In Brown Bear Part I, posted earlier on Paths to Literacy, I used a short video of a teaching segment to demonstrate what the concepts in my iBook, “Introducing Braille,” might look like for a struggling reader with multiple impairments. ...
Emergent Literacy
Posted by Jaime Brown
After students with CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) have learned to view and identify real objects, they are ready to learn to identify two-dimensional pictures. It is essential to recognize the differences in a student’s visual skill set before...
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam is a first grader in a mainstream classroom and he happens to be deafblind. I was inspired recently by a classroom letter that was sent home in his backpack. The children were expected to write stories that had a beginning, middle,...
Posted by Laurie Hudson
THE BIG PICTURE
In my iBook “Introducing Braille,” I largely used videotaped examples of bright, enthusiastic young students to show ways to “Make It Fun,” “Make it Developmental,” and “Make It Meaningful...
Posted by Jaime Brown
Story boxes have been around for years. When I taught Head Start they were called "prop boxes". As a Head Start teacher, I used my prop boxes to make the story more fun, engaging and interactive. When I became a TVI I realized that story...
Posted by Laurie Hudson
How do we introduce braille literacy through assistive technology for young children with visual impairments? We make it fun, developmental, and meaningful, as described in the lesson segment below and paired with a short video. (Many thanks to my...
Posted by Jaime Brown
Typically when we think of pre-literacy activities, we think of increasing tactual and print awareness, object and letter identification, and book handling skills. Learning literacy skills begins even before students learn to recognize and identify...
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam, who is deafblind, will be starting first grade in a couple of weeks in a mainstream classroom. Last year, I bought all of Liam's supplies and labeled them myself. This year I wanted Liam to be part of the process. And of course I wanted...
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam attends a mainstream public school. He just finished Kindergarten last year, where he would get these little mini-books that his classmates were reading. I have taken some of them and modified them so that they would be accessible for Liam, as...
Posted by Gwyn McCormack
Sighted children develop and gain knowledge and experience through incidental learning. During their first few years of life they have exposure to a vast range of visual symbols that convey meaning. They observe children and adults looking atprint and gaining...
Posted by Liamsmom
I wanted to create some "science" books for my son Liam (he just turned 6 years old and is deafblind) for him to use for the next school year. I looked up first grade standards and noticed a focus on animals and their habitats, life cycles,...
Posted by Diane Brauner
Theme: Rhyming Dust Bunnies is a Circle Time Braille Kit that focuses on rhyming words.
This Circle Time Braille Kit Contains:
Tactile Books:
Illustrated print book with braille added
Print/ braille/tactile...
Posted by Lisa Pruner
This post is by Lisa Pruner and Catherine Summ.
Overview
For children with vision impairments, fire safety and awareness are often literally out of reach, placing them at increased risk in the event of a fire
Smoke detectors,...
Posted by ScarlettsEyes
Scarlett is a great communicator, and the lack of spoken word does not stop her from expressing what she wants! Whether she evokes an emotion or leads you to a certain place, she knows how to get your attention.
Despite this I am desperate...
Posted by Diane Brauner
Ruby in Her Own Time is a Circle Time Braille kit focusing on counting skills and duck Fun Facts. This kit is based on the book Ruby in Her Own Time written by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Rebecca Harry (Scholastic rates the...
Posted by Jaime Brown
Circle times in early childhood classrooms (preschool and early elementary) frequently follow the same format. Students have an opportunity to say hello, participate in attendance, review the calendar, sing a couple of songs, and read a story. There...
Posted by Linda Mamer
Many apps (applications) are available to promote early learning for young children who are blind or visually impaired, including those who are deafblind or who have multiple disabilities. This is a partial list (part one of two) to help you get...
Posted by Megan Mogan
Looking back on my own early reading and writing experiences, I have a very clear memory of my first-grade classroom’s beautiful alphabet chart hanging over the windows of our classroom. I even remember the long wooden pointer the teacher used to direct...
Posted by Liamsmom
We have made it a tradition that my son Liam (who is deafblind) and his little brother Finn, each get to decorate their own small Christmas tree. Every year, I introduce new items they get to add to their tree. We decorate our tree in this order:...
Posted by Charlotte Cushman
One of the first and most important things to remember when introducing books and literacy experiences to a young child with a visual impairment is that the child is a child first. While there are certain tips and techniques that will make reading...