Megan Gilson

Teaching prosocial, functional and adaptive skills

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities have the right to receive a free and appropriate public education. This means that all students will receive the same academic opportunities as their typically developing peers. As a special educator, you recognize that academic progress for your students with moderate to severe disabilities is important, but you also know it’s not the full picture. Supporting prosocial, adaptive, and functional skills, among others, is key in helping your students reach their full potential and live as independently as possible one day.

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TeachTown Announces Statewide Partnership with Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU)

TeachTown announces today a statewide partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) through PA Instructional Media Services (PAIMS). As part of PAIU, PAIMS strives to develop, maintain and deliver high-quality partnerships for schools and intermediate units. Through this collaboration, PA districts that elect to purchase TeachTown’s special education solutions will receive discounted and incentivized pricing.

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Time to Spend ESSER Funds Is Running Out

This pillar report presents an overview of special education funding that is meant to serve as a guidepost for special education administrators who are new to decision-making and budgeting processes within their districts or LEAs.

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What Is the Whole Child Approach?

As a special educator on the frontlines of student growth and development, you understand that academic progress is important, but you know it’s not the full picture. Adaptive, vocational, social, behavioral and cognitive skills, along with physical and emotional well-being, all play a critical role in supporting a whole child approach that helps your students reach their full potential. In this blog, we’ll break down the ins and outs of the whole child approach, and how it impacts your students with moderate to severe disabilities.

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What Is An Adapted Curriculum, And Who Is It Appropriate For?

Every student deserves equitable and inclusive access to the general education curriculum that complies with state standards. How does an adapted curriculum play a role in accomplishing that for students with disabilities? An adapted curriculum does not change the what when it comes to learning, it simply redefines the how.

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Science of Reading Components In The enCORE Curriculum

Do you remember learning to read as a child? If so, what was the process like for you? Was it joyful? Do your memories of your early learning years make you smile as you think about practicing letter flashcards, sounding out words, and perhaps earning special stickers for jumping to the next reading level? Or are the emotions associated with your memories of learning to read a little more complex? Learning to read is a process, after all, and that process is not the same for all learners. For some students, solving words and making meaning from texts is a very frustrating task. However you learned to read, education scientists and thought leaders in literacy instruction agree that there is a science to the process.

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TeachTown’s enCORE Wins Dual Recognition in Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2022

TeachTown, a leading provider of special education curriculum software for students with moderate to severe disabilities, announces today that its K-12 standards-based, adapted core curriculum, enCORE, has been named a winner in the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2022 Primary Education and Secondary Education categories.

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What Can ESSER Funds be Used For?

As a special educator, chances are pretty good that you’ve heard the term ‘ESSER Funds’ at some point during the last few years. Now, if you’re a special education administrator or district stakeholder - chances are even better that you’re well-aware of ESSER funds and have likely already spent hours researching different programs and technologies that are eligible for purchase with said funds. ESSER funds, or Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds, exist as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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6 tips to boost parental/family involvement

This blog will guide you through how you can collaborate with parents/families to continue to support positive learning outcomes in your classroom. Did you know that active parental participation and academic success have a positive correlation? It’s true - research notes that parents/guardians play a key role in boosting student outcomes. Below are tips you can implement to enhance parental/family involvement.

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Advantages of small group instruction in special education

It can be quite challenging to give all of your students the differentiated, individualized attention they need. For many special educators, classroom rosters may span three different grades, or four different levels of students with moderate to severe disabilities. Does this sound like you? Let’s navigate how you can use small group instruction to improve your classroom management, individualized learning opportunities, differentiated instruction, and even data collection! 

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