The familiar texts used in the DLM alternate assessment are being shared using Tar Heel Reader (http://tarheelreader.org). This is a very large library of open-source, accessible, texts for individuals with disabilities of all ages. Tar Heel Reader was started as a way to address the extreme shortage of easy-to-read books on topics that appeal to older students. Books are contributed to the site by teachers, students, parents, and others from around the world. There are books on the site that are inappropriate for some audiences. Reviewers do their best to make sure these books are marked with the CAUTION. As a result, students should NOT be sent independently to the Tar Heel Reader site. They should be sent to collections or sets of favorites that teachers create using the tools built into the site. Teachers can avoid books that they might find offensive by limiting their search to books that are “Reviewed Only” and “Rated E/Everybody.”
Links to the books that are the familiar texts used in the DLM Assessment are provided on this site. They are available as individual books for teachers to download or read using Powerpoint, and they are available as collections by grade level.
We encourage you to use other books or write your own books on Tar Heel Reader, but remember that it is a library that teachers visit to select books for students – and that students visit when particular collections of books have been identified.