Colleagues: Here is the hit of replies to my question requesting information,
suggestions, and tips for trainable mentally handicapped children's visits to the
media center. I was amazed at all of the respnses, and I appreciate ALL of them. I
hope the hit helps others. If others arrive, I will send an addendum/update. Robert
JoyceScottsburg Elementary SchoolHalifax County (Va)robert@gcronline.com I enjoy
working with these students which have done in both public and
school libraries.
I worked with adult MR in the public library .
They love funny stories , animal stories, --just start out simple until
you find their level of comfort. Keep stories short because of their
short attention span ---get out puppets, the instruments and enjoy
yourself!
use quality videos which have good stories because they like them too
Many of them have other problems such as poor vision and hearing. Tlk to
them simply, and loving -
Give them an introduction to the stories- to tell them what to expect
and what to look out for.
Some of them need extra patience and love because of their difficultie s
in life - poor social skills , poverty , family situation. You will
find that you will have a real soft spot in your heart for them.
This does not mean that they can not behave well - the library is a
welcome treat for them.
had a class this year- my first year as a librarian and was quite
nervous about it. I found a few stories I could read to them but not
many- one was Aaron's Hair. Mostly I would talk to them about
something that they were studying- the teacher would clue me in and I
would ask them questions. I might show them some pictures from
nonfiction books about bicycles or flags- whatever etc. Then I would
take them one or two at a time to find some books that they would then
check out. Sometimes I put some on a table but many of them had
specific ideas of what they wanted- gymnastics, bikes, trucks etc. Some
didn't really talk and I could steer them towards anything. Their
teacher and an aide stayed with them while in the library. I truthfully
did not enjoy it but I got better. Get to know their names and ask them
questions- even if they just smile for an answer.
We read to them.. big books
for easier visual. They really responded to the visual stimulation.
If you have never experienced this educational group, do not let the
sounds they make or their ticks deter you from reading. They really are
absorbing and as they grow to know and trust you, they will respond.
We, however, required that the teacher or aide remain with the class, as
we were not trained to interpret or accomodate all/most of the classes
special needs...also, having a familiar person with the group eased the
students anxiety, as any change in thier schedule is difficult to adjust
too. Even if you only read to them weekly, that's a very good thing!
Talk w/the teacher about his/her curriculum. Acting out nursery rhymes
(Jack be nimble, etc), simple art projects, puppets...literature
awareness!!! They need to hear and respond to the spoken and written
word. Sing, dance, laugh, have fun. It has been my experience that the Barney
videos and Sesame Street
videos work well with this group of children. They are learning
counting, rhyming, colors, body parts etc. and the music and action hold
their attention. For several years, I had a SPH class (severely
handicapped) at my school. The teacher often would give me a list of
topics that she would cover during a month. Then once a week, the class
would visit the library for storytime. This would be about 15 minutes.
I read picture books -- preprimary level -- with a few words and bright
pictures. While I was reading, I would make comments about the subject
matter in an attempt to relate the book to their classwork. I realize
that this class was more handicapped, but it might give you some
direction. The teacher was always appreciative. These students would benefit from
stories that incorporate or include
animals and characters to tell stories. They enjoy Clifford, Barney and
stories with audio tapes.
They also love videos. After reading a book to them teach them songs
that pertain to the stories.
In most cases, you'll probably be able to teach many of the same
lessons, but you will need to break them down into smaller parts,
simplify the vocabulary you use, and provide more physical (hand over
hand) guidance. Keep an open mind and you'll probably discover that
these students are more able than you may think and you'll probably find
that teaching them is very rewarding.
Make sure that you ask to look at the students' IEP's so you know what
accomodations work well for them (and that the school is legally bound
to provide), what strengths you can build upon to help them experience
success, and what interests you can connect with to motivate them to
read/learn. Also, look into some of the techologies available to
improve access for TMH and other physically and mentally challenged
individuals and/or speak with their teacher about any adaptive devices
they use in the classroom that may be helpful in the library. You may
even want to add the ALA "AccessAbility @ Your Library" poster to your
decor to help welcome them. Here are a few suggestions for your TMH class. I used
to work with
several special needs classes from Age 2 through 2nd grade, so my
suggestions are for up to that level. Hopefully, since this is such
a wide range of ages, they will be broken up by age appropriate
groups.
Routine is very important. Try to keep the same basic routine from
week to week.
I used books with very simple text, lots of pictures. We would
look at details in the pictures (Talk about colors, shapes, animals,
etc)
I tried to center the story time around certain units....books
about the seasons, holidays, animals, weather, etc...Usually the
classroom teacher would be doing similar units and you draw on their
classroom experiences on that subject
Simple nursery rhymes are great too. I purchased some sets of
board books with nursery rhymes that they could enjoy sharing.
