The Arc of PA’s Include Me program is excited to present “Disability Acceptance through Literature,” a virtual book study for students. Books selected by our facilitators provide opportunities to learn about the many aspects of disability through the perspective of school age protagonists.
Discussions center on understanding, acceptance, presuming competence, and friendship. Values like compassion, honesty, authenticity and diversity steer the ship, and we love when conversations are led by students’ interests. These book studies are an innovative way to provide students interested in reading with a structured opportunity to connect with other students across Pennsylvania. We strive to make the book studies accessible, with:
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- audio recordings of each chapter,
- vocabulary resources,
- engaging visual content for discussions, and,
- by providing copies of the book to families as the book studies gear up.
These four or eight week book studies make room for silliness and curiosity, and we’re proud of the stigma-blasting power of the program (and that of the students themselves!).
Include Me connects each book study and accompanying lessons to the Pennsylvania Academic Standards.
For more information, contact: cmorrison@includemepa.org or jmacsisak@includemepa.org
Children Ages 8 – 12 ; Wednesdays at 6:30 pm, beginning January 17, 2024
Title: Song for a Whale, by Lynne Kelly
Group: Kids 8-12 years old
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Dates: January 17 – March 6 (8 weeks)
Join us Wednesdays at 6:30 PM beginning January 17 for our new middle years pick for Disability Acceptance through Literature! The group (8 to 12 year-olds and our Include Me facilitators) will meet weekly via Zoom. All learners ages 8-12 are welcome!
Registering will save your child a seat. Include your mailing address so we can send you the book! Before our first meeting, you will receive an email detailing how to log in to the google classroom, and the Zoom link we’ll use to join in every week. Audiobook recordings will be available.
From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she’s the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she’s not very smart. If you’ve ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to “sing” to him! But he’s three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him?
Click here to register: https://thearcpa.org/book-study-registration-song-for-a-whale/
