FVE KIT MATERIALS

FVE Materials list

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated March 11, 2018

When assembling materials for a Functional Vision Assessment Kit, it is generally a good idea to plan to have two assessment kits. The first kit can be designed for students that are pre-readers and for those with multiple disabilities. The other kit can contain a variety of materials that reflect different age and reading levels. The kits should include both formal and informal tools to assess vision.

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FVE Kit for Readers

1. Writing Tools:

• Black markers, 20/20 pens, felt-tip pens of various thicknesses.
• Ballpoint pens of various colors.
• Colored markers, pencil crayons, crayons, paints, and chalk.
• Pencils of various thicknesses (such as graphite pencils).
• Black-lined paper/pads with varying degrees of white space between lines
• Regular blue-lined paper.
• White sheets of paper (for drawing or coloring on).
• A variety of colored paper (to check for contrast preferences).

2. Reading Tools:

• Print materials (from children’s books) of various font sizes, styles, and complexity.
• Printed materials on a variety of colored sheets.
• Examples of poor-quality photocopies and high quality photocopies.
• Maps in large print and regular size print.
• Math pages.
• Dictionary pages (from primary, junior, and adult level dictionaries.
• Telephone directory pages
• Mazes, Dot-to-Dots, Hidden Picture, and Visual Discrimination pages.
• Color filters and Bright Line Reading Guide

3. Distance Eye Charts:

Good Lite Lea Symbols Distance Chart
I have used the Lea Symbol charts frequently as they can be used with readers and pre-readers. The response card is very helpful when working with pre-readers as well as non-verbal students as the student can point to the picture that they see.

Good Lite LEA Distance Vision Screener Flipchart
This distance vision eye chart is helpful when assessing students that have difficulty with visual clutter as only one line is presented at a time. The LEA symbols can be used with pre-readers and readers.

Good Lite HOTV Distance Folding Chart
Older, academic students, may be insulted if they are presented with the Lea Symbols. For this reason, it is beneficial to also have either HOTV symbols or numbers acuity charts.

4. Near Visual Acuity:

Good Lite Lea Symbols
This is a good tool to use with students who can read as well as students who are pre-readers or emergent readers.
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Lea Numbers Near Vision Card
The Lea Numbers can be used with students who know their numbers.

Sloan Letter Near Vision Eye Chart
A sloan letter near vision eye chart can be used to assess a student who can readily identify letters.

5. Color Vision Testing

Color Vision Testing Made Easy
This assessment tool is great for assessing student's color vision. It uses simple, easy to recognize symbols and can be used with students as young as preschoolers that know their shapes.

The Pseudo Chromatic Color Test app, a free app on the iTunes store, can be used as part of the color vision portion of the Functional Vision Assessment. The app can pick up on any difficulties the student may have and it also provides information on how to interpret the results.

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Paint Swatches. Another strategy is to obtain a selection of paint swatches in various color hues. Cut the swatches in half and encourage the student to locate the matches.

6. Miscellaneous Items:

• Penlight and Flashlight with color filters and glow stick or glitter lights (response to light source and tracking).
• Objects related to the student's school environment (e.g. books, crayons, pencils, markers, scissors, glue, slate and stylus.
• Occluders (blindfolds, handkerchiefs, darkened glasses, or other to cover one or both eyes).
• Games that can be used to assess various visual skills (e.g. Memory/Lotto, concentration games, playing cards, color swatch match).
• Picture cards (black & white, photographs, and magazine pictures).
• Scissors and bold outline shapes printed on paper to be cut out with scissors.
• A tape measure to measure midrange and distance
• 18" Ruler to measure near
• A stopwatch.
• A mirror (imitation and response to reflection)
• Stickers that can be used as reinforcers or to mark distance.
• Black felt board for contrast.
• Adjustable Slant board
• Tabletop/Tray as needed

