by Janie Haugen-McLane, Co-Founder PCI Education (as told to Denise Jacks)
(Third in a Series: 20+ Years Building PCI Education)
Me: “Janie” . . . “JANIE?”
Janie: “Yes”
M: “Sorry to interrupt but, I need to get a blog post from you. You know, about the process of starting PCI. It’s a follow-up to the one about your first experience in the classroom.”
J: “I can’t right now, I’m working on the Life Skills Games. On a deadline.”
M: “Aren’t those the products you started PCI Education with 20 years ago?”
J: “Yes, actually. We’re refreshing the games, they need updating to today’s world.”
M: “Cool. Well, why did you create the games to begin with?”
J: “Well, at the time, I was working in group homes with adults with intellectual disabilities and needed a way to get them to remember and follow the rules.”
M: “Hmmm, seems simple enough.”
J: “Not really! There were like a bazillion rules that staff and people that lived there had to follow.”
M: “Ohhh, I see.”
J: “Right, and that’s why four games turned into 16 games!”
M: “So, why a game?
J: “It was a fun way to get everyone at the group home to remember the rules without having to tell them over and over. They enjoyed playing the games and it gave them reinforcement and reward for following the steps and remembering the tasks they needed to carry out.”
M: “Well, I guess I better let you get back to your work”
J: “Okay”
M: “Thanks for the blog post, Janie”
J: “Huh?”
by Janie Haugen-McLane, Co-Founder PCI Education
(Second in a Series: 20+ Years Building PCI Education)
There will always be certain students whom you remember fondly. For me, the first was Russell M. in my classroom in Houston, Texas, 1987. In order to save money (in a tough economy), a teacher who resigned from the campus… “adults with special needs,” was not replaced.
All the teachers had to draw names from a hat to get four new students. I had only been there a few weeks and didn’t know any students other than the ones in my classroom. I drew the name, Russell M. and was quite surprised when a long-term teacher looked at me and with wide-eyes exclaimed, “Whew, I’m glad I didn’t get him.” That was a little scary to say the least.
I was nervous the next morning anxious to see my students when the door opened wide and they blew in. One student stopped dead still, looked over at me, and said, “A princess!” Here was this tall, early 30ish handsome man with an impish grin from ear to ear. He held out a hand to shake and said with the slightest lisp, “I’m Russell. You are pretty.”
We were crazy about each other right from the start. In fact, he became a little too infatuated with me so I had my big, burly husband, Jeff, come visit the classroom and Russell “fell” for him too! While on business trips, Jeff began sending Russell postcards from all over the country—it was the perfect win-win solution. After each trip, Russell would ask my husband if he saw any “grrrrs,” their secret word for pretty girls and when not out of town Jeff would often take off work early to come visit with Russell – some time for man talk.
In March of that year, Jeff sent a bunch of daffodils, King Alfreds, for my birthday. I told Russell that since I was a little girl, I had called them Buttercups because yellow was my favorite color… he never forgot that conversation. Even years later, Russell would talk to me or write me and mention my favorite flowers. Of course, he always called them Buttercups. How I loved him, his mischievous almost shy smile, and his entertaining stories.
I met Russell’s parents and we all became friends. When my husband decided to start a bio-tech company in San Antonio in 1988, the hardest part was leaving Russell and the other students in my class. We all cried and Russell said, “I’ll be over to see you, don’t you worry.”
And you know what? His family did come to San Antonio in their motor-home and we had a wonderful time. Russell is one of the bright lights in my life.
I thank God everyday for allowing me the honor of drawing Russell’s name from that hat. It turned out to be my lucky hat. Sometimes things just fall into place, and Russell fell into the center of my heart. I miss him greatly!
Question of the Week: Who was that first student who stole your heart and made you love teaching? Please use the first name and last initial for privacy reasons. PCI and I would love to hear your experience.
Come on board with PCI and blog your story to the world.
