Jump to content

Menu

Readtopia


Recommended Posts

Don Johnston Inc. | Readtopia — Comprehensive Reading • ELA • Social Studies • Science

 

Saw this on facebook, and it's kind of blowing my mind. I wish they had homeschool pricing. To get higher level material with so much visual and to be able to choose the reading level, it's pretty wow. I'm trying to stretch my mind on how I could create a similar experience for him. That ability to pair picture and text is SO good for comprehension, but the large font and minimal text suits him much better than the graphic novels they market to NT kids.

 

If I could get it affordably, I'd try it in a heartbeat.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I teach the target population for the series, secondary students with intellectual or developmental disabilities who read on an emergent to early conventional level.  I'm kind of a Karen Erickson groupie, and a big fan of Caroline Ramsey Musselwhite as well.  I also really like both the Start to Finish series (Literacy Starters, and Online Library/Core).  Given all that, I was super excited to hear this was coming out.  I attended the first webinar they held and spent hours pouring over the sample materials.  It's definitely a huge improvement over most of what is out there for the target population, or what they're doing in our local public schools, and well aligned with current thinking.

 

However, in the end, I'm not sure I'm going to buy it, primarily because the units they've chosen aren't well aligned with our school's curriculum, but also for some other nitpicky reasons.  Down the road, if they have a full year's worth of content aligned with US history, or if any of the texts that our high school uses, then I might well change my mind.
 

The quote I got for 1 teacher (regardless of number of students) was $549, with a $100 discount if you committed to multiple years.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Daria, thanks, those are good leads! Googling KE turned up some other stuff, hehe, like a romance author, oops. Found this for CRM.

 

Literacy for All: In conversation with Dr. Caroline Musselwhite | Engaging All Learners

 

In that video 5 she's talking about building background knowledge. I think that's what I'm really liking about the Readtopia is the way they're pairing fiction and non-fiction and getting engagement. Also the heavy use of visual. So I'm trying to think about how I can do that at home, with my 8 yo ASD with SLDs, without spending $500+, sigh. I'm realizing it's summer and we haven't been going to the library, so that's a problem I can solve. He is probably ready to do the summer reading program. 

 

I see what you're saying that it's targeted to older kids. I definitely like the concept though. I think it should trickle down really well. I had been trying to get there myself with my themes idea. I got ASK magazine issues and wanted to use them as themes. I thought my worker would do it, then things weren't working out well, and then we let go the worker. So this is letting me see where this could go. 

 

Are there lists that pair fiction and non-fiction books that are very visual? I'm just asking that aloud. I need to google and a bit and solve it for myself. 

 

Video #11 on the cost of underestimating the potential of students was really good, short but good.

 

I hadn't seen the Start to Finish series. I'll go look at them now. Ok, looking at it, it looks like it would be *roughly* equivalent to get immersion reading going with him. We tried a year ago, and he wasn't ready. 

Edited by OhElizabeth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Karen Erickson is a college professor and researcher at the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at UNC Chapel Hill. She does amazing work in the field of education for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, as well as kids with multiple disabilities. I think her most exciting work right now is on the Universal Core, which is revolutionizing the way people teach language to students with the most complex communication needs. It wouldn't be the right choice for your child, but if you googled it you'd probably find it fascinating.

 

I would be cautious about pulling curriculum written for older kids with intellectual disabilities down for younger kids with stronger cognition for a variety of reasons. One is simply that I think that for most kids it makes sense to wait for a text like Red Badge of Courage until kids can get more from the text.

 

There are other programs that link narrative and now nonfiction texts with lots of visuals, but are more age appropriate for an 8 year old. I can't come up with titles right now but will hopefully remember to come back with some.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OhE, have you tried ReadWorks Digital? They have articles at all different lexile levels, and now they have a feature where the student can hear the article read aloud. I LOVE it, and it's free. They also have a huge selection of articles, so your son could find a lot to interest him, hopefully!

 

I'm off to check out the links you provided above - thank you!!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Reading A-Z has some nice pairs.  If you're a member search for "paired books".  

 

Here's another collection.  They've got some interesting choices:

 

http://products.lakeshorelearning.com/learning/Fiction-Non-Fiction-Paired-Books

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of background knowledge, ReadWorks recently launched a new feature called Article-a-Day. They provide five (or six?) articles around the same theme - Japan, animals that live in the water, natural disasters, to name a few - so kids can build up some background knowledge. I like the idea of reading five or six of the same theme a week rather than jumping around each day. You can still choose the lexile level for the Article-a-Day.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So far I haven't officially used them except with one student in a tutorial, but next year I'm planning to print the articles out for my class. It always takes forever to get the laptops, log in, do the work, etc. that I'd rather just print and have the whole thing done in 15 minutes. As far as the book of knowledge, we'll probably just write down something to remember in a journal each day, or draw a picture. I think it will be fun, and a good way to get a few extra minutes of reading and writing in each day :-)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ordered a Spectrum Reading workbook to use with DS this summer. I won't start it until next month, because he has tutoring in June, but I'm pleased with how it looks. I chose it, because there are both fiction and nonfiction passages. What I didn't realize until I received it is that the fiction and nonfiction passages are linked. So (I'm making up this example), there might be a fiction story about someone sailing a boat, and paired with it is a nonfiction passage about boats. I don't have the book in front of me, but I think there may be three linked passages. And then the next few will have something else in common.

 

I love that! Because the nonfiction articles provide context and background knowledge for the fiction ones. DS needs that multi-pronged approach.

 

Someone who doesn't want a workbook approach could easily read and discuss the passages orally.

 

For some reason, my computer won't let me copy the link, but you can find it on Amazon. I ordered grade 6. I assume the other grades would be a similar set up.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Story, yes, we just started the Spectrum Reading 2!!! I *do* like it. The question words and language are work for him too. I like having the structure of thorough materials that give us a lot of opportunity to work on language and catch holes. I bought it on Carson Dellosa's website, and I'm thinking it was with a 50% off sale. Then you have to print it, bummer. We try to keep things really thin, like just one page at a time, never a whole workbook, so I end up printing a ton, sigh. Just makes it look less overwhelming because he only has a little in front of him. 

 

CMo2, I'll have to look those up, thanks! :)

Edited by OhElizabeth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...