Select Appropriate Reading Materials

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated February 14, 2025

Reading materials play a vital role in fostering literacy and language development for students who are blind or have low vision. For these students, the careful selection of books and reading strategies ensures they can fully engage with and benefit from the experience. Below are key considerations and strategies for selecting and using reading materials effectively.

Key Considerations for Selecting Books

• Relevance to Experiences and Units. Choose books, poems, or songs that relate to the student’s familiar experiences or upcoming activities. Introduce materials that align with current classroom themes or units.
• Avoid Visual Dependence. Select books that do not rely heavily on pictures to convey meaning. To test this, cover the pictures and read the story aloud to ensure it makes sense without visual cues.
• Age and Developmental Appropriateness. For younger students, use nursery rhymes, repetitive stories, or simple songs. For older students, avoid overly simplistic materials like nursery rhymes or picture books. Instead, choose short poems, song lyrics, or excerpts from almanacs or other informational texts.
• Visual Accessibility. (For Low Vision Students) Select books with clear, uncluttered images, good contrast, and matte finishes to minimize glare. Look for books where text is placed on solid backgrounds rather than over images.
• Engaging Content. Include stories that encourage participation, such as those with repeated phrases, sound effects, or opportunities to imitate actions or sounds. Select stories that match the student's attention span and cognitive level, ensuring they remain engaged.

Strategies for Reading to Students with Little or No Vision

• Bring Stories to Life. Read with expression, particularly during dialogue, to make the story engaging and vivid. Incorporate sound effects, character voices, or dramatic pauses to enhance understanding.
• Encourage Participation. Provide tactile objects related to the story for students to hold and explore. Encourage students to join in by imitating sounds (e.g., animal noises) or repeating phrases from the story.
• Incorporate Movement. Use fingerplays and hand-under-hand guidance for songs or rhymes like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Encourage active engagement by pairing motions with lyrics or actions in the story.
• Expand Vocabulary and Connections. Discuss new or interesting words in the text, relating them to familiar experiences or suggesting new activities. Encourage storytelling by asking students to retell or act out parts of the story.
• Collaborate with Others. Invite aides, therapists, or other teachers to contribute sound effects or voices for characters to make the story dynamic and inclusive.

Special Considerations for Older Students

• Age-Appropriate Materials. Avoid materials that may seem childish or irrelevant for older students. Choose reading content like short stories, poems, or song lyrics that match their developmental and emotional levels.
• Discussion and Critical Thinking. After reading, facilitate discussions to connect the content with the student’s personal experiences or current events. Encourage them to share their interpretations or thoughts about the material.

​Selecting the right reading materials for students with little or no vision is critical for fostering literacy, engagement, and language development. By choosing accessible, relevant, and age-appropriate content, and by using expressive and interactive strategies, teachers can create meaningful and enjoyable reading experiences. Through these efforts, students can build language skills, develop their imagination, and foster a lifelong love of stories and learning.

Compensatory Skills

Concept Development

• Demonstrates awareness of objects
• Demonstrate understanding of object permanence
• Plays with toys – takes adv. of characteristics
• Open container to locate noisemaker
• Demonstrate interest in toys
• Object identification
• Match/Classify objects by shapes
• Match/Classify objects by size
• Time awareness and concepts
• Spatial awareness
• Quantity Concepts

Alternative Communication

• Body responses & gestures for communication
• Choice Board (object/tactile/picture)
• Communication system (calendar boxes)
• Sign language/tactile sign (deafblind)

Emergent Literacy

• Explore pictures/objects from story
• Explore & turn pages
• Proper care of books
• Awareness of environmental print/braille
• Pretend to read/write print/braille

Access Print

• Use low vision tools to access near print
• Use low vision tools to access distance print
• Use technology to access digital print
• Use screen sharing to access print at distance
• Access variety of print formats
• Identify print size needed

Pre-Braille

• Tactile discrimination of symbols
• Identify spatial position of dots in braille cell
• Identify the dot number in a braille cell
• Track a line of dots from left to right
• Track a row of dots
• Identify beginning/end/breaks on a braille line
• Tactually explore a braille page
• Track braille sentences when read aloud by adult
• Orients braille book correctly
• Turn pages in a braille book one at a time
• Locates the first braille line on a page
• Locate the page number in a braille book
• Use two hands to track braille
• Use pointer finger as lead finger
• Use pinky finger to detect the end of a line
• Use light touch
• Use two hands separately to track and return
• Locate name in braille
• Identify same/different braille shape
• Identify the braille alphabet
• Identify the literary braille numerals 0-10

Braille Code

• Read/write the alphabet
• Read/write whole-word alphabet contractions
• Read/write whole and part word contractions
• Read/write short form words
• Read/write lower signs
• Read/write part word signs
• Read/write whole word signs
• Read/write initial letter signs
• Read/write final letter signs
• Read and produce literary numbers
• Read and produce braille indicators
• Read and produce symbols and punctuation
• Braille Reading Fluency
• Read back personal writing and edit
• Access a variety test & worksheet formats
• Apply rules for contractions, punctuation, comp.
• Use alternate braille codes (ex. Language, music, etc)

