Every year our team tries to try incorporate something new in our approach in working with our students with CVI (Cerebral/Cortical vision impairment), a brain-based visual impairment. Motivation is critical when encouraging a student to use their vision. Paying attention to what a child is interested in and incorporating that interest plays a big part in this motivation piece.
This last year I coupled this motivation with literature through an idea I got from APH’s book Where is Little Fuzzy? I love the concept of the book, however it did not hold the interest of my students, and therefore did not hold the effort needed to use one’s vision.
One skill I focus on is teaching how to look for those salient features. Dr. Roman-Lantzy defines salient features as, “the defining elements that distinguish one target from another”.
Depending on the ability of the student to find these features within a background, the complexity can be either increased or decreased within each page. This makes the book interactive and adaptable.
As part of our state’s CVI team, I shared what I had done and was encouraged to share with all Oregon TVIs as we strive for collaboration. Receiving good feedback, I thought it would be good to share here as well. The following is what I came up with instead, a book idea that I have used with several students this last year with great success. I encourage you to look through each slide a better understanding.
Here are some examples:
Spotty is a black and white dog with small floppy ears.
Can you find Spotty in the grass?
Here is a copy of the complete slides for you to get inspiration from to use with your own students.
