Support and Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP)

Literacy for All

• Introduction

  Kathy Strunk, former Director of the Tennessee State Improvement Grant (SIG), introduces the Literacy for All DVD and gives a brief overview of what the SIG does for students, teachers, and families across Tennessee.

• Assistive Technology

  Jim Oldham, Mila Truan, and Doug Walker explain assistive technologyfor children with visual challenges.

• Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

  Dr. Clarissa Willis talks about understanding the role of parents in the lives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

• Literacy For All

  Jenness Roth and Karen Harrison lead a workshop in the importance of including literacy goals in the IEPs of children with special needs.  

• Reading Strategies Parents Can Use

  Dr. Regina Curran and Lisa Crawford show parents the importance of reading aloud to children and demonstrate reading strategies that parents can use to help their child develop literacy skills.

• Literacy in Action: Real Life Success Stories

  This segment follows the successes of three children with special needs on their journey to develop literacy skills.

• Response to Intervention

  Dr. Tom Buggy, from the Siskin Children’s Institute, talks about issues around literacy for children with special needs.  Dr. Buggy also explains the Response to Intervention (RTI), three-tiered model of teaching reading and literacy to children who are struggling with reading skills.

• Helping Children Become Better Readers Workshop

  This segment shows highlights from the Helping Children Become Better Readers workshop for parents.  This workshop explains how literacy skills develop and shows parents concrete ways to help their children become better readers.

• Response to Intervention Workshop

  Dr. Tom Buggy explains Response to Intervention (RTI) at a workshop for parents of children with special needs.