___________________________________________________________________________
Janie McLane Co-Founder PCI Education
Janie McLane Co-Founder PCI Education
Janie Haugen-McLane, creator of PCI’s flagship product, the best-selling Life Skills Programs, Series I and II, draws on her years of teaching to develop real-world, innovative educational products. She has conceived of and developed more than 95% of PCI’s proprietary products and has attracted a number of nationally recognized authors to PCI.
by Janie Haugen-McLane, Co-Founder PCI Education
I arrived in Special Education through a side door. When my accounting job in Houston, Texas ended in 1987, (because the company closed unexpectedly) the want-ads became my new friend. A small ad caught my eye: Need teacher with degree to work with adults with special needs in classroom setting.
Janie Haugen-McLane (Back in The Day)
Having volunteered at Special Olympics before and loving it, I hurried over to a large residential campus in the River Oaks section of Houston. The administrator took me on a tour to visit the classroom where 30 adult students (ranging in ages from 18 to 70) and two teachers occupied an extremely large room. After introducing me to the students, these dedicated educators explained why they loved working there. Within minutes the students were gathered around me, all talking at the same time and begging me to be their new teacher. I was the one excited; no one had ever pleaded for me to work for them anywhere before. I was hooked and started my journey into Special Education.
There were ten students in the morning class and ten different students in the afternoon. My new job was to teach life skills… how to survive in the real world. I wanted to give to these students an exciting, fun and creative environment; I wanted them to have the best that life has to offer.
Wanting to beat the sludge of early-morning Houston traffic, I would arrive at the school more than an hour before the 8 a.m. class time. Since it was a residential facility, little by little, my students began knocking on the locked classroom door, pleading to come to class early. Together, we would work on getting the classroom ready for the day. We talked, we laughed, they learned, I learned… and as the days unfolded we learned about each other, about who and what we were.
In the first few days of teaching, one student was making the two “e’s” in his name backwards. Sitting down at the table by him, I showed him an easier way to make an “e.” Then he proceeded to write his name again with the backwards letters. Just as I began to say something else, he tugged on my sleeve, “Miss Janie, did they not tell you that there is something wrong with my brain?”
Stopping in my tracks, I excused myself to the other teacher and stepped outside the classroom. Tears welled up in my eyes. What had I been thinking? This was an adult man who had been trying to write his name correctly for over thirty years. In the whole, big scheme of things, what did it really matter? Upon returning to the classroom, I made a check-mark by his name signaling a job well done and assigned him another task. That day was the turning point in my life; I became the student… the student became my teacher.
Quietly and with little warning these students captured my imagination and heart. Special Education was the place where I belonged. Finally, I had discovered my life’s purpose. Life would never be the same.
Question of the Day: What drew you to a career in Education? PCI wants to hear and learn about your experience. Come on board with PCI and blog your story to the world.
___________________________________________________________________________
Janie McLane Co-Founder PCI Education
Janie Haugen-McLane, creator of PCI’s flagship product, the best-selling Life Skills Programs, Series I and II, draws on her years of teaching to develop real-world, innovative educational products. She has conceived of and developed more than 95% of PCI’s proprietary products and has attracted a number of nationally recognized authors to PCI.
March 23rd, 2011 in
Uncategorized |
9 Comments
By Jose Romero
A month ago, I was having lunch with an administrator who shared with me the story of how her grandson, who at barely three years old, could quickly access a popular website that offers educational games. She was amazed at how easily he was able to get to her favorites folder and start the game without any guidance from an adult. I am sure you have similar stories of your own.
In contrast, I bashfully confess that it took me years to become a moderately fluent typist. The album that takes five minutes for a younger cousin to upload and publish on Facebook takes me hours, perhaps because I carefully pick which pictures I want to share. Although my exposure to it was limited during my school years, technology did make a positive impact on my own learning experience.
