Building Wings

Open book on a table with a blurred background. Overlaid text reads: "Literacy allows people with disabilities to have more control over their interdependence." -Dr. Karen Erickson.

TONIGHT we will be diving into one of the most important conversations in literacy education.

And you do not want to miss it.

Literacy is not just academic. It is access. It is agency. It is belonging.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4rr0obk

#ScienceOfReading #EmergentLiteracy #SpecialEducation

6 Myths about Literacy Instruction - Blog Maureen Donnelly outlines common myths about literacy and how these misconceptions limit access, instruction, and progress for students with disabilities.

🚨 Myths are still shaping instruction

Beliefs about who can learn to read, when literacy should begin, and what progress looks like directly impact opportunity—especially for students with disabilities.

Research tells a different story.

Read the full blog: https://bit.ly/4u6MNYs
#SoR #AAC

🍀 March Picks are here!

Find your lucky read with Monarch Reader. This month’s curated collection features accessible, engaging books designed to support beginning readers of all ages.

✨ Explore the March Picks here: https://bit.ly/3VldoBe

#AccessibleBooks #MarchReads #LiteracyForAll

A turquoise and yellow promotional image for "News Currents by Building Wings" featuring three framed articles. One shows a group of children reading with a title about "Read Across America Day." Another displays a tiger with the title "Indian Tiger Population Doubles." The third depicts vintage baseball cards, titled "Rare Baseball Card Could Sell for $7 Million." The words "NEW" and "Articles" are highlighted.

What do reading celebrations, tiger conservation, and a $7 million baseball card have in common?

They’re all in this week’s News Currents!

Fresh stories designed to build background knowledge and literacy in every classroom.

Explore the latest, today: https://bit.ly/4i4Lena

#K12Education

ReadtopiaGO & Emergent Literacy and the Science of Reading Learn how ReadtopiaGO supports comprehensive emergent literacy using routines aligned to the Science of Reading and Science of Learning.

SoR has moved literacy forward.

But how does it apply to students with significant cognitive disabilities?

On March 10, Dr. Erickson shares how comprehensive emergent literacy ensures access for ALL learners.

Register: https://bit.ly/4rr0obk

#ScienceOfReading #EmergentLiteracy #SpecialEducation

Speaker Karla Rachfal stands smiling in a red top against a blue backdrop. The event, titled "Empowering All Learners Through Comprehensive Literacy," is part of the Michigan CEC's 86th Annual Conference. It offers 1 NASW Social Work Credit and takes place on February 27, 2026, at 2:15 PM in Emerald A, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We're headed to #CEC2026 🚀

mpowering ALL Learners Through Comprehensive Literacy
Feb 27, 2026 | ⏰ 2:15–3:15 PM

Grounded in Erickson & Koppenhaver’s research, this session shares practical strategies + the 10 essential elements of Comprehensive Literacy for All.

See you there?

A Classroom Walkthrough that Benefits Teachers and Students A principal shares classroom walkthrough strategies that provide opportunities to support teacher development, shape school culture, and support all learners.

For principals, assistant principals, directors of special education, and district administrators committed to improving outcomes, this is essential reading.

Read the full blog here: https://bit.ly/4tzxZBi

#InstructionalLeadership #SchoolLeadership #SpecialEducationLeadership

A sheet of practice writing paper with blue dotted lines and red baselines, displaying the handwritten sentence "We both match each other." A yellow pencil with a pink eraser lies diagonally on the right side of the paper on a wooden surface.

Emergent writers become writers the moment they use print to share meaning—not when letters look “perfect.” ✏️

Conventional features (recognizable letters, spacing, directionality) matter, but every writer starts with approximations and brave risks

AAC Literacy Instruction Supports for SLPs and Teachers Free webinar on AAC literacy instruction featuring research-based strategies and accessible technology to support reading, communication, and independence.

📣 LIVE Webinar|Building Wings x Smartbox

📚 AAC Literacy Instruction: Boosting Access, Engagement & Independent Learning
Feb 18 | 2–3 PM CST

Join Chris Gibbons, PhD + Maureen Donnelly, M.Ed. to explore research-based AAC literacy strategies + Monarch Reader tools.
https://bit.ly/4q7e5Le

Ready to delve deeper into this? Join us on Thursday for
Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction in Action

Learn how SoR + CLFAwork together to support ALL learners, including students with complex communication needs.

🎤 Trisha Johnson + Maureen Donnelly, M.Ed. Feb. 12 at 12 PM CST
bit.ly/3LGSQBL

📚 Discover Monarch Reader — free, accessible books for every learner.

Easily search by reading level, support students with built-in accessibility tools, and even publish your own books as an author.

