We are so grateful to all of you in our online Community of Practice for sharing your ideas and support throughout the year! While the latest blog post is emailed to you each week, there are many other posts throughout the week that you may have missed...
Blog Posts
Below are recently created blog posts.
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,...
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...
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. ...
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...
By Jbrown
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...
By Marnee Loftin
Determining the presence of a specific learning disability is a complex process. Most parents and Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) have a general idea of the procedure, but it is important to know several things about the process...
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,...
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...
By catherinesumm
Catherine Summ and Suzanne Cappiello, who both work as Education Consultants for the Department of Rehabilitative Services (DORS-BESB) in CT, have created this curriculum.
We wrote these lesson plans...
By Sharon@TSBVI
JAWS
NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access)
WindowEyes
When I teach a new student to use a screen reading software, I always teach the Windows shortcut keys first because they are the same no matter what screen reading...
By Jbrown
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...
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...
By Liz Eagan
I have been asked repeatedly how I come up with goals and how I document progress or regression on them. Good questions! In coming up with goals, it all starts with some form of assessment. I don’t pull goals out of midair. Texas School for the Blind...
By Marnee Loftin
Jonathan has been receiving educational services since the age of thirteen months. His family has been an active participant in this process always ensuring that Jonathan has been surrounded by braille in his home and with books available for reading...
By Jbrown
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...
By Megan Mogan
Whether you are raring to go and have your materials all organized, or your vacation flight arrives home the night before your first day back, it’s time. Here are just a few things I like to remind myself this back-to-school time of year. ...
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...
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...
By gwyn52
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...
