Instructional Strategies

This section provides tips and strategies for putting together instruction in all areas of the ECC. Some of the pages within this section contain advance copies of information available in publications. They are available to those who have purchased the Complete Set as a way of saying thank you. 

• Teaching in Thematic Units
• ​iPads as Instructional Tools
• The Art of Teaching the ECC *bonus for individuals who purchased TVI's Guide complete set
• ECC Printables *bonus for individuals who purchased TVI's Guide complete set
• Unit Preparation Tips *bonus for individuals who purchased TVI's Guide complete set
• ECC Song Playlist

Compensatory Access ​

Compensatory skills are those skills needed by students who are blind or visually impaired to access all areas of the core curriculum. All students need to be taught the skills necessary to access information within the standard core curriculum in order to be successful in mastering state and national education standards. Individualized instruction in compensatory skills will help the student who is blind learn about the world, communicate, and develop literacy. Compensatory skills include concept development, spatial understanding, study, and organizational skills, speaking and listening skills and the adaptations required to fully access all areas of the general curriculum. This section provides information or skills and unique instruction to allow the student to access the core curriculum.

• Guiding Principles of Concept Development
• Community Based Experiences
• Concepts to Teach
• Organization & Study
• ​Tactile Graphics instruction
• Creating Tactile Graphics
• Cranmer Abacus Instruction

Communication Modes

Communication modes fall under compensatory skills and incorporate the skills needed by students who are blind or visually impaired. Some students will need instruction in the braille code in order to access print as well as handwriting and signature instruction. Additionally, students may require large print, use of optical devices, recorded materials, picture symbols, and more to support access to communication. This section provides information, suggestions, and strategies in instructing persons in these areas. ​

• Large Print
• Braille Code
• Braille Instruction
• Braille Instruction Materials
• Writing Braille
• Creating Tactual Books
• Nemeth Braille Code
• Signature & Handwriting

Early Intervention

It is essential for students that are blind or visually impaired to receive early intervention services to lay a solid foundation and encourage the child to use any remaining vision. This page provides suggestions and recommendations for meeting infant and toddlers unique needs through Early Intervention.

• Learn to Play
• Impact on Development
• Language Development

Students with Multiple Disabilities

Many students who are blind or visually impaired have multiple disabilities and require a modified curriculum. These students frequently have complex visual and learning needs. This section provides resources and strategies for working with students with multiple disabilities. 

• Functional Skills
• Individual Schedules & Communication Cards
• Transition Between Activities
• Lightbox Use
• Encourage Use of Vision
• Sensory Activities
• Teacher Made Materials
• Sensory Areas & Rooms

Assistive Technology

Students who are blind or have low vision need to acquire a range of technology skills that will give them options for gathering and conveying information. Instruction in the use and maintenance of Assistive Technology is needed in the curriculum for students with visual impairments. This section provides information on a variety of AT devices as well as strategies for instruction.

• Overview of Assistive Technology
• Braillewriter Repair 
• AT Resources
• Vendors
• AT Instruction
• iPads as Instructional Tools
• Making the iOS Device Accessible
• Video Magnifier Instruction
• Notetaker Instruction
• Accessing Audio Books
• Navigate Computer w/o a Mouse
• Word Processing & Shortcuts
• Keyboard Instruction

Sensory Efficiency ​

Sensory efficiency skills include instruction in the use of residual vision, hearing and other senses including use of tactual, gustatory, and olfactory input to identify one's personal possessions or use hearing and other senses to identify people. This section provides information on ways to develop sensory efficiency.

• Sensory Input
• Sensory Table
• Visual Efficiency Skills
• Visual Attend & Scan Activities 
• Visual Tracking Activities
• Visual Discrimination Activities 
• Visual Motor Activities
• Optical Device Use
• Tactual Readiness
• Developing Skillful Hands
• Auditory Readiness
• Listening Skills Instruction

Independent Living

It is important for the student to develop responsibility and independence in order to become the most independent and contributing member of their homes and communities that will promote social acceptance. This section provides information on ways to develop these critical skills.

• Responsibility & Independence
• Hygiene & Grooming
• Dressing & Clothing
• Mealtime Independence
• Housekeeping
• Money
• Time Management
• Food Preparation

Orientation & Mobility

Orientation pertains to the students’ ability to get about in their immediate environment.  This section provides information on orientation and mobility skills and techniques that are taught in order to help the student safely and efficiently move throughout their environment.