The reality now for adolescent and younger learners is that they are exposed to multiple technology devices at an earlier and faster rate than those of us who remember dialing up to access the Internet. For the longest time, I remained wary of using technology devices in the classroom. However, the more I fondly reflect upon certain computer programs that I used as a young student, the more I realize the value that technology offered me. It allowed me to explore worlds I could not experience through field trips or books, and it helped me develop basic skills.
I think back to my middle school days in the Washington, DC suburbs of Maryland, when I excitedly waited for the days I got to go to Lab and play “Oregon Trail.” In groups of two or three, we navigated rivers, hunted deer, and bargained for and traded supplies. We knew that when someone slammed a computer, he or she had unfortunately succumbed to typhoid fever or malaria.
As a person who had left a rural village in El Salvador at the age of six and never left the confines of my new home outside Washington, DC when I was a child, I now see how important technology was to my closest exposure to the pioneer life I would experience as a young learner. Field trips and books were other alternatives, but I distinctly remember the eager anticipation of playing this simulation game.
In elementary school, my teacher, Dr. Clarke, was an old-school teacher who focused on the basics: reading and math. In addition to multiplication and division problems and repeated chants of “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sadie,” he supplemented the daily routines by allowing us to play Math Munchers. Dr. Clarke would have students line up against the wall, count off 1-2-3, and divide into teams. Those who were number one would sit in front of the computer and play “Math Munchers” in groups, using the two computers in the classroom. The other two groups would use flash cards to practice their multiplication tables or solve problems together. Once we students were busily working, our teacher would come by and quiz each team working on their multiplication facts and keep an eye on the students working on the computers. Then, after ten minutes, he would rotate the groups.
Dr. Clarke was not using these games to simply fill instructional time or provide entertainment. He was absolutely serious about ensuring that we had some basic math skills once we left him at the end of the year, and he would use any means available to him to do this.
Technology tools have the power to inspire learning, allow students to explore new worlds, and reinforce and apply skills.
Tell us, what you are doing with technology tools or computer-based programs in your classroom?
What do your students enjoy most? What do you enjoy using?
What are some challenges you have in integrating technology in the classroom? What are your concerns?
___________________________________________________________________________
Jose C. Romero, National Education Consultant
Jose’s responsibilities include organizing and delivering in-service and professional development sessions in districts and at conferences for PCI’s reading and math intervention products, stayingcurrent on emergent and current Education issues through professional readings, trainings, and networking with professional organizations.
Prior to joining PCI Education on October 2010, Jose C. Romero worked with Kaplan’s K12 Learning Services as an Implementation manager for Kaplan’s pre-college and intervention products. In addition to ensuring the fidelity of intervention and pre-college programs, Jose has provided coaching, training, direct instruction, and management for SpellRead, a top rated reading intervention program for struggling readers by the What Works Clearinghouse. He earned a BS in Finance and Marketing from the University of Maryland in College Park and resides in Maryland.
March 11th, 2011 in
edtech | tags:
edugames,
technology |
1 Comment
By Jill Haney – Author of the PCI Reading Program and Chief Product Evangelist
As the mother of two children, including one with autism who is nonverbal, I am intrigued by the possibilities that new technologies present for engaging all learners. I’ve watched my seven-year-old daughter learn to master her Wii and DSi game consoles far more quickly than I seem to be able to learn the ins and outs of Excel. My five-year-old son was interacting with electronics intended for three-year-olds before he turned one. He may be nonverbal, but I’ve learned to see the patterns of which electronic toys and which musical tunes he chooses to settle down for bed, calm down when frustrated, or start his “get-ready-in-the-morning” routine.
The first time I got a close look at the iPad, I started thinking about its usefulness as a communication device. iPad users can download applications that show survival signs, teach letter-sound correspondence, and make counting money fun. For my son, I can see the iPad becoming a digital communication book he can use to indicate what he needs or the destination he would like to go simply by touching an image on the screen.
