Liz Eagan
I am a teacher of the visually impaired currently working in Bastrop Independent School District in Texas. I believe in literacy for ALL! I believe in sharing as it is through sharing that we can learn so very much!
Liz has created many wonderful lesson and articles on Paths to Literacy! We have grouped them according to major topics, but we hope you’ll explore them all.
Activities for Beginning Braille Readers
- Advice for Braille Readers
- Braille Alphabet Activity
- Braille Flashcards
- Braille Letter Search Sheets
- Braille Schedule
- Braille Sentence Order
- Braille Sightword Search
- Braille Word Search Puzzles
- Breaking Down the Sentence
- Bring Your Mom to Braille Lesson Day
- Build-a-Word: a Word Game for Beginning Braille Students
- Class Projects: Including ALL Students
- Dot Not Home
- Enrichment Activity for Beginning Braille Readers
- Literary Numbers Activity
- Phonetic Reading Blocks with Braille Labels
- Recess Choice Board
- Tactile Alphabet Cards
- Teaching BRL Students English Contractions
- Word Bank Binder
Contractions
Homemade Braille Books
- Braille Letter Matching Books
- Braille Practice Books
- Joke Book: Summer Reading Practice
- Kindergarten Sight Word Summer Reading Books
Homework for Braille Students
Tracking Activities
- Adapting Tracking Activities for Braille Readers
- Beginning Braille Tracking Worksheets to Emboss
- Braille Tracking Sheet
- Race Track Braille
Concept Development
- Concept Cards
- Concept Cards: Rain
- Concept Flashcards: Tactile Images and Braille Labels
- Positional Concept Activity for Pre-Braille
- Positional Concept Game
- Providing Direct Experience to Develop Concepts
- Tactile Color Words Book
- Tactile Poster
Craft and Holiday Projects
Appreciation of Others
- Creating an End-of-the Year Gift for Teachers
- Eye Spy VI Awards
- Nurses Appreciation Day
- Operation Teacher (and Nurse!) Appreciation
Winter / Holidays
- Christmas Tree Project
- Decorating Christmas Trees: Understanding Model
- Go, Snowman, Go!
- Making Table Centerpieces for the Holidays
- Making a Wreath
- Make Your Own Cinnamon-Scented Pine Cones
- Marble Paint Roll Christmas Fun
- Meet February
- Snowflakes
- Tactile Holiday Decorations
- Teaching Many Skills Through Christmas Cards
Spring / Easter
- Computer Bug
- Easter Basket Fun
- Easter Egg Hunt in the Dark
- Easter Egg Hunts for Children with Multiple Disabilities
- Fly High Little Kite
- Leprechaun Fun
Fall / Halloween
- Apples are Awesome
- Experience Book about Fall
- Fall Holiday Craft: Autumn Leaves, Pumpkin, Spiders
- Pumpkin Craft Activity
- A Spooktacular Halloween
Mother’s Day
- Mother’s Day Activity
- Mother’s Day Coupons
- Mother’s Day Crafts
- Rock Painting Spring Craft for Earth Day or Mother’s Day
- My Mom is There
St. Patrick’s Day
Thanksgiving
- Tactile Turkeys
- Thanksgiving Cards with Braille Message and Craft
- The Thanksgiving Tree
- Tree of Thanks
Valentine’s Day
- Giving Back to Others: Making Tactile Valentines
- Valentine Crafting Project
- Wood Bead Garlands Valentine craft
Independence Day
- Crafting for Independence (Fourth of July)
- Tactile Mosaic Flags for the 4th of July
- Independence Day Craft Activity
Other Holidays
- DIY Father’s Day Journal
- Dad’s Can Do Anything
- White Cane Pointer (for White Cane Day)
Early Childhood
Expanded Core Curriculum
- Community Service Through Material Creation
- Creating Transition Books
- Event Planning: Incorporating Literacy and the ECC into Student-Led Activities
- Feelings Book
- Fire Alarm Pull Stations
- Integrating ECC Activities Into Literacy Instruction
- Letting the Student Lead
- Making Positive Behavior Supports Accessible to Students with Visual Impairment
- Nature Walk
- O & M Travel Cards and Book
- Promoting Social Interaction via Zoom
- Student-Made IEP Book
- Student Practices Career Exploration and Self-Determination Teaching a Lesson
- Teaching to Give Back
- Teaching Students About Their Eye Condition
- Teaching Students with Visual Impairments About the Role of Police
Games
- Adapting Connect Four for Players with Visual Impairments
- Adapting The Game of Things for a Braille Student
- Adapting Hangman for Students with Visual Impairments
- Adapting Match It Mathematics Game
- Adapting Word Games for Students with Visual Impairments
- Creating Braille Board Games
