Tactile Graphics Instruction

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated June 9, 2019

The ability to read tactual graphics and charts is essential as part of a braille student’s literacy program. Explicit instruction in the reading and interpretation of tactile graphics is critical for students who are tactile learners. The following activities can be used to instruct students in learning how to read tactile graphics.

For younger students and those with cognitive delays, it is essential to begin by providing concrete materials and opportunities for interaction with real materials in order to develop a conceptual understanding of their world. For future braille readers, it is important to provide early and frequent exposure to braille. Suggestions on promoting literacy can be found in the Literacy Adaptations section of this site. Once the student has an understanding of the real material, it is important to then move toward models, 2D symbols and raised line drawings. These are referred to as tactual graphics. 

It is important to understand that tactile presentations are not automatically meaningful to a student who is blind. The student will need to be taught how to read tactual graphics. Preparation and foundations for reading tactual graphics should be included in the process of learning braille. The ability to read graphics, diagrams, graphs, and maps will be required for academic success.  Understanding of basic concepts is critical to reading tactual graphics. Some of these include: far, near, next to, beside, above, below, overlapping, crossing, intersecting, perpendicular, and parallel. It is also essential to have basic tactual perceptual skills: tracking, discrimination among similar symbols, and comparison.

The student must also be aware that diagrams can have different views including cross-section, aerial, frontal view, perspective and distance, and imaginary lines used in 3-D drawings. The student must also be taught to systematically scan the graphic. The student should be encouraged to use a consistent pattern for exploring and to select a reference point within the graphic to determine when the entire graphic has been explored.

Activities to Develop Skills in Reading Tactual Graphics

​Encourage the student to recognize and interpret graphic information (2D object, solid embossed shapes, outlines of objects, raised lines, symbols/letters).

• Name an Item. ​When presented with a tactile graphic of a unit related item, the student will name the item.
• Match. Present the student with a group of tactile graphics to explore. Next, provide the student with a single tactile graphic and encourage them to scan the other graphics to locate a match.
• Mazes. Create a tactile graphics maze. Prompt the student to start at the beginning and follow the paths to locate the end.
• Sequence. Create rows of sequenced shapes in patterns. Encourage the student to identify what comes next in the sequence.
• Tactile Coloring Page. Present the student with a tactile drawing and encourage the student to color within the tactile graphic.
• Dot to Dot. Create a dot to dot activity with numbers or letters and encourage the student to connect the dots in order.
• Follow the Path. Create a tactile graphics follow the path activity. Challenge the student to follow each path and determine on which tactile graphic or word the student would arrive on. Have the student follow other paths to determine where they would arrive.
• Spot the Difference. Present the student with two similar tactile graphics. Challenge the student to spot the differences between the two graphics.
• Object Hunt. Create a tactual graphic that includes a variety of unit related objects throughout. Encourage the student to search to locate all the items.
• ​​Tactile Puzzles. Create a tactile picture of a theme related picture. Cut the picture into several pieces (vary the complexity to make it challenging yet allows for success). Encourage the student to assemble the puzzle.

Ready Made Tactile Graphics Instruction Resources...

 SQUID Tactile Activities Magazine www.aph.org/product/squid-tactile-activities-magazine-issue-1/This activities magazines, available through APH, introduce a recreational approach to tactile literacy. SQUID Magazine is deceptively fun: while your child or student enjoys a variety of activities, he or she will acquire skills needed to become a more proficient tactile reader. These puzzles, games, and brainteasers will foster: Texture discrimination, Systematic searching, Shape identification, Tracking line paths, Pattern building and recognition, and Understanding symbols

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Scattered Crowns: Tactile Attribute Game
This tactual matching game, available from APH, encourages students to search for crowns with specific attributes: band texture, number of jewels, and number of points as they practice texture/shape/size discrimination, tactile memory, systematic searching skills, and spatial concepts.

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