The Teaching Job Continued...

I teach mild to moderate Developmentally Cognitively Delayed teenagers. I have 2 periods of Life Science, 1 period of Personal and Family Resource Management, 1 period of Study Skills, 1 period of Reading and an Advisory. Up until today I didn't have anyone in my Reading class which was nice because I am so overwhelmed with teaching science with limited resources and having never taught science before that I kept quiet about the reading class.

Today though, another DCD teacher delivers two students to me and tells be that these two and one more student will be in my reading class. They are not in my computer and she has not officially changed their schedules, she just brings them to me. I don't have any reading books except two short books that I picked up a week ago at the library for .25 each. I have nothing. Well, I did have the Pioneer Press today, delivered to my room by the hard of hearing students. So, we picked up the newspaper and started browsing. This held their attention though for only so long. The two students that I have to teach reading to are both either 9th or 10th grade and do not read! I'm not sure that they will ever be able to read. They might be able to read small words. They recognize the letters from the alphabet but don't seem to be able to put the sounds together. Comprehension is very low as well so the newspaper terminology and way of writing, even though I was reading to them, was going way over their heads.

So, after school I went in search for reading curriculum. Two teachers who have students with more severe cognitive disabilities had a very comprehensive curriculum that they started at the beginning of the year and are making good progress. The principal agreed to order another set of this curriculum so I'm going to go for it. We'll see if it works. It is very set and rigid in it's instruction and I will be able to do it as long as I don't have more than three students because I need to work individually with them. So, we'll see. Wish me luck!