Accessible reading made simple. ✨

#AccessibleBooks #TextToSpeech #LiteracyTools #EdTech

A quote on a blue background reads: "It is not our job to make students do anything. It is our job to make them want to." by Dr. Karen Erickson. The phrase "make them want to" is in a cursive style.

CLFA reminds us: engagement grows when learning feels personal + belonging is real.

Our solutions grounded in the research of CLFA helps you create classrooms where every learner gets meaningful reading + writing that fits who they are.

Follow for subtle shifts that drive big literacy wins.

A design featuring "News Currents" articles by Building Wings. It showcases three article topics: the Winter Olympics alongside images of athletes, twin gorillas with a photo of the animals, and a plan to end animal testing with images of a white rat and a monkey. The layout includes a computer screen and tablet mockups against a teal and yellow background.

Fresh stories from News Currents 🌍

❄️ The 2026 Winter Olympics begin
🧪 A plan to end animal testing
🦍 Twin gorillas born in the wild—an incredible conservation moment

News with context, not overload.

https://bit.ly/4i4Lena

Floor plan for ATiA 2026 in Orlando, FL, showing booth locations. Booth 906 is highlighted with blue footprints leading from the entrance. "Soar on over to booth 906!" is written on the left, with "Building Wings" logo below.

🎉 We’re LIVE at #ATIA2026! Come find us at Booth 906!

If you’ll be in Orlando Jan 29–31, soar on over to:
✨ Chat with our team
🤝 Connect with fellow educators and providers
🔎 Explore tools and ideas that support every learner

#AssistiveTechnology #AAC #EdTech #SLP #ATspecialists #Educators

Graphic announcing "On Our Way to ATIA '26!" with a flight path from Volo, IL to Orlando, FL. Two inset photos: a tall building and two smiling people. Text mentions Building Wings' booth 906 and event dates, January 29-31.

✈️ En route to #ATIA2026! Catch Building Wings at Booth 906 in Orlando.
📅 Jan 29–31
Come say hi + talk AAC, assistive tech, accessibility, and practical implementation.
#AssistiveTechnology #AAC #Accessibility

🆕 Fresh stories just dropped in News Currents!
✨ Mattel unveils a new Barbie designed with autism advocates
🦤 A fugitive emu gets arrested in Florida (yes, really)
🌕 NASA’s Artemis II spacecraft gears up for launch

Dive into the latest: https://bit.ly/4i4Lena

#NewsCurrents #Barbie #ArtemisII

A webinar promotional image features a smiling woman with light hair in a circular frame. The text reads "Building Wings Webinars" with the topic "Admin Walk-Throughs: How to Make Them Meaningful, Research-Aligned, and Actionable." The speaker is identified as Sarah Starr, M.Ed.

Administrator walkthroughs can be anxiety-inducing—for educators, admin, and learners. 😬
But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Want a structure that’s meaningful, research-aligned, and actionable? Join us live next week:
Jan. 28 | 12:00–1:00pm CST

Register now! https://bit.ly/4akUJhw

A child and an adult are sitting on a carpeted floor. The child, in a black and white shirt, is holding a tablet, while the adult, in a striped sweater, shows a printed page with images and text. They appear to be engaged in an educational activity, possibly reading or solving a task together.A child and an adult are sitting on a carpeted floor. The child, in a black and white shirt, is holding a tablet, while the adult, in a striped sweater, shows a printed page with images and text. They appear to be engaged in an educational activity, possibly reading or solving a task together.

One of the biggest takeaways from Comprehensive Literacy for All is that access comes first. Sometimes that means changing the setting.

That’s not lowering the bar. That’s removing the barriers so every learner can reach it.

#AccessBeforeRigor #MeetingLearnersWhereTheyAre

Alt text: ATiA 2026 promotional graphic for a session titled "From Impossible to Possible: Making Literacy a Reality for Every Learner," scheduled for Thursday, January 29, at 1 PM EST in Grand Ballroom 1/2. Features headshots of two speakers: Maureen Donnelly, M. Ed., and Trisha Johnson, both associated with Building Wings.

We're headed to #ATIA2026! 🎉
Catch Trisha Johnson + Maureen Donnelly, M.Ed : From Impossible to Possible: Making Literacy a Reality for Every Learner (Thu Jan 29, 1 PM EST).
Science of Reading + Comprehensive Literacy for All—because literacy is for everyone.
#LiteracyForAll #AssistiveTechnology

How can the science of reading truly serve learners with intellectual & developmental disabilities?

Join Dr. Karen Erickson, PhD to explore how Readtopia connects reading research with inclusive, comprehensive literacy instruction.

👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/3N2DeZL

✨ New on News Currents! ✨
Explore MLK Jr. Day, burrowing owls 🦉, and protected lands in New Mexico 🏜️.
Fresh stories to spark curiosity—dive in! https://bit.ly/4i4Lena

#NewsCurrents #BuildingWings #LearnSomethingNew

How to Provide Specially Designed Instruction for All Examples of how to provide specially designed instruction in K-12 self-contained classrooms and learning spaces to meet a wide range of student needs.

What does specially designed instruction really look like in classrooms?

It’s not just differentiation. It looks like co-teaching, AAC, and intentional classroom design.

Read the full Building Wings blog: https://bit.ly/4jfyoUY

#SpeciallyDesignedInstruction #SpecialEducation #IEP #BuildingWings

🎙️ Maureen Donnelly, Director of Curriculum, joined All Means ALL Podcast to challenge myths about literacy instruction—grounded in Comprehensive Literacy for All.

Literacy isn’t an intervention. It’s a right.

🎧 Listen: https://bit.ly/3MY9aOV

#ComprehensiveLiteracyForAll #AAC #BuildingWings

Alt text: A promotional graphic for News Currents by Building Wings, featuring a computer and two tablets displaying different articles. The computer shows "The Future of the Affordable Care Act" with a politician and a hospital scene. One tablet shows an article titled "Celebrating George Washington Carver" with a black-and-white photo of Carver. The other tablet displays "Scientists Help Return an 'Extinct' Antelope to the Sahara" with an image of two scimitar-horned oryx. The background includes text: "NEW" and "Article Topics: The Future of the Affordable Care Act, George Washington Carver, Repopulating the Sahara."

❄️📚 Back into the swing of things!

As students & educators return from winter break, this week’s News Currents features timely stories on the future of the Affordable Care Act, George Washington Carver, and repopulating the Sahara.

#NewsCurrents #Education #CurrentEvents #BuildingWings

A young child points to a large screen displaying colorful text about favorite foods, with the assistance of an adult. Another person seated nearby observes. Bright sunflowers decorate the corner of the board, and classroom storage units are labeled with items like "Head Phones" and "Scissors." A tablet with a keyboard grid is visible on the desk.

There’s nothing like the joy of predictable chart writing ✍️💙

❄️ Starting to think about the first few days of 2026...
What do you plan on writing with your learners when we get back?
#PredictableChartWriting #SpecialEducation #AutismEducation #AAC #EduSKY #WinterBreakPlanning

Blue promotional graphic featuring a gold ribbon labeled "2025 Most Watched" and a badge saying "Available On-Demand." Below, text reads "Letter By Letter: AAC Adventures In Writing" with a photo of a smiling individual in a circular frame. Their name and credentials are listed as "Paige Buckingham, M.S., CCC/SLP, Speech Language Pathologist." The graphic includes yellow and blue accents and the "Building Wings" logo at the bottom.

✨ 2025, you taught us a lot. ✨
And one lesson stood out loud and clear:

🔤 Access comes before ability.

Our most-watched webinar of 2025 was
✏️ Letter by Letter: AAC Adventures in Writing
with Paige Buckingham, MS, CCC-SLP

🎉 Missed it? Rewatch anytime: https://bit.ly/3OYBePI

A wooden sign reads "Closed for the Holidays! We will return on January 5, 2026." It features the "Building Wings" logo. The background shows a snowy landscape with pine trees and a sky filled with snowflakes.

Snow days > work days ❄️☕
We’re on holiday break and back Jan 5, 2026—refreshed and ready to cheer on educators everywhere 📚✨

#EducationCommunity #BuildingWings

📚 New to Readtopia or ReadtopiaGO?
Bringing new literacy tools into your classroom is exciting—and support makes all the difference. Our instructional coaching helps you build confidence and get the most out of every lesson.

👉 Read more: https://bit.ly/48Fzu5r

#EduSKY #AllMeansALL #Teachers

A blue background features white and yellow text that reads "Building Wings LITERACY Instruction Resource Center." On the left, a pattern of circular dots forms a large arrow shape pointing to the text.

🚀 THE Resource for Literacy Leaders & Educators!

Looking to strengthen your approach to comprehensive literacy instruction for all learners?

Find your tools here: https://bit.ly/3EKYqiI

#LiteracyInstruction #EducationForAll #SpecialEducation #EducatorResources #Readtopia #LiteracyMatters

Literacy changes everything—unlocking independence, connection, and possibility.

For 40+ years we’ve believed every learner can grow with the right tools and support. Thanks to educators who make it real every day. Help your learners take flight: https://bit.ly/4b83mtX

#LiteracyForAll #EduSKY