Functional Vision Assessment Kit for Pre-Readers

• Toys or objects that are shiny or that reflect light (e.g., mirror, sparkly paper, metallic pom-pom).
• Toys or objects of different sizes (1/2”, 1”, 2”, 3”, 4”, and 5”).
• Toys or objects of different colors (e.g., pastel, primary, and neon colors).
• Toys or objects that have movement characteristics (e.g., Slinky or Bumble Ball, pull back cars, wind up toys).
• Toys that light up.
• Toys that make sounds.
• Toys that do not make sounds.
• Bubble making toys.
• Pairs of multiples of the same object.
• Age-appropriate real-life materials (e.g., cups, spoons, money, or clothing)
• A dark-colored and white towel, cloth, or large piece of paper for the backdrop of a visual display.
• A slant board to display materials at a student’s eye level. Simple form board (puzzle)

NewT Kit

The NewT Kit from APH provides the majority of tools you will need to complete a FVE/LMA assessment. It includes acuity charts; photos, colored pictures and line drawings to match and sort; an array of environmental print and reading passages; and more!

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The ToAD kit from APH provides tools, toys, and puzzles that assist the educator as he or she performs assessments or activities. In addition to its uses for assessment and for vision development activities, ToAD serves as the Vision Modality for the Sensory Learning Kit.

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FVE Kit Materials Checklist

I developed this FVE Kit material list, available on the Printables page, as a quick reference to use when putting together items for a FVE kit. Select materials that are age appropriate, developmentally appropriate and gender neutral.

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Strategies & Tips for Conducting a FVELMA Presentation

I have created a page covering items discussed during my presentation on conducting the FVELMA. Included is the PowerPoint, resources I use in conducting the FVELMA, and templates. Become a member for free to access this page as well as other presentation pages and printables. 

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Free Membership

Sign up for free membership to access the FREE downloadable templates, handbooks and handouts on the Printables page. Simply click on the Log In | Register link in the navigation bar. If you haven't joined yet, you will be prompted to create a password. ​

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TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

$50.00

Written specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), this book consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level.

The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:

• Object Characteristic Activities
• Quantity & Number Concepts
• Time Concept Activities
• Environment & Job Awareness Activities
• Listening Skills Activities
• Reading Foundation Activities
• Reading Fluency Activities
• Braille Basics Activities
• Writing Activities
• Tactual Efficiency Activities
• Developing Skillful Hands Activities
• Visual Efficiency Activities
• Optical Device Instruction Activities
• Recipe Activities

In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.

Unique Concepts within the Units include:

• Self Advocacy Activities (e.g. advocating for safe classroom, presenting to class on visual impairment, requesting help and more)
• Social Skills Activities (e.g. Being bullied or teased, giving and receiving compliments, body language, "I" messages when upset and more)
• Recreation & Leisure Activities (e.g. exploring interest areas, getting involved in clubs and sports, playing games, and more)
• O&M Support Activities (e.g. Suggestions for community based experiences, dog guide information, locations in the school, bioptics, ride sharing, traffic signs, and more)
• Independent Living Skill Activities (e.g. chores, being responsible, using tools, recipe suggestions, hygiene, staying healthy, labeling foods and products, and more)
• Sensory Efficiency Activities (e.g. unique sensory experiences related to the unit, unique optical device activities, and more)
• Compensatory Activities (e.g. organizing materials, study habits, and many unique concepts related to the unit)
• Career & Vocational Activities (e.g. job awareness, completing applications, job task suggestions, and more)

Although the intended audience of this resource is fellow Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, special education teachers may find these activities beneficial to the students in their classrooms as the activities are multisensory and include life skills and concepts needed by all students. This resource, however, is not intended to take the place of a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). Readers are advised to consult their own TVI’s regarding instruction in the ECC and the unique visual needs of the student’s served in their programs.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number.

Each download is intended for single instructor use per copyright. Thank you for helping me preserve the content and not distributing copies to third parties.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 364 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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Visual Efficiency & Magnifier Fluency Grab & Go ECC Supplements

$20.00

This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a supplement to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

Digital pdf download: 210 pages

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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