Special Education Services
Plano Independent School District

Repeat That!

Goal:
The role of reading predictable stories and stories with repetitive lines in literacy development is well documented. Participating in this type of reading helps build many skills including: attention, memory, interaction, listening, and vocabulary. It is important for individuals who are nonverbal and/or who do not have the vocabulary.

Materials:
BigMack
Story with repeating and predictable lines

Steps:

1. Read through the chosen book. Look for a word, phrase, or sentence
that reoccurs throughout the text. This will become the message to be recorded into the BigMack.
2. Follow the instructions on the back of the BigMack to record the
message.
3. Position the BigMack so it is easily accessed by the user.
4. Read the story aloud several times so the children are familiar with the story. Then tell them what line of the story they will "read” aloud. The first few times you read with the user, it may be necessary to signal them when it is time for their line. After a few trials it is hoped that they will begin to anticipate their line and activate the device appropriately.

Activity Variations:

In the story “Brown Bear, Brown Bear”, various animals are seen throughout the story. These animal sounds could be recorded sequentially as they appear in the story into a Step-by-Step Communicator.

Even stories that do not have a repetitive or predictable line can be used in a predictable manner. A message such as "Turn the page” can be programmed into the device and the user instructed to use this message at appropriate times.

Here are the names of several other predictable stories:

• “The Doorbell Rang”
• “Roll Over”
• “Old McDonald Had a Farm”
• “Love you Forever”
• “The Ants Go Marching”

For addtional information: Adaptivation

Permission granted: 1-14-03

 

 

 

Plano Independent School District
Department of Special Education Services
2700 W. 15th Street
Plano, Texas 75075-7543
469-752-8240