So it doesn’t surprise me that schools like Wood Lane School in Bowling Green, Ohio, are using iPads in their classrooms for students with special needs. As the teacher in the article states, the iPad has the potential to replace much more costly assistive technology devices and be more versatile in its uses.
What are some of the new technologies you are using to reach students with special needs in your school or district? What applications would you like to see become available?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Jill Haney
Jill’s responsibilities include managing the development of proprietary reading curriculums, training customers on PCI’s reading curriculums and other proprietary products, conceptualizing new products, writing sales and marketing literature related to the reading curriculums, staying current on reading and other educational research, overseeing the research conducted on PCI’s products, and staying current on federal and state legislation related to education.
Prior to her career with PCI Education, she was a national reading consultant and a seventh grade reading teacher. In 1999, she was named Teacher of the Year for San Antonio ISD and won the Trinity Prize for Teaching. Haney earned a BA with honors and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Trinity University in San Antonio. She has additional graduate reading hours from University of Texas San Antonio.
Morgan’s Wonderland, PCI Education and WeAreTeachers are thrilled to announce the top 10 finalists for the
Morgan’s Wonderland Contest. Nearly 250 teachers nominated a student and his or her family for a chance to win a free trip to Morgan’s Wonderland. Located in San Antonio, Morgan’s Wonderland is a 25-acre park designed specifically for children and adults with special needs, their families, caregivers, and friends.
Voting began on Oct. 4, when the submitted nominations were available online at WeAreTeachers. During the three-week period, the nominations received more than 56,000 votes, with the top 10 finalists receiving 35,000 votes, and the top two receiving 17,000 votes. We never expected this level of response for a first-time contest. In my humble opinion, the most awesome aspect of this contest is that not only did families and friends get behind each of these students – entire schools and communities rallied votes and support on TV and online! Over 56,000 people took the time to learn more about and vote for a student with special needs.
A panel of judges will review the top 10 finalists listed below, and select the grand prize winner, plus five runners-up, which will all be announced on Nov. 10. – STAY TUNED – THAT’S THIS WEDNESDAY!!!
The teacher who nominated the grand prize winner will receive a suite of PCI Education Curriculum products, including the PCI Education Reading Program and Environmental Print Series. Teachers who nominated the five runners-up will have the opportunity to select one of the following products from PCI Education: PCI Reading Program or Environmental Print Series.
We are in awe of every amazing student, parent and teacher who participated in this program, and we know that you will also be inspired by these incredible and touching stories. Without further ado, here are the top 10 student finalists and a little bit about each:
Brenden Baker – Abilene, Texas
Brenden is like any other seven-year-old boy who loves to go to school, eat chicken nuggets and play at the playground. However, Brenden is not average in size, as he is approximately 18 pounds and 26 inches tall. Brenden has Desbuquois Syndrome, an extremely rare form of Dwarfism. According to Brenden’s teacher Marsha Stewart, “Brenden is a very special part of our family at Bassetti Elementary School, and he reminds us often that it really is the “little” things in life that bring us real joy!”
Katherine Hobson – Stuart, Florida
Katherine has a delightful personality that motivates others around her. She is eager to please others and never gives up, despite living with Cerebral Palsy. Katherine has no functional use of her arms and legs, and is severely limited in her speech. Relying on others for her life sustaining care, Katherine appreciates each and every little thing that is done on her behalf. According to her teacher Doris Davis, “Katherine inspires me every day with her positive attitude and tremendous effort.”
Casey Rohrer – Hermosa Beach, California
Casey has a genuine smile and infectious laugh that has turned classmates into friends. He is unable to walk or speak on his own due to Cerebral Palsy, but with the help of a mobility and communication device, Casey is able to participate in the activities of every day school and home life. “Thanks to Casey, the students and staff at our school have developed an enhanced sense of empathy and understanding about his disability by learning to include him, speak with him and involve him as they would any other child at school,” said teacher Jeannine Madden.
