Live Webinar:
Unlocking Literacy with Readtopia: Supporting Nonspeaking Communicators Who Use AAC
Presented by:
Brandi Wentland M.A., CCC-SLP, BCS-AAC
Live Session Held On:
November 7th, 2025 | 12:00-1:00pm CST
Whether you are a first-year In this webinar, we’ll explore how to use Readtopia to foster literacy and language development for nonspeaking communicators who use AAC. You’ll gain practical strategies for teaching vocabulary, supporting individual communication needs, and building comprehension through explicit instruction
Providing The Tools For AAC Success
We’ll dive into tools like word webs and character maps to enhance understanding, along with ways to pre-teach vocabulary, adapt content into smaller chunks, and offer meaningful access through shared and independent reading. You’ll also learn how to identify and expand vocabulary within AAC systems, ensuring students have the words they need to engage.
Finally, we’ll highlight the critical role of families and caregivers and offer strategies to extend literacy learning beyond the classroom. Leave with tools and confidence to make Readtopia more accessible, relevant, and engaging for every learner.
Learning Objectives For Unlocking Literacy with Readtopia: Supporting Nonspeaking Communicators Who Use AAC
By the conclusion of this webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Design scaffolding strategies to support comprehension
Apply techniques such as wait time, descriptive teaching, and content chunking to help nonspeaking learners using Readtopia better understand and engage with texts.
- Implement explicit vocabulary instruction for AAC users
Identify existing vocabulary within a learner’s AAC system, plan for vocabulary expansion, and incorporate strategies to pre-teach, model, and reinforce target words during reading and related activities.
- Develop visual supports and engagement tools to enhance meaning
Create simple, effective supports—such as word webs, character maps, and background knowledge builders—to help learners connect with content, support memory, and extend language use beyond the classroom. Participants will also receive ready-to-use resources.
This webinar is curated for teachers, SLPs, OTs, and paras involved in literacy instruction for their special education learner(s). You will leave with knowledge of how to elevate your learners and will be provided with a form to fill out to give you a certificate of completion.
Visit the Building Wings for additional free webinars for special educators, including upcoming live webinars and access to on-demand recordings of previously held live webinars. You can also sign up to receive an email notification when live webinars are posted.
