Blog Posts

Below are recently created blog posts.



Girl using Ballyland
By Kristie Smith
A few months ago, our vision department changed our student caseload and I was blessed to be given a bright, funny young student who has become a dual learner.  Enter my new first grade student who carries a small red and white cane, but who...



Police Literacy Skills Kit
By Catherine Summ
By Lisa Pruner and Catherine Summ Education Consultants, CT DORS- Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind   Overview: Officer Buckle and Gloria share everyday safety tips in ways which are engaging and funny for young...



Here are my hands for catching and throwing
By Holly Cooper
By Holly Cooper, Ph.D., Early Childhood Specialist, Texas Deafblind Project, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired    Approaches to Literacy Experiences for Infants When should braille be introduced in books?...



Hands reading braille fork label on silverware drawer
By Liamsmom
My son Liam is 6 years old (almost 7!!) and he is deafblind.  He enjoys helping me around the house.  One of his chores is to unload the dishwasher (see Accessible Job Chart for the Home).  When he first started helping with this, he...



Collaboration definition on dictionary page
By Liz Eagan
Collaboration is a vital key to student success and we, as teachers, need to collaborate with other team members for the student's benefit. This team is not limited to just the professionals on the school campus, but the parents are essential team...



Two children using tactile sign language
By Liamsmom
My son Liam has a good friend from school named Bella. They are in the same first grade class, where Liam is fully included. (Liam is deafblind and Bella has typical vision and hearing.)  We love it when she gets to come over to our house to play!...



traffic intersection with tactual models
By Chris Tabb
The American Heritage Dictionary has two definitions for “literacy”. The first is, “The condition or quality of being literate, especially the ability to read and write.” The second definition is a bit more global, “The...



Finished braille snowman
By Edith West
I have been encouraged to share some tips on creating Braille Art with a Perkins Brailler. These “Art” pieces help students by encouraging them to participate in holiday traditions throughout the year like other sighted students, while they...



Bucket of materials for Frozen activity
By Gwyn McCormack
Creating a holistic approach based on a theme or story enables children who are visually impaired to access and enjoy literacy and numeracy activities in a meaningful way.    The film "Frozen" has been tremendously popular...



Candy cane, pinecone, pine needles
By Jaime Brown
Students benefit from participating in a wide variety of different experiences.  When they engage in an “experience” they are immersed in a rich learning environment.  Students can have experiences within the classroom, outside, on a...



Sentence strips using standardized symbols
By Linda Hagood
Introduction to Standard Tactile Symbols The Developmental Model Standardization: Moving from Concrete Tangible Symbols to More Abstract Tactile Symbols The System is Sustained Continuum of Symbol Systems...



Boy with iPad
By Tara Mason
John is in tenth grade and has a visual impairment and cerebral palsy. He is attending high school in a one-to-one iPad school district, and his team would like to investigate the effectiveness of him using an iPad as Assistive Technology (AT). This device...



girl holding her face in her hands
By Marnee Loftin
Lire en français. School is one of the most important factors in the life of a child.  It is the source of many of their feelings of self-esteem and competence as a person separate from their family. Not surprisingly, difficulties at school...



By Liamsmom
Last year my son started all-day Kindergarten  in a public mainstream classroom. I was (and still am) a huge advocate for inclusion for my son Liam who is deafblind.   One of my biggest hopes and goals for inclusion was all about the "social...



Tactile trees on page
By Liz Eagan
Tactile books are a great way to foster the development of literacy skills with any child who is visually impaired, including children with other significant disabilities. These can be used at home for enjoyment, to support understanding and anticipation...



I love UEB bracelets
By Charlotte Cushman
January 4, 2016 was the official implementation date for Unified English Braille (UEB) in the United States, replacing English Braille American Edition (EBAE) at that time.  This date was selected because it is also the birthday of Louis Braille and...



Mother reading with two sons
By Charlotte Cushman
  The shopping is done and the presents are wrapped. The next thing to do is to put away the lists and make time to read aloud with your family.  This is something that can be enjoyed by everyone at any age and can include songs, poems, rhymes....



Using magnifier to read text
By Marnee Loftin
In discussions of learning disabilities as well as struggling readers, adults often focus upon the academic difficulties that these students are experiencing. In some instances, the emotional and/or behavioral difficulties that often accompany academic...



Young girl dressed as Madeline book character
By Laurie Hudson
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.  ...



Two teenage girls
By Alison Prskawetz
Alison Prskawetz is the Co-ordinator of Visual Resource Centres at Blind Low Vision Education Network New Zealand (BLENNZ). For more information about BLENNZ, visit them at:   http://blennzonline.edublogs.org/ As part of literacy...



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