Jose Mendez – Cicero, Illinois
Jose has a positive attitude and a creative imagination, despite his learning disability. He doesn’t let us difficulties impede his success, regardless of the challenge. Jose’s family is extremely involved and supportive, and works hard to ensure his success both in the classroom and at home. As he grows into a young adult, he is starting to become aware of his special needs. According to his teacher Julie Mensik, “This trip would help him gain more self-confidence, and illustrate that a goal is attainable with focus and drive.”
Presley Sones – Minden, Louisiana
Presley enjoys every bit of life and those around her. She has Cerebral Palsy, and uses a wheelchair for mobility and splints on her hands and feet for stability. Her family spends a huge amount of time and effort to support the needs of Presley, along with their other two daughters. “Presley comes to school with a presence about her that positively affects everyone around her,” said teacher Amy Lee, “and those that have met her hold a special place in their heart for Presley.”
Ellis Nesby – Mounds, Illinois
Ellis has Angelman syndrome, which is characterized by intellectual and developmental delays. He is learning to walk and uses a wheelchair, unless he is in his walker. Ellis is fortunate to have an outstanding mother and grandmother who see beyond his disabilities and recognize the wonders of this special child. “I enjoy working with Ellis because his eyes light up when I ask him to complete his work,” said teacher Gayla Dial. “Ellis can make me smile even though everything around me is pulling me down.”
Jacob Ingham – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Jacob has real zest for life. In spite of the many medical treatments and setbacks he has endured, Jacob always remains positive. His special needs result from a brain tumor that negatively impacts his physical mobility, memory, vision, and stamina. “Jacob has inspired me to be a more creative teacher,” said Tina Mansfield. “I’ve learned so much about working from someone’s strengths and interests versus focusing on remediating someone’s weakness.”
Ryland Reese – Amarillo, Texas
Ryland is a joy to everyone in his entire school district. He was born premature with Down syndrome and has been very sick over the past two years. However, Ryland is a fighter and has persevered through the challenges with his health, and is now doing extremely well. According to his teacher, Sherry Lawrence, “His parents take care of him like he’s a king. In fact, to everyone in our school district, he is king. We cherish and love this kid so.”
Sierra Craft – Houston, Texas
Sierra is a special girl who captures the hearts of others. She is confined to a wheelchair and nonverbal due to Cerebral Palsy, but that doesn’t stop her from smiling and trying to communicate with others. Sierra is very observant, and willing to try the same activities as others regardless of her disability. “Sierra inspires me to tell others that even though a child may have special needs, they can still learn and do things that we may think are unreachable. Sierra has changed the minds of teachers and staff as to what students with special needs can accomplish,” said teacher Aimee Erskins.
Lauren Tebbe – Wapakoneta, Ohio
Lauren brings such joy to everyone she meets through her sunny personality and quick wit. She is a twenty-one-year-old student with severe delays in the areas of cognition, communication and academics. Lauren arrives at school each day, entering door with a smile, a vigorous good morning to all, and a handshake for each of the staff. According to teacher Nancy Maute, “We should all strive to be a little more like Lauren and this world might be a little better for it.”
Overwhelmed by the support of the student’s teachers, family and communities, PCI Education and WeAreTeachers are seeking additional resources to possibly send more than one child to Morgan’s Wonderland. In addition, the sponsors are seeking more special education materials to send to classrooms across the country.
Due to the success of this year’s contest, Morgan’s Wonderland, PCI Education and WeAreTeachers have committed to hosting the competition again next year.
What are you doing in your classroom or community to support students with special needs? Post a comment and let us hear your thoughts!
Michael Erins from Masters in Education, included our little blog in his recent compilation of outstanding blogs titled, “100 Blogs That Will Make You A Better Teacher“.
You should check it out, it contains some great blogs that we already follow and some that we should. I always appreciate it when folks take the time to research and compile the best, most relevant blogs and put them in one place – makes it easy for me to add what I need to my Google Reader 
Thanks Michael!
