Tactile Practice that Can Change in a Moment

In my adventures as a TVI, I have students who love completing tactile puzzles.

The classroom has purchased a few, and I have used the Federal Quota funds for students to have some as well. These puzzles are fun, but once the student memorizes it, they become a bit boring, and uninteresting.

To keep my students on their toes and interested, as well as motivated in completing the task, I created an interchangeable activity that could be used multiple times without the ability to be memorized.

For this, I used:

• A metal muffin tin of six
• Feel ‘n peel sheets: Carousel of textures (from APH)
• Textured paper (from APH)

Starting with a muffin tin, I used the bottom of the tin to create a template of a circle to place inside each muffin space. Using the Feel ‘n Peel Sheets: Carousel of Textures and the Textured Paper Collection from APH, I cut circles out of a variety of textures, ensuring there were more circles than spaces to place them. I chose to put Velcro on the bottom of each tin space, and on the bottom of each texture.

I then took magnet tiles and cut corresponding squares of each circle texture. Now,
each space in the muffin tin has a square that covers it completely.

Ways that the student can use the activity

1. Having each muffin cup filled in with a texture ahead of time, and one Magna tile
   handed to the student at a time. The game can grow by giving the student more
   than one Magna tile at a time.
2. Place the textured circles into the muffin cups and then give the student all of the
   Magna tiles, even the ones that do not match that set of cups.

3. Have the student create the puzzle by placing the textured circles into the muffin
   cups and give it to another student or the teacher and then have the first student
   check the answers to ensure the second student or teacher did it correctly.

Different ways to continue using this system

1. Place braille numbers on a Magna tile and place small objects into the muffin
   tins, having the student match the braille number to the number of objects.
2. Use mini muffin tins and small, one inch Magna tiles to begin making things
   smaller to work towards using braille letters or contractions on the bottom of
   each tin and on each Magna tile.