PICTURES AND WORKSHEETSBy: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Special attention needs to be given when selecting worksheets and materials for students with low vision. Students with low vision need to be provided with the highest quality worksheets and materials that provide good clarity and are accessible and appropriate for the student's unique visual needs. Picture UsePictures are used regularly in classrooms to convey information, illustrate points and make materials more visually appealing. Frequently text is dependent on the picture for meaning in early literacy books. When pictures are used that are critical to the text, it is important to pair the pictures with objects or models for students who have significant reduced vision and are unable to view pictures even when using low vision devices. A raised line drawing can be used if the student is able to understand two dimensional forms.
Selecting Worksheets and PicturesFor students with low vision, consider the quality of pictures when selecting worksheets or materials to use. Worksheets should be of good quality. In other words, if the lines are faded or the pictures are abstract, either use a different worksheet, or verbally identify the pictures for the students. Avoid worksheets where the ink has faded or print/ink has bled through when making copies of thin paged originals. Care also must be taken to be sure that students are provided with enough space to complete math computations or write their responses with larger print size.
Similarly, be sure to use teaching materials that are in a simple, bold font and of good visual clarity. Some older memory games and alphabet cards are still in circulation in many classrooms. These older games and cards frequently use obscure pictures of unfamiliar items to today’s students and consist of line drawings that are visually cluttered.
Look instead for uncluttered pictures with simple drawings or preferably photos of the object. Be sure that there is a good contrast and avoid dark printed letters on dark colors such as black on dark blue. Most phonics manipulatives are in a simple font and appropriate for students with low vision.
Figure-Ground ActivitiesAvoid figure ground activities (hidden pictures, word searches, etc.) unless they are part of a lesson in visual perception or using low vision devices to visually scan and locate pictures. Reading maps can be a challenging activity. The student may need an adapted map that only includes pertinent information.
Selecting Picture BooksSelect books with clear pictures and good visual contrast. Books should be colorful with simple pictures rather than pictures that are visually cluttered. If the book uses photographs, try to select books with a matted finish instead of glossy to reduce glare. Also look for books where the print is not written across the pictures, but instead, is placed on a solid background.
Material Suggestions
I like the Word PlayHouse kit from APH to teach beginning phonics and reading skills. The tiles are constructed of a durable plastic yet I have found some students, who are so inclined, can still bend the tiles. For those students, I use letter tiles commercially available, as they can be adapted by adding braille letters without obscuring the print. I then add Velcro to the back of the tile and present it on an APH Velcro board for high contrast and reduced clutter.
The Tri-fold Board from APH provides a great background to place words on for a word wall. I also like to use the Picture Maker Felt Board and texture strips when creating build-a-word and build-a-sentence activities. If you do not have access to Quota Funds, you can create your own felt board by purchasing foam back cloth (material you find on the ceiling of cars) from auto supply stores. This material is great as it doesn't get fuzzy like many flannel boards.
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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. |