October 11th, 2010 in
Special Education Resource | tags:
blogs,
sped resources |
Comments Off
(Cross-posted from The Education Business Blog, by Lee Wilson, President and CEO of PCI Education)
“With the right support and intervention…people with learning disabilities can succeed in school and go on to be successful later in life.” Wikipedia
Last week PCI acquired SpellRead, Momentum Math, Text Connections, Summer Ventures, and an unreleased Algebra program from Kaplan. Given that this is an unorthodox move in these economic times I thought I’d lay out the case for the acquisition.
These intervention programs target reading or math and they fit snugly into our line of products for academically challenged students. They are age appropriate for middle and high school students who are significantly behind grade-level expectations and need intensive, small-group instruction.
They also have some outstanding research results – in fact SpellRead was the small group intervention program rated the highest by the What Works Clearinghouse.
Really? In this economy?
It may not seem like the optimal time to be making a move like this with the economy and education budgets looking like they will stagnate or decline for the next several years.
But as we look ahead we see an ongoing emphasis on serving all students and in particular reaching those students that traditional approaches have failed. A quick review of the policy directives coming out of the Obama Department of Education makes clear that accountability is not going to be sacrificed to short term economic pressures. That in turn means schools will continue to invest in reaching students who are struggling.
Evidence also shows that companies that invest wisely during downturns emerge stronger than competitors who pull back. We have increased our catalog distribution, hired sales reps, and boosted our on-line presence in the last 18 months. These new products fit nicely into our channel mix and should help fuel our market beating growth record of the past couple of years.
The Strategic Context
The supplemental publishing world has been in transition for several years. The traditional market for small scale ad-ons to basal materials is still there, but alongside it a world of comprehensive targeted intervention curricula has sprung up. In fact, most of the growth has come from the comprehensive side – examples include Read 180 and Wilson in reading and Carnegie Learning and TouchMath in mathematics.
The reason for this is rooted in student outcomes. Educators have figured out that instructional materials designed specifically for the job at hand are much more effective in reaching these students where they are. It is possible use adaptations and modifications of the basal textbook materials – but it isn’t optimal.
All of these products fit into this new category.
A More Complete Product Line
PCI has traditionally served both the Learning Disabilities (LD) market and the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) market. For the past 3-4 years our internal product development focus has been on filling a huge gap for IDD focused academic programs. The PCI Reading Program and Environmental Print are behind our rapid expansion in 2009 and 2010.
The acquisition refreshes our line on the LD side with 5 top notch programs. Our Development Team’s first reaction on seeing the materials was “this is exactly what we would have written.” We were impressed by the simplicity of design and the thoughtful structure provided for instruction in the materials.
If you are interested in seeing where we go with them be sure to tune into our web site for further developments. We have some pretty cool ideas about how to take rock solid programs and wrap them with innovations that build on 19 years of expertise in serving these students.
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Build Instructional Materials for 21st Century Skills
by Erin Kinard
As educators, our task is to push students to move past the boundaries of what they are currently able to do—to expand their abilities, stretch their knowledge, test their understandings, and apply skills in new and unfamiliar contexts. We do this in an effort to help students achieve their fullest potential—to be their best academic, social, emotional, and professional selves.
For most students, taking risks in a learning environment is not an easy or comfortable process. For students who have experienced repeated failures in school, the prospect of taking risks can be paralyzing.
At the recent Games, Learning & Society (GLS) conference , Beth King, a PhD. candidate at the University of Washington at Madison, presented on the process of “creating possibility spaces” for students within the virtual world of Sims2. King described her research with adolescent boys who were disaffiliated with school and had low academic self-esteem. The boys also had a strong affiliation with video games and gaming culture. “The project goal was to encourage each participant to consider the future not in terms of current academic performance but instead based upon their unique hopes, dreams and passion using potential self (Markus & Nurius, 1986) strategies.”
