Enhancing Literacy When Using Vest Displays

Educational resources can often address agendas other than their original intent. For example, several of the Vest Displays offered through TpT are counting songs that obviously lend themselves well to a math agenda. When using vest displays such as 5 Little Ducks, 5 Green & Speckled Frogs, 6 Little Monkeys, Apple Tree Song, the counted items (laminated paper manipulatives, plastic figurines) can be handed out to students, as the song unfolds (5-4-3-2-1). At the end of the song, these items (e.g. ducks, frogs, monkeys) are called back by number, as part of the classroom's 'stealth' academic agenda. ….Monkey #1, Where are you?  …. Duckie #3 Please come home! …. I'm looking for Monkey #4.  The student with the designated item then bolts forward to velcro the item back on the vest display.

As a variation of this math agenda, consider incorporating a greater literacy agenda. Create a set of manipulatives (e.g., ducks, frogs, monkeys, apples) with letters instead of numbers. Design your own or purchase small plastic manipulatives that already have alphabet letters. Now, instead of using numbered ducks on the vest display, add manipulatives labeled with a letter.  Yes we still have 5 ducks ... but now the ducks have a distinguishing letter, rather than a number. 

"Who has Duckie M? ….Yes duckie M is dressed like a monkey. /m/ …. Monkey. 

  

"Who has the monkey with the /p/ sound?

Yes Vest Displays reflecting counting songs can promote a literacy agenda ... with a simple change in manipulative. 

…’til the next post … 

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

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Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

Animated Step-by-Steps® Library Launch

I recently posted a pdf resource, Illustrated Listing of Animated Step-by-Steps^® in  the Bloom Where you Planted store on the Teachers Pay Teachers website. 

This listing is being offered as a FREE downloadable resource with the intent of making it easier for teachers, parents and therapists to find the resources they need to enhance their literacy, language and AAC agendas.

This pdf resource, however, is just a byproduct of a PowerPoint Launch that was designed to expedite implementation of the Animated Step-by-Steps^® Library within a local school. 

When in slide show mode, this page serves as a launch pad capable of navigating the program to 6 sections: Songs/Poems. Recipes, Crafts, Games, Stories and Science Projects.
If, for example, you wish to 'whistle up' an Animated Step-by-Step Recipe for your weekly 'Cooking Time',  just click/tap on the yellow Recipes button and the PowerPoint application will navigate to the first of several pages of recipes.

If you wish to use an 'apple recipe' to support your ongoing Fall/Apple theme, you have a choice of Apple Crisp, Apple Juice, Apple Pie and Applesauce! You can open and review each file to determine which recipe is appropriate for your students and you can also make note of  the ingredients required for this food preparation project.  When you click on a recipe, it will conveniently open in slide show mode … ready to use! (you 'hit the pavement, running'!)

Pressing the esc (escape button) will take you out of the opened recipe returning you to the page you left.


If while waiting for those apples to cook, you need a poem/song to 'entertain the troops' on your interactive whiteboard, tap on the small sun button in the upper left hand corner of the page/slide and PowerPoint navigates back to the launch page where you can select the pink 'Poems/Songs' button to navigate to and review available Poems/Songs that can fill the potential 'down time' more productively. 

Oh yes, the poem, Apples Apples Applesauce , would pair well with the task of making applesauce! 

PowerPoint even allows you to search within the presentation. Simply click on the page, then use the shortcut command-F. A search box will appear in the upper right corner of the application.
For example, if you remember seeing a song called Aiken Drum just type the name into the search box and the program will take you directly to the slide/page where Aiken Drum resides. 

As a general rule ... the easier it is to access materials, the higher the likelihood they will be used frequently. The more frequently we use interesting and creative materials with our students ... the greater the likelihood that significant academic & therapeutic progress will be made!

Here's to getting organized!!!!

…’til the next post …  (new posts every Monday)

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

Follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/@AnimStepbySteps

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/AnimatedStepBySteps

Follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/animatedstepbysteps/

Follow my blog http://animatedstepbysteps.blogspot.com

Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

Incorporating a Choice Array in PowerPoint Game Resources

Better late than never! A few years back I discovered how to incorporate a choice array into Animated Step-by-Steps®  that lent themselves to this treatment. 

In Helping Mister Potato Head, for example, students are invited to help Mister Potato Head  choose the correct body part from a field of three body parts.

Similarly, My Little Wagon encourages students to choose a specific toy (e.g., big red ball)  from field of 5 toys. The requested toy is then placed in a little red wagon.

I've recently added another resource to this roster of 'choice-driven' interactive resources.

Cars in a Row is an Animated Step-by-Step patterning game.  Given the instructions, "Don't mess with my cars!", Little Sister can't resist re-arranging the original pattern of Big Brother's car display … not once but several times. With each new pattern, students are invited to guess the color car to be added next (chosen from a field of 3 colored cars). Incorrect guesses receive a mildly negative 'huh ugh'; a correct choice drops the correct colored car into place in the 'pattern line'. 

You would think this 'choice-driven' component of the game would be simple, but it's actually quite complex to build in a choice array that provides correct feedback … while still providing an affirming consequence, i.e., the correct colored car falling into place. 

