“MEville to WEville with SBS is sole source and not available through distributors”

Early Literacy and Communication Curriculum

A solution for students who struggle to read or write using traditional methods.
 

 MEville to WEville is the first researched-based literacy curriculum developed specifically for students with disabilities in the moderate to severe range. Designed to build a classroom community that promotes a sense of belonging, each unit offers students a new and different perspective on themselves, their families, and their school.

A Systematic Approach 

MEville to WEville facilitates literacy learning success by teaching wthin the context of familiar themes and building upon skills and concepts introduced in the previous unit. Lessons include step-by-step instructions for integrating reading, writing, augmentative communication, and listening skills into daily instructional activities that can be taught in one session or spread across several sessions.

In-Context Life Lessons

As students construct a classroom community, they gain a sense of belonging and new perspectives on themselves, their families, and their school. The curriculum supports the development of character education and fosters social skills, such as turn-taking, responsibility, and respect, as students understand having a valued role, acknowledging others, and expressing preferences.

Research-Based Curriculum

Dr. Karen Erickson from The Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill evaluated MEville to WEville in special education classrooms and found:

• Children initiated more communication and
interaction during the program
• Children developed stronger social relationships
with their peers in special and general education
• Children became more socially responsive
• Teachers were able to spend more time
addressing communication and literacy

To see the complete research on MEville to WEville, click on the Research tab.

Key Features:

• Writing and literacy development specifically for students with
moderate-severe disabilities
• Reproducibles and home letters/activities
• Literacy lessons in: word ID, phonemic awareness, comprehension, fluency,
and writing
• Application of literacy skills throughout the day
• Assistive technology integration
• Data collection forms
• Action Dictionary
the premier guide to differentiated instruction in special education
• Exclusive online membership with access to additional resources

How it Works

Q: What is the MEville to WEville curriculum all about?
A: MEville to WEville addresses beginning literacy and communication development while supporting student development of self and a sense of belonging within a community of learners.

This curriculum is the first ever research-based literacy program that meaningfully and systematically integrates reading, writing, speaking, augmentative communicating, and listening for elementary students with disabilities in the moderate to severe range. Lesson activities are written based on the understanding of the early literacy learning as described in the reports and additional research readings, such as National Reading Panel, National Reading Research Council Project, Reading Difficulties in Young Children, and Rand Reading Comprehension Reports.

Q: How is MEville to WEville organized?
A: This curriculum is organized into 3 units. Each unit has 3 parts which incorporate the essential literacy lessons of learning new words, word wall words, vocabulary development, writing, and in-context literacy development.

   Unit 1  Me                  
Part 1 Who I Am             
Part 2 How I Feel               
Part 3 What I Like          

Unit 2  My Family
Part 1 Who Is In My Family
Part 2 Things We Do
Part 3 Living With My Family

Unit 3  My School
Part 1 Who Is At My School
Part 2 Being A Student
Part 3 What We Do

Download an informational sheet for MEville to WEville including pricing and order information for all three units.

Unit Lessons:
• Learning New Words: Students identify new words and develop expressive
language skills through saying words, singing songs, and using words in
high-interest activities
• Vocabulary Activities: Students practice using the vocabulary words in engaging
activities designed with repetition and variety to promote the understanding of
each word
• Word Wall Words: Students learn high frequency words needed in reading
and writing through activities such as clap/chanting, writing, and word identification
• Literacy Lessons: Students engage in lessons using literature books and real
life experiences to practice choice making, direction following, and giving a
personal response
• Writing Lessons: Students make decisions about individual and group writings
and express themselves through book making and other structured writing projects
 

Q: How will I be able to include my students with severe disabilities?
A: It's easy with the Action Dictionary.

The Action Dictionary references every action verb that is used in the MEville to WEville curriculum. These action verbs are words presented in bold throughout the manual. The Action Dictionary describes various ways in which students' actions may be adapted or modified to enable active participation in the lesson.

Also included is the Assistive Technology Quick Set Up Guide, which provides the information you'll need to set up the assistive technology recommended in the MEville to WEville curriculum.

Q: Does MEville to WEville provide data collection tools?
A: YES!

The Student Data Collection Charts are provided for you to easily record and share your students' growth and progress with others. Use these charts to keep track of the ongoing participation and progress of your students. These charts can also be used to capture baseline information prior to starting the program.

• Learning New Words/Vocabulary
• Word Wall Words
• Class Books
• Writing
• Literacy
• Content Learning
• Character Education & Community Building

Q: What Support Materials are included?
A: MEville to WEville includes the following reproducibles:

• Vocabulary Cards
• Word Wall Words
• Class Books
• Lesson Activities/Games
• Letters to Encourage Family Involvement

Scientific Research:

Assistive Technology Industry Association

Center for Literacy and Disability Studies

Samples:

MEville to WEville Sample Lesson

MEville Action Dictionary™

 

User Stories & Product Demo

Quotes from the teachers who participated in the pilot study provide strong evidence of this program's effectiveness:

Product Demo - Click Here

"We did our first full day of using the AbleNet Reading Program and had a blast. I was amazed when I calculated the time onto the data sheet...We spent 200 minutes on literacy!!!"

"To have it already out on paper also helps with the assistants and therapists. The speech therapists know the vocabulary that we're going to be concentrating on. I know that by Friday we're going to make birthday cupcakes for the children. It helps the speech therapist to know what we're going to be doing. MEville is so well planned I just have to implement it -- it's really good!"

"Having a literacy curriculum for a school program helps with consistency and programming."