AbleNet introduced MEville to WEville, a curriculum aimed at early literacy and communication, at CSUN 2005. This is a research-based program that integrates reading, writing, speaking, AAC, and listening for elementary children with cognitive disabilities in the moderate to severe range. The program is designed for students who have difficulties learning to read and write through traditional instructional methods and to build a classroom community promoting a sense of belonging.

There are three Units to MEville to WEville. Unit 1 is about ME. It focuses on building a sense of self through lessons about Who I Am, How I Feel and What I Like available now).  Unit 2 is My Family and gives students the opportunity to focus on relationship building including Who Is My Family?, Things We Do and Living With My Family (available now). The third unit is about My School, how students cooperate with fellow classmates exploring lessons on Who Is At My School?, Being A Student, What We Do (available Spring, 2005).. 

Each unit is accompanied with a literature book. Unit 1 includes Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis, Unit 2 includes Families by Ann Morris, and Unit 3 includes My Special Day at Third Street School written by Eve Bunting.

MEville to WEville is not software. Instead, for each unit, the teacher is given a huge curriculum manual - 300 pages in a spiral bound manual. The manual contains 75 lessons and 60 extension activities that focus on:

In addition to the manual there are activity reproducibles created with BoardMaker Symbols and data collection tools for collecting and sharing student progress.  All units feature the Action Dictionary, an assistive technology guide to help educators incorporate a range of accommodations and assistive technologies which help all students participate and learn successfully.

The three units contain lessons for more than a school year. At a price of $75 per unit, MEville to WEville represents a lot of curriculum for a very inexpensive price!

In 2004 Dr. Karen Erickson from the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina conducted a research study in special education classrooms to evaluate the effectiveness of the MEville to WEville program. The initial results were that children initiated more communication and interaction during the program. Children developed stronger social relationships with their peers. Children became more socially responsive. Teachers were able to spend more time addressing communication and literacy. For a Research White Paper on this research, please follow this link:
http://www.connsensebulletin.com/wesummary.pdf

For more information on the MEville to WEville curriculum, please follow this link:
http://www.ablenetinc.com