A 1999 study estimated that 9 out of 10 (90%-92%) babies with Down syndrome (DS) were aborted yearly (Bradford, 2015, para. 1). New research by de Graaf, Buckley, and Skotko (2015) approximates 30% of babies with DS were “selectively terminated in recent years” (p. 765). Termination rates among ethnicities are “non-Hispanic whites (39%), non-Hispanic blacks/Africans (27%), and Hispanics (18%)” (para. 12). (De Graaf, Buckley, & Skotko, 2015, p. 763). Bradford (2015) laments, “making such a radical decision as to end the life of a child based upon a first impression is a most horrible and violent form of discrimination” (para 17).
The Story Behind the Quest
I fell in love with Curtis, a baby with DS, while working at a center for children …show more content…
I have often thought of studying effective reading strategies that would benefit my students with DS. I am familiar with the sight word and phonetic approaches; however, I hope to target my research on a specific method that I can easily implement. This research helped me address my research question: “How can I effectively teach children with DS to read and what method can I employ?” I discovered that I can teach the Oelwein’s “top-down” literacy method that begins with meaningful sight word instruction then progresses to in-context phonics instruction, resulting in the acquisition of literacy skills by students with DS (DSRFCANADA, …show more content…
Consequently, it was believed they could not learn to read. Nonetheless, individuals with DS have “recognition memory and visual memory” which helps them learn sight words (DSRFCANADA, 2013). Academia has examined three reading methods to teach reading to individuals with DS: phonetic, sight word, and an inclusive method consisting of both approaches. As I read through the articles, I began to answer my research question, discovering reading strategies which may or may not be effective for students with
The Story Behind the Quest
I fell in love with Curtis, a baby with DS, while working at a center for children …show more content…
I have often thought of studying effective reading strategies that would benefit my students with DS. I am familiar with the sight word and phonetic approaches; however, I hope to target my research on a specific method that I can easily implement. This research helped me address my research question: “How can I effectively teach children with DS to read and what method can I employ?” I discovered that I can teach the Oelwein’s “top-down” literacy method that begins with meaningful sight word instruction then progresses to in-context phonics instruction, resulting in the acquisition of literacy skills by students with DS (DSRFCANADA, …show more content…
Consequently, it was believed they could not learn to read. Nonetheless, individuals with DS have “recognition memory and visual memory” which helps them learn sight words (DSRFCANADA, 2013). Academia has examined three reading methods to teach reading to individuals with DS: phonetic, sight word, and an inclusive method consisting of both approaches. As I read through the articles, I began to answer my research question, discovering reading strategies which may or may not be effective for students with