Phonics instruction is a foundational part of literacy, but it can feel daunting for students with cognitive disabilities. How do we teach these critical skills in ways that align with the science of reading and our students’ unique learning needs? By focusing on a few key principles, we can set students up for success, no matter their verbal abilities or cognitive level.
Here are three strategies to keep in mind when teaching phonics to students with cognitive disabilities.
1. Presume Competence
At the heart of every effective teaching strategy is the belief that all students can learn. Presuming competence means approaching each lesson with the expectation that the student has the ability to grasp new concepts, even if they learn and communicate in non-traditional ways.
When teaching phonics, this means offering access to the same rich instruction as their peers, providing supports like visuals and scaffolded tasks to help them succeed. Avoid watering down content or lowering expectations—our students rise to the challenges we set for them when given the right tools!
Strategy Tip: Use visuals, sound-symbol cards, and hands-on activities to reinforce phonics skills, keeping lessons engaging and inclusive.
2. Allow for Receptive Responses
Some students with cognitive disabilities may be minimally verbal or non-verbal. It’s important to recognize that these students can still demonstrate an understanding of phonics strategies through receptive language responses.
Instead of relying solely on oral responses, provide opportunities for students to point, gesture, or use augmentative communication devices. By removing the pressure to speak, you open the door for them to participate fully in phonics instruction. Just because a student is non-speaking doesn't mean that they should skip phonics instruction.
Strategy Tip: Offer multiple response options like pointing to the correct letter sound, matching cards, or using communication devices to answer phonics questions.
3. Don’t Rely on Memorization
Phonics is about understanding the relationship between sounds and letters, not just memorizing letter names or sight words. Memorization alone doesn’t build the strong decoding skills students need to become readers. Instead, teach students explicit phonics strategies that align with the science of reading.
Focus on teaching sound-symbol correspondence, blending sounds, and segmenting words. For students with cognitive disabilities, this can be reinforced with consistent repetition, visuals, and hands-on activities that help them build connections and maintain skills.
Strategy Tip: Incorporate multisensory activities such as tracing letters in sand, using letter tiles, or matching sound-symbol cards to provide more meaningful practice that doesn’t rely on memorization. Whenever possible, provide meaning to the letters or words that students are working with so that they are not just abstract symbols. Pair letters with a picture and action, and start putting them together to read words as soon as possible.
Using adaptable phonics resources can make all the difference for students who are minimally verbal or nonverbal. My Strategic Phonics Task Card Bundle is designed specifically for students who need extra support in learning sound-symbol relationships. The task cards include real photos and opportunities for receptive learning, making them the perfect tool to support your phonics instruction. Every task card in this bundle is crafted with 4 answer choices—each focusing on a common decoding challenge (incorrect beginning, vowel, or ending sound)—to build students’ confidence and accuracy in word identification and promote learning of skills over memorization.
By presuming competence, offering flexible ways to respond, and focusing on phonics strategies that build understanding rather than relying on memorization, we can provide our students with the literacy skills they need to succeed.
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