The younger children also enjoyed fingerplays and simple songs with
actions. We usually used this simple one to get us ready for story
time. As the children were seated, they would hold up their hands
and follow me, "Open them, shut them, Open them, shut them, Give
them a clap. Open them, shut them, open them, shut them, lay them
in your lap". THis would help to remind them to keep their hands to
themselves during story sharing.
We also worked with learning how to handle books. How to hold them,
turn pages, etc.
These are just a few ideas that came to me quickly. Talk with the
teacher as far as behavior modification systems that may be used in
the class that can be carried over into the library and any other
routines that work for her too. I'd read to them. Picture books are fine, but they
can also listen to
(and
enjoy) some shorter books on their age level.
It is hard for me to pinpoint SPECIFIC lessons, for this group, but I
do
have a "guideline" that may help. I do have 8 years exed background.
We do
not have TMH here, only SLD and EH...so I teach the same lessons with
chunked information and less writing. TMH is a different animal
though.
Think of "real life" "functional". In other words, with TMH you are
trying
to help them do things for themselves. So, what can you do that would
help
them in another situation? Help them understand what authors are,
different
kinds of books, where the books are, how to ask for information...all
of
these things will help them n outside settings too. Even if you do not
have
library cards for others, it would be cool if they did...so they can
get
used to having/carrying/using one in the real world. Show them how to
pick
a book that is good for them (by going to a certain section or by
viewing
the book). Parts of a book (table of contents etc). How to tell what a
book
is about... You have a wide age range so that complicates things and
you
have no idea of abilities until you meet them. If you just remember
that we
are here to help them be successful in the real world, that may help
you
decide lessons. Think about what you teach young children in the
school,
could it work for the TMH? What do you want them to be able to do in
the
library? What can you do to enhance what the teacher knows? Don't
forget
cookbooks....I love Pretend Soup by Mollie Katzen and Annm
Henderson...think
about how fun and functional that would be to have a cooking lesson!!!
have a similar situation with a self-contained handicapped class, 2
this
year. I would suppose that several of students would be considered
severe
and profound. I do a weekly read-aloud to their class, which they
greatly
enjoy, followed by a check-out time. The classroom teachers and the
teacher
assistants are always there as well. Our less-severe students help out
with
getting books from our outside book return and returning them to the
library, picking up attendance slips, sharpening pencils, etc. As I see
these students' faces when I read to them, it always brings home the
fact
that oral reading can touch the heart, the funny-bone, and the mind of
just
about everyone. You will be surprised how precious these kids can be, but the best
part
is
that they will more than likely come to you with one or more
paraprofessional aides who know them well and stay with them. Just to
be
sure I would suggest you touch base with their teacher both during your
pre-school in-service week and least one of your prep periods before
they
get their if possible. On most days you will probably be able to have
them
sit still for a short five minute story at the start of the class and
then
with the help of their aides pick out some easy picture books and end
with
another short story or lesson on care of books (probably will need
repeating). If the kids only handicaps are intellectual you will find
them
to be great helpers. Particularly on days when most of the kids
hyper. Don't even try to get these kids to sit still. Mine in the
past
have dusted, stood books up straight on shelves that there "brighter"
peers
have left them in disarray, set up and taken down the holiday
decorations,
etc. The only really difficult group may be the physically
multi-handicapped, who are frequently wheel chair bound. For them you
will
want to acquire a lot of "baby books." The washable, chewable kind and
or
board books covered on all pages with contact paper. For either group
if
you play an instrument or sing and think you might want to test out
some
new material. This is the class to do it with. Don't worry! Have
fun! Let them know you think they are special and they will think you
are too. I have four such classes. One is so limited they do not come at all.
The
other three have a wide span of student abilities/problems, from spina
bifida to autism. So in some cases, the brain (intelligence) may be
normal
but the body problems may hamper your recognition of that (some drool,
have
tics, moan, etc.).
The best thing to do is to meet with the teachers ahead of time and
talk
with them about what can be effective/productive. Usually they know
their
students. If not, perhaps postpone their first visit for a week or two
until the teachers can advise you. Consistency and following the same
procedure is very important, so try to work this out with your teachers
ahead of time. It may need to be different for each class. Be
versatile!
One thing I do (when we have a story)is have the kids in wheelchairs
come
in first and roll into position towards the back of the story time
area,
then seat the others in front of them (if using a floor to sit on). If
you
have chairs for the others instead of floor seating, ask teachers what
they
recommend.
Whatever you do, keep it short. Many of them have short attention spans
or
limited ability to sit for long. Stick with simple stories with humor
or
interaction (clapping, etc.) if they enjoy it. Usually their classes
are
smaller but they may take longer to check out.
We bought lots of sturdy board books for our kids. They really enjoy
them,
especially the ones with tactile (like fur, fuzzy, etc.)parts.
