As Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) we teach our students the Expanded Core Curriculum. Cooking, under Independent Living Skills, is an area where TVIs can typically create a meaningful lesson plan for students of nearly any age. This...
Blog Posts
Below are recently created blog posts.
By Bobette Enderson
The importance of developing early literacy skills in preschool children is well documented. Literacy competence in our youngest learners helps ensure later success in school. Therefore, as parents and teachers of preschool children who have visual...
By Angela Powell
I have been a TVI (Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments) in Kentucky for 5 years and I am currently working on my Assistive Technology certification through the University of Kentucky. For course work this semester I was given the assignment to explore...
By JennieO
What can you do with your students who are visually impaired in the middle of winter in the state of Maine (or anywhere else)? Mountain biking? I don’t think so! High cliff diving? Not a chance! Cross country skiing? Well yes, that of course, but...
By JasamynNichols
One of my favorite areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum to teach is assistive technology. One of the first tools we introduce to our students with low vision is the hand-held magnifier.
Selecting an Appropriate Magnifier
Each one of our students...
By Derya Uyar
January is a special month for us because it is Braille Awareness Month and braille, blind children, and their families are important to me. This is why I am here sharing with you a story from Turkey.
Supporting at Home Work Being Done at...
By Liz Eagan
Starting with a Book about Positional Concepts
Recently I had the idea to make a position book for a student learning braille. My thought was to focus on the positional terms under/over. I made the book with tactile objects (flower, dominoes, hand sticker...
By maloneyk
“Wow!”, my student said as she received a letter back from the Children’s Hospital. We had made cards for some of the children in our local Children’s Hospital. They were simple cards, but filled with love. Each of our students in our...
By Nancy Nichols
‘Tis the Season! With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us are frantically shopping for the perfect gift. Braille accessories are a fabulous option and you can do it yourself. Sharpen up your slate and stylus skills and craft away....
By Brenda Biernat
It’s not too late for the Start Seeing CVI holiday gift list. You won’t find red pom poms here because children with cortical visual impairment (CVI) like more than just pom poms (and besides, you already know where to buy pom poms and bright...
By Liz Eagan
Submitted by Liz Eagan and Laurie Gaston
The behavior department in my school district encourages all teachers, both general and special education, to use Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) in their classroom. Some of the training and coaching the...
By rachel_g_bennett
As a parent of a son with CVI in Phase II (Roman-Lantzy’s CVI Range), I’ve come to rely on the YouDoodle app to adapt 2D images and create bubble words. My son, Henry, is not quite ready for bubble words, but I wanted to start incorporating them...
By Jasmyn Polite
I will never forget the great memories I had while I attended the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB).
Being a Teacher’s Aide
I was inspired to become an early intervention specialist for the blind and visually impaired...
By Robyn Jones
Your answer is either right or wrong, no “almost” about it. It’s the first thing I tell my students when we start working on the abacus. You get it right, do another problem. You get it wrong, start over. The one place in life where you get...
By jfreeman
This notebook is a compilation of resources that can be used to share information about Orientation and Mobility with a student's team. I download and print all of this information and share with staff and parents, depending on the student's...
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...
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...
By Kate Hurst
Pegboard books provide a way for young children who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities, to begin to explore books. Based on the work of Dr. Lilli Nielsen and her Active Learning approach, this format uses real...
By Charlotte Cushman
The school year is in full swing and it's time to celebrate Fall! Halloween is just around the corner and classrooms across the country are full of the buzz of excitement. We would like to share some of our favorite activities to make this fun...
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...
