The Wilson Reading System® (WRS)* can help struggling readers in 2-12th grades increase their literacy skills. Dr. Kay Pruett, Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioner (W.D.P.), demonstrates ways to adapt the Wilson Reading System in a way that is appropriate...
Struggling Readers
Posted by Cyral Miller
Posted by Marnee Loftin
Marnee Loftin, a retired psychologist from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, answers questions about visual impairment and dyslexia.
Is Dyslexia present as well as identified in students with visual impairments?
What are...
Posted by Liamsmom
I am a mother of two sweet boys. My oldest, Liam, is 6 years old. He is deafblind. My youngest, Finn, is 3 years old. He has typical vision and hearing. I really look forward to the Christmas season. I enjoy finding...
Posted by Nilam Agrawal
When remote learning started, post spring break in the 2020 COVID world, I was suddenly given a front row seat to my daughter’s academic life, a rare departure from our life before. By way of background, my daughter is 11 years old and is in the 5th...
Posted by Scott Baltisberger
Some time ago, a TVI (Teacher of the Visually Impaired) shared information about one of her students. This child was eight years old, identified as visually impaired with no additional handicapping conditions and enrolled in a general education 2nd grade...
Posted by Leslie Edmonds
Braille Lego sets coming out next year are the talk of the town this week amongst Teachers of the Visually Impaired. I personally will be counting the days until they are released. I’m a self-described Lego fanatic and any time I can...
Posted by Megan Mogan
Let’s start with the good news. You have emerging readers with visual impairment who have learned the meaning of tactile name symbols for people in their lives. The bad news? You are considering crossing that skill off your list of “Things...
Posted by Charlotte Cushman
Many teachers, therapists, and parents have questions about identifying learning disabilities in students who are blind or visually impaired. When a student has difficulty completing an assignment, it is often hard to know if the challenge is due...
Posted by Amber Rundle Kahn
When I first started working as a TVI, I was under the impression that my students would want to work with me -- just like I wanted to work for my teachers when I was growing up. The first braille learner student I worked with was a dual-media student who...
Posted by Liz Eagan
Cooking is a great way to incorporate all areas of the curriculum in a motivating, practical activity or series of activities. Literacy (recipes in large print, braille, or audio), math (showing the real-world application of counting, adding and...
Posted by Marnee Loftin
Maria is a second grader who currently uses braille for most of her learning, but supplements the materials with audiotapes. She was quite successful in first grade and was often complimented on her amazing memory. Maria could often quote stories...
Posted by Elsie Rao
Struggling braille readers may easily become frustrated or discouraged, so it's critical to find ways to ensure success whenever possible. Here are some strategies to promote tactile skills with struggling braille readers:
Implement a...
Posted by David Pruitt
When people think dyslexia, they think vision problems. Dyslexics see letters and numbers backwards if they can read at all. That’s the common thought, but only one aspect of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a reading disorder, not a seeing...
Posted by Mary McCarthy
I am currently working with a child who has decreased sensitivity. Below are a few suggestions. I try to keep each activity to five minutes or less and provide lots of praise.
First I had the OT do a sensitivity test and she was able to...
Posted by Lacey Long
As an itinerant TVI/COMS for a multi-district special education unit, it can be difficult to provide quality professional development for teachers specifically for students with visual impairments. One area that I felt was necessary to provide training for...
Posted by Charlotte Cushman
A member of our community asked if we had any activities or resources for teaching braille mechanics to students with Cerebral Palsy (CP) or decreased tactile sensitivity. We have included tips for both reading and writing braille. There are many...
Posted by Charlotte Cushman
The holidays are an exciting time of year for children and there are lots of opportunities to incorporate literacy into the fun! The ideas here include suggestions to make Christmas and Hanukkah more accessible to children with visual impairments or...
Posted by Roxana Cziker
This is the first of five parts created by Low Vision Therapist, Dr. Roxana Elena Cziker, focusing on the needs of students with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) The series is designed to address challenges for children with CVI who...
Posted by Tracy Fitch
A Swing Cell is designed to help students understand the relationship between the braille cell and the keys on a braillewriter. In the closed position, the removable pegs inserted into the blocks represent the dots in a braille cell. In the open position, the...
Posted by Tracy Fitch
This post will specifically discuss braille instruction strategies for students with multiple impairments or intellectual disabilities.
We are assuming that you have done pre-braille activities up to this point. Examples of tools and resources for the pre...