- Memory Caps Game
- Student-Created Braille Game
Ideas for Students with Multiple Disabilities
- Adapting Puzzles for Students with Multiple Impairments
- Choice Cards for Adaptive PE
- Earbuds for Students with Multiple Disabilities
- Garden Experience Tub and Braille Book
- Grocery Shopping Book
- Object Symbols for Preschool Student
- Pumpkin Experience Book
- Restaurant Book with Tactile Symbols
- Sensory Bags
- Tactile Symbols for Hygiene Bag
- Teaching Finger Isolation to Braille Students with Additional Disabilities
- Teaching Vocabulary to Use in the Community
- Texture Walk for Sensory Exploration
Independent Living
- Creating a Cooking Portfolio
- Creating Independence When Ordering at a Restaurant
- Grocery Shopping: Creating a List with Pictures for Students with Low Vision
- Making Trail Mix Using Preferred Literacy Formats
- Teaching Literacy and Math Skills Through Cooking
- Theme Books for Students with Visual Impairments
- Visual Recipes for Non-Readers
Lesson Ideas Incorporating Literacy
- Grass Sock Caterpillar: Incorporating Literacy Into a Science Project
- The Mitten: Winter Literacy Ideas
Low Vision
- Adapting Coloring Pages for Students with Low Vision
- Alternate Solution to Coloring for Children with Low Vision
- Cause and Effect Activity for Students with Low Vision
- Circle Time Book for Students with Low Vision
- Creating a Numbers Book for a Student with Low Vision
- Determining Print Recommendations for Students with Low Vision
- Flashcards for Students with Low Vision
- Making Symbols Portable
- Monocular Tracking Cards
- My Color Book
- Red Nose Day
- Visit to Low Vision Doctor
Spanish Translations
Tactile Skills and Tactile Graphics
- Adapting Images for Early Learners
- Braille Art as a Stepping Stone to Tactile Graphics
- Nature Board
- Student Mentor Learning to Create Tactile Graphics
- Supporting Tactile Images with Real Experience and Concrete Materials
- Tactile Exploration of Food Textures
- Tactile Flower: Making a Bridge to Tactile Images
- Tactile Tangrams
- Texti-Sticks
- Texture Match Game
- Using a Light-Up Tracing Pad to Create Tactile Graphics
Tactile Books
Tips for TVIs
- After Hours Book-Making with Tactile Book Builder Kit
- Celebrating Braille Literacy Awareness Month
- Developing a Bond: Getting to Know Our Students
- From Printed Material to Brailled Material
- Lesson Plans? No Problem!
- Setting Up Task Boxes to Encourage Independence
- Tips on Adapting Classroom Materials for Students with Albinism
Apps
- Google Keep App: A Tool for Getting Organized
- Keynote App to Support Sign Language and Communication
- Story Creator App
- Therapy Tools Free App
Classroom Organization
- Contact Paper Wall Activity
- Creating a Theme for Your Braille Classroom
- Setting Up Your Braille Classroom
- Storage Idea for Picture Icons
- Storage Ideas for Teaching Materials
Collaboration
- Collaborating on a Tactile Schedule
- Collaborating: One Vital Piece of the Puzzle in Educating Students with Visual Impairments
- Collaborative Unit Using 3-D Storybooks
- Tips to Expand and Strengthen Collaboration
- TVI and Speech Therapist Collaborate to Make Tactile Book
- Working with Classroom Teachers to Serve Students with Visual Impairments
Forms and Documentation
- Check, Please? Guidelines for Documentation of Student Work
- Data Sheets for Tracking IEP Goals
- The IEP Objectives or Benchmark Is Created… Now What?
- Picture This! Tips on Using Photos to Document the Work of Students
- Talking Typer Tracking Forms
- Using Videos to Share Progress and Strategies
Instructional Materials
- Adapting Materials Found Around School
- CommonLit: Free Website with Grade Level Stories
- Create Your Own Colored Shapes for Light Box Activities
- Fidget Cube
- Indicator Dots
- Light-Up Stacking Blocks Work on Eye-Hand Coordination
- Make Your Own Adapted Paper
Writing
Creative Writing
- Build a Story
- Creative Writing: Letters from the Bark Side
- Future Occupation Bio-Poem
- Incorporating Writing and the ECC through Interviewing
- Insta-Snow Writing Activity
- School Year Journal
- Silly Laws: Teachable Moments Using Critical Thinking and Writing Skills
- Student-Made Literacy Books
- Using Tactile Symbols to Edit Braille Documents
- Write Your Own Braille Book!
- Writing Prompts for Summer Journals
- Writing a Thank You Letter