• Proper Guide Techniques
• Orienting Student to Environment
• Mobility Skills
• Travel 
• Dog Guides

Career Education

Career education is an essential area of the Expanded Core Curriculum as it provides the student with visual impairment access to an understanding of careers they may not be aware. It also addresses the vocational skills students need to perform jobs and keep employment.

• Learn to Play
• Classroom Jobs
• Career & Vocational
• Preparing for College

Social Skills

Social interaction skills must be taught to students with visual impairments because they are unable to casually observe how people interact and socialize with one another.  This section provides information on ways to help students develop positive social skills.

• Non-Verbal Communication
• Social Interactions
• Self Concept
• Icebreakers & Mixers

Recreational & Leisure Skills

Recreation and leisure skills may include traditional as well as adapted physical education activities. This section will provide information on how to provide students with support in this area.

• Recreation & Leisure Resources

Self Determination

Self-Determination highlights the importance of believing in oneself while understanding one's abilities and limitations. This section provides information on how to help students develop self-determination skills.

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 Complete Set Bundle + BONUS Resources

$125.00 $100.00

Buy together at a reduced price and get BONUS resources!

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

The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and 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. 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.

In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:

·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist

·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist

For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page.

TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details

·      Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)

·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

·      Author: Carmen Willings

·      Language: English

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements

The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. 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 companion 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.  

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages

·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

·      Author: Carmen Willings

·      Language: English

Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement

The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page

Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:

·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets

·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

·      Author: Carmen Willings

·      Language: English

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement

The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. 

Additional Use:

Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:

·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource

·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

·      Author: Carmen Willings

·      Language: English

BONUS!

Lotto Cards

The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.

On My Way File Folder Cards

Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

NEW! Access to TVI's Guide Bonus Membership Pages

Note:

All products are digital pdf downloads. 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. If you encounter any difficulty, please let me know and I can assist you.

*Please contact me if you need to purchase using a purchase order. I am happy to help guide you in the process of adding Teaching Students with Visual Impairments as an approved vendor for your school or program or you can visit the product support page for information on using a PO.

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Webinar Complete Set

$200.00 $120.00

Although physically attending workshops and conferences allows you to network, teachers are not always permitted to take professional leave or travel to attend conferences. It is for that reason that I have put together this bundle of 8 on-demand webinars along with accompanying resources. Earn CE credits from the comfort of your home or office! Each webinar is 1 hour, and a 1 hour CE is available with each, for a total of 8 CE’s. I love special offers and I know you do as well! Purchase the complete set of webinars and receive this significant discount of 40% off! 

This special offer provides individual access to the following webinar pages and resources. Learn more about each webinar by following the links to each product page.

• Tips for Being a Physically Fit TVI
• Conducting a FVLMA
• Developing SMARTER Goals
• Determining Service Delivery Using the VISSIT
• Selecting the Right AT
• The Art of Teaching the ECC
• Activities to Teach the ECC
• Using Themes to Teach the ECC

Includes:

• Recorded PowerPoint Shows
• Transcripts
• Presentation handouts
• Printables & Links to Resources discussed in presentations

 

Request a Certificate of Completion

To receive a certificate of completion for each contact hour, complete the short quiz for each webinar on Google Forms and receive a score of at least 80%. Don't worry. If you don't pass, you can look over your notes or re-watch the presentation and retake the test! If you have any accessibility issues with the form, please don't hesitate to let me know and we can make other arrangements.  

 

System Requirements:

These are PowerPoint presentations and you must be able to access PowerPoint in order to view these webinars. Please note that the webinar pages are closed member pages, available to individuals who have purchase access to the webinars. 

*Please contact me if you need to purchase using a purchase order. I am happy to help guide you in the process of adding Teaching Students with Visual Impairments as an approved vendor for your school or program or you can visit the product support page for information on using a PO.

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     The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is the body of knowledge and skills that are needed by students with visual impairments due to their unique disability-specific needs. Students with visual impairments need the expanded core curriculum in addition to the core academic curriculum of general education. The ECC should be used as a framework for assessing students, planning individual goals and providing instruction."
- American Foundation for the Blind