Transitions Between Activities

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated June 18, 2025
Transitions can be stressful for students with visual impairments, as they often involve leaving a familiar setting or activity and entering one that is unfamiliar, without the benefit of visual cues that sighted peers use to anticipate and prepare for change. Whether it's moving from one classroom center to another, transitioning between classes, or switching from playtime to a structured task, careful planning and support can make all the difference. Students who are blind or visually impaired may be more resistant to change, not out of defiance, but because change represents uncertainty. They cannot always see peers packing up, a teacher writing the schedule on the board, or a new activity being set up.

Key Transition Support Strategies

Use Clear Verbal Prompts
  • Speak in a calm, consistent voice.
  • Give advanced notice: “In two minutes, we’ll be cleaning up.”
  • Always speak at the student's level and in front of them when possible.
  • Use simple and consistent language (e.g., “Clean up time,” “Story time next”).
Incorporate Auditory Signals
  • Use transition songs, jingles, or chimes for consistency and predictability.
    • Example: a short cleanup song, hello/goodbye song, or “time to line up” tune.
  • Pair songs with actions to reinforce routines over time.
Encourage Active Participation
  • Let students help pass out materials or lead a cleanup routine.
  • Offer choices when possible (e.g., “Do you want to carry your tray or hold my hand?”).
  • This promotes autonomy and builds confidence.
Initiate With a Personal Identifier
  • Say your name and gently tap the student’s chair or tray before touching them.
  • Example: “Hi, Ms. Jen here. I’m going to help you stand up now.”
Label the Transition
  • Name what’s coming next in one or two clear words: “Lunch,” “Music class,” “Outside time.”
  • For nonverbal students, pair spoken words with object symbols, tactile cues, or real items (e.g., a spoon for lunch, a music shaker for music).
Support Orientation and Anticipation
  • Provide transition alerts before touching, lifting, or guiding a student: “I’m going to help you turn your chair now.”
If the student has a hearing impairment, use haptic cues (e.g., two taps on the shoulder or tray).​

Learning Opportunities Through Transitions

Transitions aren’t just in-between moments—they’re valuable times for:
  • Auditory development: Stop and listen to sounds—“What do you hear? Is that the fan or someone walking?”
  • Concept building: Reinforce spatial or positional concepts like up/down, near/far, front/back, soft/hard, long/short.
  • Following directions: Practice one- and two-step instructions: “Put your toy in the bin and sit on your mat.”
  • Language development: Sing, tell short rhymes, or ask riddles: “If I say ‘in,’ you say…?”

Moving Safely

Exploration and movement are essential, but so is safety. Finding the right balance is key:
  • Narrate the environment with vivid, rich language: “The floor is slippery here; listen for your feet on the tile.”
  • Avoid overprotection. While it's important to prevent injury, small bumps and missteps are natural learning opportunities.
  • Use protective techniques to block hard surfaces: Place your hand or arm between the student and the object while allowing them to experience consequences (e.g., running into a doorframe after missing a trailing cue).
  • Be especially vigilant in elevated or crowded areas like bleachers or stairs.

Scaffolding for Varied Needs

Students’ needs and abilities vary widely. Use multi-leveled, developmentally appropriate activities and consider:
  • Offering adaptations for visual access (e.g., high-contrast objects, real-life materials, tactile symbols)
  • Allowing extra time for transitions for students who need to mentally or physically prepare
  • Modeling routines repeatedly until students gain confidence and predictability
  • Using real materials to make experiences more meaningful, especially for older students who may find traditional manipulatives too juvenile
Many transition-friendly strategies designed for students with visual impairments will benefit all learners in your classroom.

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