Social studies for younger children and those with multiple disabilities, is best taught when students can role-play or go on community outings to have hands on experiences with environments in the community specific to the current topic.
During discussions of social studies units, younger students can role-play jobs such as waiter, banker, police officer, sales associate, fireman, etc. Role playing by dressing in the clothing of a different culture, playing the music unique to that culture, and using tools and sampling foods of the culture can help students make connections with some of the more abstract concepts and topics required by the Standards. Incorporating the use of real objects and materials when studying units can make the concepts more concrete and interesting for all students. Be sure to use sturdy objects and materials, paying attention to the size and nature of the object to allow for tactile exploration.
As students get older, and particularly for those following the standard course of study, the school work will become increasingly complicated and abstract. Students will quickly move beyond the scope of their school, neighborhoods, and cities and learn about neighboring states and countries. Students will need to be able to read symbols, graphs and charts.
It is essential for classroom teachers and the Teacher of the Visually Impaired to collaborate and work together closely in order for the TVI to have time to create accessible maps and materials. Materials need to be ready in a timely manner so they will be ready when classmates are presented with similar materials. The TVI may also need to provide models (ex., a model of a volcano, historical objects, etc.), depending on the topic.
It is important that students first receive instruction in reading maps and other materials such as pie charts, bar graphs, and timelines. Also keep in mind that if videos are shown (as frequently occurs in Social Studies classes), audio descriptions will need to be provided if audio description is not available.
Adaptations in Presentation
Tables and Charts
Leave space between groups of information, but keep the data in the correct columns.
Graphs
Separate bars with spaces.
When filling in bars, use diagonal lines as horizontal and vertical lines can be confused with the bar shape.
If filling in graphs with textures, be careful to not create visual clutter.
When using a line graph, be sure to use lines that vary significantly and are easy to follow.
Maps
Keep the information presented on the map as simple as possible.
Solid textures are easier to discriminate than just outlining shapes.
Use materials that are tactually different when creating map bases (cardboard, corkboard, ceiling tiles, styrofoam), lines (twine, plastic coated wire, yarn), points (hole-punched circles, nail heads, or small beads), secondary information (felt, soft fabric), and significant information (sandpaper or textured paper and fabric).
Classroom Visitors
If it is not possible for your class to go off campus, consider inviting a guest speaker/visitor to talk about their job and bring objects for the students to explore. Invite a guest related to the unit to come in and discuss information related to the topic and provide hands on experiences for students. Encourage students to listen attentively to the speaker. Encourage students to use active listening skills. Encourage students to relate what they heard with prior knowledge.
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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
Use coupon code BundleUp! at checkout for $10 off your purchase over $65!
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
Use coupon code BundleUp! at checkout for $10 off your purchase over $65!
Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets
$30.00
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. This newly revised edition provides an easy means for copying and pasting into braille translation software programs such as Duxbury or APH’s Braille Blaster for embossing. 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 fun activities will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although these word lists and passages were specifically created to document and increase braille reading and writing fluency, they may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency. Finally, these worksheets can be used by print readers (e.g. peers, caregivers, TVI's who need to maintain braille skills, ect.) who are wanting to learn or maintain braille skills. Simply fold the worksheet in half to "decode" the braille, or read the print, produce it in braille, and check your accuracy.
Note: This resource bookis a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page. The download will be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number.
*Single Instructor Use but may be copied for use with as many students on instructor's caseload
Product details
Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets
Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
Author: Carmen Willings
Language: English
Use coupon code BundleUp! at checkout for $10 off your purchase over $65!
