Teaching Strategies Overview

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Effective instruction for students who are blind or visually impaired relies on carefully selected strategies that maximize engagement, accessibility, and independence. These strategies support all areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) and are most effective when implemented by a coordinated team—including the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI), classroom teachers, related service providers, and families.
​Instructional planning should be guided by assessment data, classroom observation, and student feedback. Strategies are adjusted to match individual learning needs, ensuring that students can actively participate and demonstrate learning across academic, functional, and social contexts.

ECC Overview

Understanding the ECC framework ensures that instruction addresses the full range of skills necessary for independence and success.
  • Strategies: integrate compensatory skills, literacy, social interaction, orientation & mobility, assistive technology, and independent living into daily lessons.
  • Team Roles: The TVI leads ECC-focused planning; classroom teachers embed ECC objectives in core instruction; families reinforce skills at home.
  • Instructional need: indicated when students with visual impairments show gaps in areas beyond core academics.
Learn more on the ECC Overview page.

Individualize Instruction

Lessons are tailored to each student’s visual, cognitive, and developmental abilities. Individualized instruction ensures that teaching is relevant, engaging, and effective.
  • Strategies: differentiated lessons, multi-sensory materials, varied modes of communication, and scaffolding for skills development.
  • Team Roles: TVIs design and deliver adaptations; classroom teachers implement modifications; families provide context for real-life application.
  • Instructional need: indicated when a student struggles with standard lesson formats or shows inconsistent performance.
​Learn more on the Individualized Instruction page. 

Pacing Instruction

Adjusting the speed of teaching helps students process information without fatigue or frustration.
  • Strategies: chunk content, provide frequent breaks, allow extended response times, and monitor comprehension.
  • Team Roles: TVI manages pacing for specialized content; classroom teachers coordinate timing across the curriculum.
  • Instructional need: indicated when students appear overwhelmed or cannot keep up with lesson flow.
Learn more on the Pacing Instruction page. 

Build on Prior Experiences

Connecting new concepts to prior knowledge enhances comprehension and retention.
  • Strategies: use concrete examples, relate to real-life experiences, and scaffold learning based on previous success.
  • Team Roles: TVI references prior ECC instruction; classroom teachers reinforce links to core subjects; families provide context from daily life.
  • Instructional need: indicated when students fail to generalize skills or concepts across settings.
Learn more on the Build on Prior Experiences page.

Building Trust

Trust and rapport are essential for engagement and willingness to try new strategies.
  • Strategies: consistent routines, predictable interactions, respect for independence, and positive reinforcement.
  • Team Roles: All team members model reliability and encouragement to foster confidence.
  • Instructional need: indicated when students demonstrate anxiety, resistance, or reluctance to participate.
Learn more on the Building Trust page. ​

Prompt Hierarchy

Using a structured system of prompts helps students respond independently while receiving appropriate support.
  • Strategies: verbal cues, gestural prompts, modeling, hand-over-hand guidance, and fading support over time.
  • Team Roles: TVI provides initial teaching and modeling; classroom teachers reinforce prompts consistently; families maintain continuity at home.
  • Instructional need: indicated when students require excessive assistance or fail to initiate tasks independently.
Learn more on the Prompt Hierarchy page.

Ensure Success

Designing lessons to maximize opportunities for success increases motivation and engagement.
  • Strategies: clear expectations, task analysis, scaffolded steps, and immediate feedback.
  • Team Roles: TVI identifies achievable objectives; classroom teachers provide reinforcement; paraprofessionals and families support practice in daily routines.
  • Instructional need: indicated when students show frustration, avoidance, or repeated errors.
​Learn more on the Ensure Success page.

​Challenging Behaviors

Proactive strategies reduce disruptions and support positive learning.
  • Strategies: prevent triggers, teach replacement behaviors, reinforce appropriate responses, and use structured choice-making.
  • Team Roles: TVI leads behavior plan development; classroom teachers implement strategies; behavior specialists provide consultation; families reinforce consistency at home.
  • Instructional need: indicated when behaviors interfere with learning or social interaction.
​Learn more on the Challenging Behaviors page.

​Student Aggression

Specialized strategies address safety and de-escalation while supporting learning.
  • Strategies: calm environment, clear boundaries, modeling safe behavior, and teaching self-regulation skills.
  • Team Roles: TVI and classroom teachers maintain safe instruction; O&M specialists and behavior support teams assist with crisis prevention; families reinforce regulation skills.
  • Instructional need: indicated when aggression presents safety concerns or interrupts learning.
​Learn more on the Student Aggression page.

​Hand Under Hand Support

This technique helps students explore materials safely and independently while building tactile understanding.
  • Strategies: guide exploration with minimal support, fade contact gradually, and combine with verbal instruction.
  • Team Roles: TVI models technique; classroom teachers and paraprofessionals provide consistent application; families can use it in home activities.
  • Instructional need: indicated when students cannot access materials safely or struggle with tactile exploration.
​Learn more on the Hand Under Hand Support page.

​Virtual Instruction

Remote instruction requires adaptations to ensure accessibility, engagement, and independence.
  • Strategies: screen reader-compatible documents, audio descriptions, tactile kits sent home, guided video lessons, and frequent check-ins.
  • Team Roles: TVI coordinates virtual lesson design; classroom teachers provide synchronous or asynchronous instruction; families assist with hands-on activities at home.
  • Instructional need: indicated when remote learning is necessary due to illness, travel, or school closures.
​Learn more on the Virtual Instruction page.

Modeling and Demonstration

Modeling and demonstration are key consultation strategies that help team members learn how to effectively support students with visual impairments. The TVI models instructional techniques, adaptations, and interaction strategies so teachers, paraprofessionals, and families can confidently apply them in daily routines.
  • Strategies: Demonstrate accessible material setup, tactile learning techniques, clear verbal descriptions, task breakdown, hand-under-hand support, and workspace modifications.
  • Team Roles: The TVI coaches the team by modeling strategies and offering feedback so team members feel confident implementing techniques during instruction and daily routines
  • Instructional Need: Used when team members need support in understanding the impact of visual impairment or when consistent strategies across settings will improve the student’s independence and engagement.
Learn more on the Modeling and Demonstration page.

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