Course Level: Introductory.

Course Format: e-learning – text and video.

Course runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes.

Description

This course is designed to help you use Grid software to support the literacy development of AAC users. Literacy is more than just reading and writing, it’s a gateway to independence, communication and lifelong learning. For many AAC users, literacy instruction is not always accessible or prioritised. This course will show you how to change that.

Through practical strategies, research-backed insights, and real examples, you'll learn how to support literacy at every stage of development, from early phonics and letter recognition to writing and reading for meaning. You’ll also explore the tools and features within Grid that can be personalised to create engaging and accessible literacy experiences for every learner.

Supporting Literacy with Grid is split into two courses:

• Part 1 focuses on building foundational literacy skills and integrating Grid into daily routines.
• Part 2 explores advanced strategies for reading comprehension, writing and independent literacy practice.

This course is suitable for educators, therapists and caregivers with a basic understanding of Grid who want to create meaningful literacy opportunities for AAC users.

Course Outline

Learn how to support literacy using Grid through six comprehensive lessons, covering:

• Why literacy matters for AAC users and how it shapes independence and self-expression.
• The connection between communication and literacy, and how one supports the other.
• Exploring key Grid features that support literacy instruction, including symbol support, phonics tools and predictive text.
• Practical strategies for teaching early literacy skills such as phonological awareness, decoding and sight word recognition.
• Embedding literacy into daily routines in meaningful and motivating ways.
• Creating personalised literacy activities in Grid to meet individual learner needs.

Content disclosure: This course references research-informed approaches and includes examples based on the Grid software platform.

Learner Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the importance of literacy for AAC users and identify ways to embed literacy into everyday routines.
• Recognise key Grid features that support literacy development, including predictive text and phonics tools.
• Apply effective strategies to teach letter-sound relationships and develop early literacy skills using Grid.

Completion requirements: You must complete all course content including all text, audio and all video content. This course is assessed via a multiple-choice, five questions knowledge check at the end of the course. The pass score is 80%. You can take the knowledge check multiple times.

Instructor Bio

Kim Lawther | Product Manager, Education.

Amanda Grabiner | Clinical Training Specialist.

Disclosures 

Financial disclosure: Kim Lawther and Amanda Grabiner are employees of Smartbox Assistive Technology and receives a salary.

Non-financial disclosure: Kim Lawther and Amanda Grabiner have no relevant non-financial disclosure.