Braille Formatting

• Locate beginnings of paragraphs
• Writes paragraphs, indenting two spaces
• Read/write lists
• Locates and read transcriber’s notes, picture captions
• Locates headings/subheadings in a text
• Reads/write columned materials and tables
• Read/write format for poetry and plays
• Write outlines in correct (literary/textbook) format
• Locate preliminary pages, special symbols page
• Use table of contents, glossary and index
• Locate/read words and definitions in dictionary
• Use a multi-volume textbook

Braillewriter

• Locate/name parts on a braillewriter
• Make random braille dots
• Insert/remove paper from braillewriter
• Operate line advance/carriage return
• Operate backspace
• Use correct fingers on keys
• Produce uniform dots using correct finger strength
• Erase errors with a braille eraser
• Use spacebar appropriately
• Set margin stops on braille writer
• Change margin for various format needs (ex. column)
• Spatially arrange math problems
• Proofread writing and make corrections

Slate & Stylus

• Identify the dot numbers in cell on a slate
• Load paper in the slate
• Create legible, uniform dots
• Skip space on a slate
• Create letters, words, and numbers
• Use slate & stylus to complete tasks
• Proofread writing and make corrections

Tactile Graphics

• Explore Tactile graphics
• Locate/identify title, key and symbol
• Identify meaning of various textures on globe/map
• Interpret graphical information (e.g. graphs & charts)

nemeth code

• Read/write numerals in Nemeth Code
• Read/write signs of operation (+, -, x, /)
• Read/write linear mathematical equations
• Read/write horizontal mathematical equations
• Read/write symbols of comparison (<,>, =)
• Read/write symbols money using signs: $, ¢, .)
• Read/write fractions
• Read/write mixed numerals
• Read/write temperatures using sign for degrees
• Read/write percent
• Read/write grouping symbols ( , ) , [ , ] , { , }
• Read/write Nemeth punctuation (, -, : )
• Read/write modifier signs for lines, arrows, rays, bars
• Read/write shape indicator (circle, square, etc.)
• Read/write signs/format for parallel & perpendicular
• Read/write signs for angles
• Read/write adv. symbols of comparison (i.e. ≠, = )
• Read/write square roots
• Read/write subscripts/superscripts
• Read/write algebraic expressions
• Read/write chemical equations
• Read/write braille clock/watch
• Write time
• Measure to the nearest centimeter, ½”
• Construct/draw measure geometric figures & label
• Use braille/tactual tools to measure
• Display data on tactual graph
• Interpret data in various tables and graphs
• Read/write standard/metric measurements
• Read/write advanced Nemeth code symbols
• Apply rules to complete grade level problems

Access Classes

• Use of charts, graphs, maps
• Measurement tools
• Handwriting (legibility)
• Develop a consistent signature
• Use signature writing guide
• Use of needed accommodations
• Interpretation of Tactile graphics

Abacus

• Identify all parts of the abacus
• Demonstrate understanding of set, clear and count
• Set numbers in the ones column
• Set numbers in the tens column
• Set and read whole numbers according to place value
• Demonstrate understanding of 0/9 exchange
• Add/subtract 0-4 on the abacus
• Add/subtract numbers 0-19 on abacus
• add/subtract 1-4 digit # to/from a 2-5 digit #
• Add 1-4 digit # to a 2-5-digit numeral on abacus
• Set and read decimal numbers to place values
• Subtract decimals using abacus
• Add decimals using abacus
• Multiply decimals on abacus
• Set/read mixed fractions using 1 or 2 abacus
• Set/read complex fractions using 1 or 2 abacus
• Add/subtract simple fractions using 1 or 2 abacus
• Add/subtract mixed/complex fractions using 1 or 2
• Multiply/divide [simple; mixed; complex] fractions
• Set and read multiplier and multiplicand
• Multiply/divide 1-3 digit #s to 2-5 digit #s
• Compute ratios on the abacus
• Compute percent on the abacus

Organization

• Put items away where they belong
• Organize Items in backpack/desk
• Independently store and retrieve personal items
• Label or mark personal care items
• Trial a variety of labeling & filing materials
• Trial a variety of office supplies
• Maintain personal address/phone directory
• Organize information & documents

Study Skills

• Take and read back notes
• Search and scan written materials
• Use reference materials
• Research Skills
• Demonstrate map, chart, graph reading skills
• Use scanning techniques in primary reading medium
• Use library on level commensurate with peers
• Take notes and access them
• Ident. Key words, dates, def. in text and in lectures
• Use of live reader

Time Management

• Ready on time
• Is prepared as activities begin
• Follow daily schedule
• Create daily to do list
• Access recreational materials in unstructured time
• Demo. ability to use a watch/clock
• Keep schedule of activities for day, week, month

Listening Skills

• Respond to oral instructions
• Follow along during oral reading
• Organize oral info. into retrievable medium
• Repeat words/phrases just heard
• Identify word missing
• Follow 1 or multiple step commands
• Identify likeness or diff. between sounds
• Discriminate Words of different or similar sounds
• Discrim. between emotions (angry, happy, sad, etc)
• Identify dominant sound
• Follow directions among background noise
• Identify direction of environmental sounds
• Repeat sounds in sequential order
• Repeat 1-4+ letters/words/#s in order
• Remember and repeat familiar phrases or rhymes
• Repeat and follow 1-3 step verbal commands
• Recall facts from information given
• Recall details from a story heard within time intervals
• Ident. sim./diff between words/sentences/paragraph
• Attend to speaker and select information required
• Select items of info which are pertinent and respond
• Identify what information heard was pertinent