We Do |
Being A Student |
| Part 3 |
What I Like |
Living With My Family |
What We Do |
Unit Lessons:
- Learning New Words: Students identify new words and develop expressive
language skills through saying words, singing songs and using words in
high-interest motivational activities.
- Vocabulary Activities: Students practice using the vocabulary words
in engaging activities designed with repetition and variety to promote
the understanding of each word.
- Word Wall Words: Students learn high frequency words, needed in reading
and writing, through activities such as clap/chanting, writing and word
identification.
- Literacy Lessons: Students engage in lessons using literature books
and real life experiences to practice choice making, direction following
and giving a personal response.
- Writing Lessons: Students make decisions about individual and group
writings and express themselves through book making and other structured
writing projects.
Q: How much instructional time will each lesson take?
A: We recommend planning at least 30 minutes of instructional time
per lesson, although the time spent on each lesson will differ according
to how many students are in your classroom, differing needs of students,
and how many teaching assistants and related service personnel are assisting.
Whether you stick to the 75 lessons and 60 extension activities provided
or whether you add your own creative ideas, it is recommended you spend
time each day providing literacy experiences for your students.
Q: What will my students be learning when I use MEville to WEville?
A: This resource systematically targets literacy skills that research
has shown are critical to literacy learning success while incorporating
content area goals and objectives. All lessons support the following areas
and are filled with fun and engaging lessons relating to the ME theme.
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Vocabulary
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Word Identification - Click
here to view vocabulary and word wall words.
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Print Concepts
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Oral Language
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Phonological Awareness
Content Learning Areas
Choose a link below to see Content Learning Areas for the different units.
Character Education and Community Building
Outcomes
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Students will further develop a sense
of "Who I Am."
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Students will experience a sense of belonging.
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Students will learn to acknowledge and
celebrate accomplishments, contributions, and differences.
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Students will experience a valued role
as they learn "What we do for each other is important."
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Every student voice will be heard.
Q: How will I be able to include my students with severe disabilities?
A: It's easy, with the Action Dictionary.
The Action Dictionary references every action verb that is used in the MEville
to WEville curriculum. These action verbs are words presented in bold throughout
the manual. The Action Dictionary describes various ways in which students'
actions may be adapted or modified to enable active participation in the
lesson activity.
Also included is the Assistive Technology Quick Set Up Guide which provides
the information you'll need to set up the assistive technology recommended
in the MEville to WEville curriculum.
Q: Does MEville to WEville provide data collection tools?
A: YES!
The Student Data Collection Charts are provided for you to easily record
and share your students' growth and progress with others. Use these charts
to keep track of the ongoing participation and progress of your students.
These charts can also be used to capture baseline information prior to starting
the program.
- Learning New Words/Vocabulary
- Word Wall Words
- Writing
- Literacy
- Content Learning
Q: What Support Materials are included?
A: MEville to WEville includes reproducibles to create:
- Vocabulary Cards
- Word Wall Words
- Class Books
- Lesson Activities
- Letters to Encourage Family Involvement
Click here to
download a sample lesson from MEville to WEville.
MEville to WEville User Stories
Quotes from the teachers who participated
in the pilot study provide strong evidence of this program's effectiveness:
"We did our first full day of using the
AbleNet Reading Program and had a blast. I was amazed when I calculated
the time onto the data sheet...We spent 200 minutes on literacy!!!"
"To have it already out on paper also helps with the assistants and therapists.
The speech therapists already know the vocabulary that we're going to
be concentrating on. I already know that by Friday we're gonna make birthday
cupcakes for the children. It helps the speech therapist to know what
we're gonna do. Otherwise if I can, I plan 3 days ahead and I'm doing
darn good. This way it's already planned and I just have to implement
it so it's really good."
"Having a literacy curriculum for a school program helps with consistency
and programming."
Teaching Tips
Q: What if my student cannot use a pencil?
A: Make writing visual for students by:
- Write After Request:
Your student can answer request by using various methods (eye-gaze, pointing,
voice output communication aid, etc.) then you write the answer so he/she
is able to see the outcome.
- Model the Technology:
Use the technology that your student is using to answer the request. Model
for the student how to write the answer by using a head switch/ keyboard
to write.
Recommended Assistive Technology
Access Tools
Participation Tools
Learning Tools
Mounting Tools
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