Published on January 12, 2023
On December 20th, students in Mrs. Reist’s fourth grade class participated in a lesson titled, Letting Everyone Participate. The lesson was presented by John Beck Elementary’s former Speech Pathologist and Penn State Doctoral student, Tara McCarty.
The goal of the lesson was to share skills and techniques on how to communicate with individuals who have limited communication skills.
Ensuring all students have the opportunity to communicate with one another can be difficult at times. Communication may be especially difficult when there are barriers hindering our ability to verbally communicate. Regardless of communication ability; verbally, through the use of augmentative and alternative communication devices, through American Sign Language, or through small movements or gestures, all students have the right to participate and make choices.
During the lesson, students learned how to communicate with peers who are nonverbal or have limited verbal communication skills. Some of the skills students learned include presenting choices, waiting and watching for a response, and how to reply to a peer once a response has been made. By providing all students with the knowledge and skills to effectively communicate with one another, we help to build a more inclusive school environment.