King situated herself as an advocate for the boys by creating safe places for them to practice their “authentic” selves and explore “possible” selves. Within the virtual world of Sims2, she had the boys explore who they thought they could become, who they were afraid to become, and who they were likely to become. King then conducted a series of career development interventions that included a blend of self-explorations within the virtual world sandbox as well as visits to actual worksites and college campuses. After the project, the boys who participated reported an increased ability to visualize their “hoped-for” futures. They also spoke about their individual futures with language that indicated much more agency and ownership.
As educators of students with special needs, the “possibility space” opened up within the sandbox of the virtual world is something we should be fully exploring. If we can give students the opportunity to safely “try on” a number of different occupations and explore various futures and identities, they may surprise us in ways we could never imagine.
________________________________________________________________________
Erin Kinard
Vice President, Product Development/Publisher
Erin Kinard joined PCI as the Vice President, Product Development/Publisher in December, 2009. Kinard oversees product development for the company. Prior to joining PCI, Kinard served as Editorial Director, Reading and ESL for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Supplemental Publishers in Austin. During her eight years at Harcourt, Kinard held a variety of positions including Editorial Director of Steck-Vaughn, and Editorial Director of Reading for Harcourt Achieve. In addition to her educational publishing experience at other companies including Brown Publishing Network and Scholastic, Inc.,
By Deborah Kubecka, Creative Director
There is a world of design that exists for special needs students that is not taught in university but is rather learned by the designer in the hands-on world of special needs education and publishing. Because there are so many different kinds of students with special needs, we don’t have a “one design fits all” system. Although designing for our students requires simple and straightforward aesthetics, the thought behind the design is not simple. We tailor our design process to consider the age, grade level, and intellectual level of the student for each product, the goal being to produce on-level, clean design.
“Simple” can be hard to achieve. Designers edit themselves much in the same way an author does. We ask ourselves “At what point does the interesting/pretty/colorful graphic just get in the way? Is it necessary? Does it provide clarification for the student? Does it support the copy/worksheet or does it compete with it? Especially when designing for students with intellectual disabilities, “Simple” cannot be abstract – the graphics must be recognizable, the copy must be legible.
It is important to see the product through the eyes of the student and we learn to design for this special population from our teachers and from the students themselves. Generally, for design purposes, we break our audience into two groups—those students who have learning disabilities, (i.e., the student who may be in 7th grade but who is reading on a 3rd grade level) and those students with varying degrees of Intellectual disabilities. Because disabilities span all ages, our products have to address the disability as well as the age of the target population.
Three of my favorite sayings follow:
A picture is worth a thousand words
• Visual support for the copy/text helps the reader to identify a word or provides a clue as to the meaning of that word or paragraph.
• The imagery needs to be recognizable—not too abstract or stylized.
• Color-coding can play a large role when trying to clarify a pattern or concept.
What you don’t say can be as important as what you do say
The use of negative space is one of our most valuable tools. It provides a “breather” for the student, makes the page less intimidating, and asks the student to focus on the important elements of a page.
Some of the ways we accomplish this are:
• Wider side margins (shorter column widths)
• An uncluttered page—no unnecessary objects on the page.
• Every element should have a purpose.
Bigger is Better (sometimes)
Fonts
• Because fonts vary in legibility, we have no hard and fast rules dictating a certain font or size, except that they be, without doubt, legible.
• We stay away from display fonts for body copy and are carefully selective in our use of them for titles and headlines.
• Age appropriate —typically larger font sizes are used more for Elementary products than for Secondary and Adult products.
• Math products and many worksheets can vary widely in font size.
Leading
• Generally we allow more leading, but not so much that the lines of type become disjointed causing the student to lose his or her train of thought.
• Leading should be comfortable, flowing.
We try to use all of these techniques in a subtle way so as to not emphasize the differences of our special needs students from the general ed population. We hope that our designs will be clean, interesting, fresh, appropriate, and above all, help the student in his learning process.
