Angela, As a mother of a child with Down syndrome, I prefer Cognitive Impairment versus Mentally Retarded for IEP purposes, but from what I understand Mental Retardation has been changed to Intellectually Disabled..I think? For me, Cognitive Impairment would mean below an IQ of 70, but that is because I am just replacing it with MR. I don't refer to my child as MR with her doctors etc., but developmentally delayed...but of course she is only 4. :-)
This is a battle I think education will always face. But, really don't we do this to all children and most of the time without thinking? "Oh, I need such and such because I have the title I kids or LD kids." Sometimes, we need to be reminded in gentle ways that the label does not define the child. It's sad to say, but having a child with a disability really opened my eyes to how my classroom should ALWAYS look and sound regardless of children's ability in the classroom. I think this is why when I found MOT and STW and fell in love with it because it is for ALL students regardless of ability. Even though my child is small I model for her while we read. She LOVES to read and points to pictures and "jabbers" (her vocabulary is limited). On another note, I have found the Lucy Calkins' workshop works the same way. It is so easy to differentiate and all tasks are respectful and meaningful for all children in the classroom. This is not a post on "full inclusion," but I love that the design for reader's and writer's workshop helped me make my classroom more differentiated. I feel that students who live with a disability shouldn't be put in a room away from their peers for all subjects...and if it works with reader's/writer's workshop....hip hip hooray!! Lynnelle Winter 5th Grade ----- Original Message ----- From: "Angela Hampton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 8:42 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Vocabulary Strategies for Cognitive Impaired Students Speaking of not liking the language...how would you define a 'cognitive impaired students'? At what point does one become cognitively deficient enough to be considered impaired? I'm really not trying to be difficult; I've always been fascinated with the language we use to describe students. These labels we use sometimes tell us more about ourselves than the students we teach. Angela ---------------------------------------- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [email protected] > Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:33:12 -0500 > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Vocabulary Strategies for Cognitive Impaired > Students > > One of the things we use is boardmaker to help students visualize. I > believe > that is their first step in the process. This year I will be teaming up > with > our specialist who teaches the "high needs" students. I personally don't > like the language, but that is what our district chooses to use. Anyway, > another soap box. > > Do you use a word wall so that students can consistently go back to the > word > wall with pictures? As I begin to plan for next year, I will be happy to > let > you know how we address it in detail. > > Lynnelle Winter > 5th Grade > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Barbara A Nance" > To: > Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 6:54 PM > Subject: [MOSAIC] Vocabulary Strategies for Cognitive Impaired Students > > >> I’m a student at Wayne State University in Professor Creech class. I also >> work in a special education center base school with cognitive impairment >> children age 8 to 10. My students have a hard time dealing with >> vocabulary >> words. Do anyone have any suggestions or strategies I could use to get >> them to comprehend at least some of the vocabulary words. >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _________________________________________________________________ It’s a talkathon – but it’s not just talk. http://www.imtalkathon.com/?source=EML_WLH_Talkathon_JustTalk _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