Have a full box of tissues & a small trash can close by, and you might
also
want paper towels, baby wipes (for kids and the board books!), and
(where
they can't reach it)hand sanitizer for your hands. I put a drop on my
hands, then rub in it and then rub lightly on my computer key board to
sanitize it. You might want to use a baby wipe (or other cleaning wipe)
to
clean & sanitize counters or door handles as needed.
DO get a flu shot annually! Consider a pneumonia shot (these kids seem
to
have much higher illness rates) and other vaccinations as well. You should be able
to get some guidance from the spec. ed. folks who
worked with these kiddoes last year. Generally speaking, think of them
as a few years younger in skills. Do things step by step. The more
senses involved the better. Think of kinder here. Walk them through
anything you want to teach. Let them do it with you.
I would think they would want to know where to find books of interest
to
them. Go to their room in advance if you can and ask what their
favorite books are or subjects of study -- give ideas, dogs, baseball,
dinosaurs, Dr. Seuss. And/or get their parents to fill out an interest
form for you.
When they come to the library do a where things are lesson and address
each child's interest. Walk them to the area. Then do a show and tell
after. What book did you find? Show us where. Another day they may be
able to show each other. Baseball fan can show dino kid where the
baseball books are. Use picture books. By this I'm including Nature's
Children, David McCauley, etc.
Ask the spec. ed people along the way. Don't be afraid of these kids.
They are kids first. I would guess the staff will be thrilled you want
to do something with/for them! I have been working with a trainable class for three
years now. They
have become my favorite class! Think preschool and multi-sensory with
this group. Nursery rhymes are good, and anything simple they can act
out will be fun. Their teacher will let you know what they are working
on, and you can always reinforce concepts. They NEVER get bored with
repetition. I have had some of these children in my library on occasion, according
to my
schedule and the teacher's wishes. Some can really relate to poetry.
Other
basic readers and high/low materials can help. They always love holiday
related materials.
Repetition is helpful for these students, but don't be discouraged
if
they 'forget' again after the 500th time! We work on just opening the
book
and turning the pages carefully, putting in a shelf marker when they
remove
books, opening to the back of the book for a date due card upon
signout,
and removing the date due card when they return. We suggest they don't
take
the books home unless they are closely supervised (the teacher and
aides
read the books to them in their classroom). During my practicum, I saw a
librarian do a lesson with TMH's on the
ocean. She read/showed a book-I think it was the alphabet book on
oceans, and then she passed around shells/seastars, coral, etc. She
then showed a powerpoint with some websites that were ocean related.
She had a basket of board books that she allowed them to choose from for
checkout.
Half of my student population is Trainable Mentally Impaired (TMI), but
in our building, this includes students with the labels of Down
Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, etc. Some students are at the high
(educable) end, while others are very low-functioning. Any given class
can contain a wide range of abilities and disabilities. Although
mental
age may be half of chronological age, I teach at the intellectual level
of the student, but in a manner, and with expectations, appropriate to
chronological age. This means that I don't baby my kids, but rather
offer them stories, computer CDs, projects, and other resources and
activities that will be enriching and enjoyable, with opportunities for
participation, that are mental/chronological age-correct. So, what do
I
do for 45-minutes each week with classes from ages 5-14?
*I teach students appropriate use of the Media Center and its
resources--correct book handling, selection, circulation procedure,
listening skills, turn-taking, computer skills (choosing and inserting
a
CD, learning to handle the mouse, cause and effect, etc.);
*I read aloud (with voices, great feeling, much laughter, and hammy
acting) to model enjoyment of books and literature and provide language
and literacy exposure;
*I took some courses recently which have enabled me to look at literacy
for my students in a new way, with higher expectations. Consequently,
this year I am establishing a literacy center in my LMC. I will divide
each class into 2 groups; 1 group will work with me on literacy, and
the
other will work with the Parapro on computers and computer CDs that
enhance literacy. Groups will rotate through both centers. I will be
teaching sight-word recognition, phonemic awareness, writing, etc, all
based on our curricula. I have purchased and assembled materials to
enable me to have a literacy center: magnetic alphabet letters,
dry-erase boards, velcro books, chart paper, rubber stamps, listening
center books and tapes, adapted books (adapted with "page fluffers"--do
you know about these? Very helpful for students who don't have good
fine
motor skills to turn paper pages), puzzles, games, etc. I have been
collecting "environmental print" (cereal boxes, newspapers, labels,
containers, anything that has real world print with kid recognition) to
help students understand that "print has meaning" just like icons and
symbols do;
*I have purchased a single switch device (Big Mack) from Ablenet which
allows me to record a 20-second message. I use this for non-verbal or
minimally-verbal students to say "I want to check out a book, please."
