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Special Education
Technology Center

Inclusive Insights & Access Tips
Issue 5 | Feb 2024 

Igniting a Love of Reading

Educators hold the key to igniting a lifelong passion for reading, as emphasized by Kathryn Starke in Developing a Love of Reading in Students. Motivation to read can arise from exposure to representative texts, diverse genres, and the use of audiobooks, graphic novels, and switch- accessible texts. Kyleen Gray highlights that the ultimate goal is connecting students with books they love to enhance engagement. Embracing diverse reading options becomes essential in igniting a love of reading and promoting a more inclusive and engaging approach to literacy. Recognizing the fundamental role of reading, educators understand that addressing diverse literacy needs not only boosts students’ competence but also fosters confidence across academic subjects. While some students naturally embrace reading, others may not due to diverse learning styles and abilities that necessitate alternative access to reading options. Encouraging a broad spectrum of reading options not only accommodates diverse needs but also promotes a culture that values every individual’s unique pathway to understanding and enjoying literature.

Inclusive Reading
Options

Promoting alternative options to
access text allows for personalized
learning experiences. Graphic novels
cater to visual learners and can offer
meaning-making about the larger
illustrated world while audiobooks
offer an auditory avenue to grade-level
texts. Text-to-speech aids those with
decoding difficulties and may also be a
vital accommodation that opens
access to and engagement in grade-
level books and curriculum.

Self-Selected
Reading

Students with complex needs should
have access to self-selected reading
choices. Consider providing switch-
accessible texts on both Chrome and
iPad, as well as short, topic-specific,
and accessible stories available
through Tar Heel Reader. Check out
these helpful tips specific to Tar Heel
Reader: switch access with a Chromebook or laptop, and how to save
favorites in Tar Heel Reader
for easy
access to a student’s book choices.

CFLA Book
Collection

Comprehensive Literacy for All (CFLA) is
an evidence-based methodology for
teaching students with significant
disabilities to read and write (Karen
Erickson and David Koppenhaver
).
SETC’s own CLFA book collection is an
amazing interactive tool for educators to
easily find children’s books paired with a
variety of literacy activities, visuals, and
strategies. This is a dynamic resource
with frequent updates based on requests.
Be sure to look for our “book nook”
recommendations in future issues of
“new and notable”!

setc@cwu.edu
https://specialedtechcenter.com/