Here's the secret: 

Choice Rectangle/Platform:

The three car choices are placed on a rectangle that has been assigned the action, play sound - silence, i.e., a sound that's really not a sound … it's just recorded silence). To assign the action, Play Sound – Silence, right click on the rectangle graphic … select Action Settings … click the Play Sound box on the bottom of the list … select the sound silence (that you have created and imported). Now when a child touches the rectangle, nothing happens. The animation sequence does not move forward. The rectangle serves as a safe zone. 

Incorrect Choice Foils:

The foils (the wrong answers) for the question, "What color car is next?" are assigned a 'mildly negative, huhugh' response using the Play sound action. To achieve this goal, right click on the car graphic … select Action Settings … click the Play Sound box on the bottom of the list …select Other Sound … select the sound 'huh ugh' (or whatever you want to use to denote wrong answer). Assign the sound 'huh ugh' to both foils. 

Correct Answer:

The correct answer triggers an animation that drops the correct colored car into the pattern line. The graphic for the 'correct car' should have no assigned sound or action. As a result, it will trigger the next animations in the animation sequence, i.e.,  changing the grey car into the correct colored car and dropping that car into the pattern line. 

Hope this proves helpful in your attempts to design interesting, interactive resources. 

Now I must resist the urge to go back and retrofit resources created before the 'aha!' moment.  

…’til the next post …  (new posts every Monday)

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

Follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/@AnimStepbySteps

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/AnimatedStepBySteps

Follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/animatedstepbysteps/

Follow my blog http://animatedstepbysteps.blogspot.com

Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

AAC in the Big Apple! Don't Miss it!

AAC in the Big Apple is a 'MUST GO TO' event! 

August 1-2; 8:30-4:30

Excellent Location: 

New York City!!!!! 

Excellent Presenters: 

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite 

Dr. Gretchen Hanser

Excellent Topic: 

Get Ready – Get Set: Write – Read- Communicate – Go!

Emergent Literacy for Students with Significant Disabilities

For Further Information:

https://give.yai.org/event/aac-in-the-big-apple/e236645

B-I-N-G-O ... the song ... not the game!

B-I-N-G-O is a fun song, that many of us sang during our childhood. 

Verse 1

There was a farmer had a dog 

And Bingo was its name – O

B – I – N -  G – O (singing each letter) 
(Repeat the spelling 3X)

 Bingo was its name – O 

This verse is then sung five more times, each time substituting a clap for an additional upfront letter.

Verse 2

There was a farmer had a dog 

And Bingo was its name – O

(clap)  – I – N - G – O  (singing each letter) (3X)

And Bingo was its name – O

Verse 3

There was a farmer had a dog 

And Bingo was its name – O

(clap) – (clap) – N -  G – O (singing each letter) (3X)

And Bingo was its name – O

Verse 4

There was a farmer had a dog 

And Bingo was its name – O

(clap) – (clap) – (clap) -  G – O  (singing each letter) (3X)

And Bingo was its name – O

And so on Verse 5, Verse 6… until all five letters have been replaced with claps.

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite was the first to suggest that this song could be modified to scaffold various curriculum units. Check out her B-I-N-G-O planets. After each planet's name is spelled, followup facts about the planet are provided, making it a wonderful fun way to impart information about the planets. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Planets-B-I-N-G-O-3405186)

Since that early 'aha moment', I've created several variations of the B-I-N-G-O song using farm & zoo animals with clever names (e.g. E-L-F-F-Y,  B-E-S-S-Y) and even the weather (e.g. S-U-N-N-Y, R-A-I-N-Y)! 

And last, but not least … the B-I-N-G-O song provides students with lots of practice identifying alphabet letters, an early skill on the path to learning to spell!

…’til the next post …  (new posts every Monday)

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

Follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/@AnimStepbySteps

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/AnimatedStepBySteps

Follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/animatedstepbysteps/

Follow my blog http://animatedstepbysteps.blogspot.com

Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

Looking forward to Houston!

I'm headed to Houston to conduct a workshop at their Region 4 AT conference! ( June 19th)
I'm excited to be addressing this wonderful group of colleagues ... on a topic that is 'near and dear' to my heart.

Whew! Two milestones Achieved!

It's official ... 

Milestone 1

I have officially posted my 200^th Animated Step-by-Step title in the Bloom Where You're Planted Store on the TpT site. 

Collectively, this library of resources targets literacy, language and AAC across a broad range of classroom activities:

Poems/Songs(79)

Stories(5) 

Recipes(55) 

Science Projects(23)

Crafts(21)

Games(17) 

Each ASbyS title is available in three versions (Regular, PCS, SymbolStix). 

Some titles have four versions, i.e., they include a high contrast version for  students with Visual Impairments (VI). 

Miletone 2

I have officially posted over 800 products in the Bloom Where You're Planted Store.

In addition to Animated Step-by-Steps^®, there are Vest Displays, Dual=Representation Core Symbols, Dual=Representation Fringe Symbols (for Melissa and Doug Play Sets) and several Core + Fringe Voice-Output Communication Displays suitable for use on an interactive whiteboard, computer or iPad. Some of the products are bundled to offer greater savings. 

Having finally reached these milestones, I'm considering taking a break from this labor intensive 'labor of love'.  

Truth be told … I have uttered these words many, many MANY times before …. after reaching 200 … then 300 … then 400 … then 500 … then 600 … then 700  … and now after 800 products! 

Obviously I'm not so great with the follow-through : ) 

Stay tuned.