I also use this device to record the repetitive line of repetitive-line
stories so students can take turns participating by "reading" the
repeated line. I also bought an All-Turn-It switch-activated spinner
to
increase participation thru turn-taking and choice-making (also Ablenet
www.ablenetinc.com).
*Board books adapted with glue-dot page-fluffers are great for younger
students. Children can independently turn pages, and if the books get
drooled on, they can be cleansed with spray disinfectant!
I could go on and on--I love these kids and this stuff! Please let me
know if I can do anything to help you. I have tons of resources, and I
love to share! Most of all, remember that humor, laughter, and the
absurd really work with these (indeed all) kids--but keep it concrete,
not abstract. For example, Paul Brett Johnson's "The Cow Who Wouldn't
Come Down," is a great read aloud because everyone knows that cows
don't
fly! I spent two wonderful years (and some summers since then) as the media
specialist in a school for TMH and profoundly handicapped kids. I
remember
sitting at my dest the week before school started that first year and
wondering what to do with the kids. The answer is -- whatever you
would do
with other kids of that mental age!
TMH kids can be absolutely wonderful and a ton of fun. Just think of
what
you do with PreK and kindergarteners for a start. Picture books,
finger
plays, cut-and-draw stories, puppets -- anything like that will be a
hit.
The kids like to participate, so repetitive stories and the like would
be
good. I also did very simple crafts that related to the stories we'd
read
at times -- simple coloring, gluing, and probably cutting. You'll know
fairly soon from their teachers what they can do. They loved seeing
their
work displayed in the Media Center.
These kids can also learn about how books are shelved in the easy
section,
and about parts of the book -- also authors and illustrators.
In short, just think of these kids as slightly larger (physically)
kindergarteners and you'll probably be fine. Go into their classroom
and
observe the teacher with them a couple of times if you can. That will
give you an idea of their interests and abilities, and also of any
special
management techniques the teacher uses. (My TMH kids were, for the
most
part, very well-behaved; like all kids, there were a couple who acted
up.)
TMH kids do respond well to consistency, so having a pattern for their
visits to the meida center is a good thing.
I spent two wonderful years (and some summers since then) as the media
specialist in a school for TMH and profoundly handicapped kids. I
remember
sitting at my dest the week before school started that first year and
wondering what to do with the kids. The answer is -- whatever you
would do
with other kids of that mental age!
TMH kids can be absolutely wonderful and a ton of fun. Just think of
what
you do with PreK and kindergarteners for a start. Picture books,
finger
plays, cut-and-draw stories, puppets -- anything like that will be a
hit.
The kids like to participate, so repetitive stories and the like would
be
good. I also did very simple crafts that related to the stories we'd
read
at times -- simple coloring, gluing, and probably cutting. You'll know
fairly soon from their teachers what they can do. They loved seeing
their
work displayed in the Media Center.
These kids can also learn about how books are shelved in the easy
section,
and about parts of the book -- also authors and illustrators.
In short, just think of these kids as slightly larger (physically)
kindergarteners and you'll probably be fine. Go into their classroom
and
observe the teacher with them a couple of times if you can. That will
give you an idea of their interests and abilities, and also of any
special
management techniques the teacher uses. (My TMH kids were, for the
most
part, very well-behaved; like all kids, there were a couple who acted
up.)
TMH kids do respond well to consistency, so having a pattern for their
visits to the meida center is a good thing. Try doing puppet shows, and if they are
not too handicapped, let them
put on plays. Use plays you have found or written first and if they are
ready, let them write their own. how about also doing fairy tales with them--these
can be acted
out as well with you as the narrator and guiding them through what
actions they need to take. For instance, I do the Three Billy goats
gruff with my Kindergarten students and I use a plank of wood as the
bridge and have them cross the bridge and meet the troll on the bridge
and I tell them what to say and these kids really get into acting these
stories out. Easy poetry may also be good--I have cutouts illustrating
the poems. The children are involved in helping me with many of the
poems--they repeat after me, etc.
Also, how about some sequencing stories such as "A Fly Went By" and "Are
You my mother." When I read the stories the students together repeat
what happens (fly chased by a frog who is chased by a cat who is chased
by a dog who is chased by a pig, etc.--this is a surprise in a Fly went
by and I have the kids try to guess what is chasing the dog). I had a similar one
that they have
since moved from my school and I miss them. I tried to do something
each week that supported the activities that the teachers had been
working on or if it was something that had been done to death I chose
something that related and read a story that related. They LOVED
repetition and music soooo at the end of each lesson we sang a few
songs... MOSTLY the SAME songs each week. They enjoyed them and knew
them well by the end of the year. Two of the songs I used were action
songs with motions. Just choose ones that they seem to like if you are
worried about the level. Also if there was something in the story that
had an easy sign .. as in American Sign Language.. we signed it every
time the word popped up.. such as umbrella.
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