Selection of Reading Materials

Choose texts that:
  • Do not rely heavily on visual imagery (e.g., picture-dependent books)
  • Are rich in descriptive language, sound patterns, and sensory-based vocabulary
  • Offer opportunities for tactile or auditory exploration of story elements
Examples:
  • “The Listening Walk” by Paul Showers
  • “Touch the Poem” by Arnold Adoff
  • Tactile adaptations of familiar nursery rhymes

Ensuring Material Accessibility

All students should have equal access to reading content, regardless of their visual needs. Materials should be provided in:
  • Print (with large print if needed)
  • Braille
  • Audio (MP3s, digital players, CDs)
  • Electronic/digital formats (with screen readers or refreshable braille)
Assistive Technology Supports:
  • Digital audio players (e.g., Victor Reader Stream)
  • Screen reading software (JAWS, VoiceOver)
  • Braille displays and embossers
  • Bookshare and Learning Ally access

Incorporation of Multisensory Activities

​Students with visual impairments learn best when multiple senses are engaged.
Multisensory Literacy Ideas:
  • Tactile letters and word-building tiles
  • Braille bingo with sight words or vocabulary
  • Story boxes with real objects representing story elements
  • Rhyme and rhythm games using drums, bells, or echo chants
These activities build phonological awareness, letter recognition, and story sequencing—essential foundations for early literacy.

Development of Reading Modes

​TVIs should assess and regularly revisit the student’s primary learning and reading mode, which may be:
  • Tactile (braille)
  • Visual (enlarged or regular print)
  • Auditory (listening-based literacy)
  • Or dual/multimodal
Instruction should:
  • Build tactile discrimination for braille learners
  • Support visual efficiency for low vision readers
  • Strengthen auditory comprehension for all students
Note: Even if a student is an auditory learner, literacy instruction should never be limited to listening; they need active instruction in reading and writing through their most accessible mode.

Stocking the Language Arts Station

Create a tactile and auditory-rich literacy center with:
  • Adapted games and word-building kits
  • Braille books and tactile graphics
  • Real-world materials: menus, maps, business cards, grocery flyers, church bulletins
  • Homemade books or stories based on student interests or experiences
Include:
  • Object books: Use real objects attached to pages with accompanying braille or print
  • Tactile storyboards: Illustrate stories with raised-line images and matching textures
Sentence builders: Use braille or print word cards with Velcro to build sentences

Connecting Literacy to Real Life

​Reinforce literacy concepts across environments:
  • Label classroom, home, and community spaces with braille and print signs
  • Incorporate reading experiences from daily life: menus at restaurants, bus schedules, grocery lists, TV guides, or mail
  • Use field trips or virtual experiences to extend vocabulary and comprehension
Extension Idea: After visiting a zoo, create a tactile book with textures representing the animals and braille/print labels to reinforce key terms.

​Role of the TVI in Supporting Access

TVIs collaborate with general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and families to:
  • Adapt and create materials
  • Determine accessible reading formats
  • Assess literacy progress
  • Teach pre-braille, braille, or visual efficiency skills
  • Embed literacy instruction in daily routines and meaningful contexts
They also provide family coaching so literacy learning can be extended at home using common objects and shared reading time.

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Guide: Start Here
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Plan: Referrals & Eligibility
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