Texas School for the Blind and Visually ImpairedOutreach Programswww.tsbvi.edu | 512-454-8631| 1100 W. 45th St. | Austin, Texas 78756

TETN #13909: Putting the “T” in TVI: How to Teach an Individual Lesson

January 17, 2013

1:30-3:30 PM

Presented by

Chrissy Cowan, TVI/Mentor Coordinator,

TSBVI Outreach Programs

chrissycowan@tsbvi.edu

Scott Baltisberger, TVI/Education Consultant

TSBVI VI Outreach Program

scottbaltisberger@tsbvi.edu

Developed for

Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired

Outreach Programs

Putting the “T” in TVI:  What to Teach and How to Teach ItPresented by

Chrissy Cowan, Mentor CoordinatorScott Baltisberger, Outreach Consultant

Presentation Overview What TVIs typically teach with their students receiving direct TVI services Effective teaching strategies Resources to support teaching students with visual impairments

What TVIs typically teach with their students receiving direct TVI services Pre-K through 2nd grade 3rd through 5th grade Middle school through high school

What TVIs tend to teach students: Braille and/or print literacy Adaptive devices and techniques Assistive technology Social skills Independent living skills Recreation/leisure Career awareness Self-advocacy

Difference between core and expanded core curricula Core curriculum: set of courses that are considered basic and essential for future classwork

and graduation (TEKS) Expanded core curriculum: concepts and skills typically learned incidentally by sighted

students that must be sequentially presented to the student who is blind or has low vision

Pre-K through 2nd GradeBraille Literacy

Brailling devices Letters; numbers; punctuation Contracted or uncontracted Page formats Marking with a pencil Copying Tactile graphics

o Readingo Producing

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Pre-K through 2nd GradePrint Literacy

Effective techniques to scan a page of print Formats typically used by publishers Correct formation of letters Using a magnifier in conjunction with print Frequent fluency checks

Pre-K through 2nd GradeAdaptive Devices and TechniquesMath related

Abacus and Unifix cubes (pre-abacus) Nemeth code applicable to grade level Tactile: rulers, clocks, number line, shapes, fractions Bold line graph paper (LV)

Science related Tactile graphics (graphs, diagrams, charts, models) Modified measuring devices

Social studies related

Tactile graphics (graphs, diagrams, charts, models)

Pre-K through 2nd GradeAssistive Technology

Perkins Brailler, and/or Mountbatten Brailler Optical devices for near and distance viewing (copying from the board) Basic computer functions

o Navigation keyso Tied to games, early writingo Basic screen reading/magnification

Pre-K through 2nd GradeIndependent Living Skills

Eating in the cafeteriao Eating neatly; cutting food; opening containerso Going through the line; finding your groupo Carrying a tray

Fasteners on clothing Storing backpack, cane, and coat

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Pre-K through 2nd GradeSocial Skills

Presentation to class (w/ student) Appropriate social interactions Interactive play

Pre-K through 2nd GradeClassroom Procedures

Where to sit during circle time Turning in papers Organizing your materials Where work is located Retrieving your own materials Expected behaviors (raising hand, taking turns) Finding the right book and page number Advocating for yourself

Pre-K through 2nd GradeCareer Awareness

Jobs in the communitySelf-advocacy

Teaching student to educate otherso About their eye conditiono How they “see best”

3rd through 5th GradeBraille Literacy

Maintenance of rules and skills Formatting System for editing Teaching braille to the student whose acuity has decreased significantly Supporting functional literacy instruction to lower functioning brailler readers

3rd through 5th GradePrint Literacy

Techniques for editing/correcting work Reading print with a hand-held magnifier Identifying picture detail with a magnifier Activities to increase fluency Formats typically used by publishers

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Sample Text Formats

Figure 1 Diagram of the respiratory system.

Figure 2 Diagram of volcano formation.

Figure 3 3-column chart of heating system.

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3rd through 5th GradeAdaptive Devices and Techniques

Math Abacus Nemeth code applicable to grade level Tactile protractor Audible calculators Geo board

Science Tactile graphics (graphs, diagrams, charts, models) Modified measuring devices

Social studies Tactile graphics (graphs, diagrams, charts, models

Organization and Study Skills Filing documents (both paper copies and e-files) Completing assigned research assignments Methods for taking/studying notes

Art (graphic arts and music) Producing tactile images Braille music notation

3rd through 5th GradeAssistive Technology

Refreshable braille note takers Keyboarding & keystroke shortcuts JAWS Zoomtext or other screen enlargement techniques Auditory format books iPod and/or tablets in conjunction with refreshable braille devices Optical devices for near and distance viewing-skill maintenance

3rd through 5th GradeIndependent Living Skills

Chores with necessary adaptationso Feed an animalo Set the tableo Empty the trasho Cleaning bedroom

Cooking snacks Clothing: matching, selecting Money: identification, management

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3rd through 5th GradeSocial Skills

Reinforcing appropriate behaviors Problem solving with student Appropriate gender relationships Dealing with bullying (cyber and in school) Peer-related dress

Recreation/Leisure

Accessing social media Adaptations for music; sports Adaptive methods for texting & email Access to, and expression of personal interests (“meet ups”) Internet safety

3rd through 5th GradeCareer Awareness

Jobs in the communitySelf-advocacy

Teaching student to educate otherso About their eye conditiono Needed accommodations

Middle through High SchoolBraille Literacy

Teaching braille to the student whose acuity has decreased significantly Supporting functional literacy instruction to lower functioning brailler readers

Middle through High SchoolPrint Literacy

Formats typically used by publishers Techniques for editing/correcting work Using a hand-held magnifier in conjunction with building speed Activities to increase fluency

Middle through High SchoolAdaptive Devices and Techniques

Math Nemeth code specific to grade level TEKS Scientific graphing calculators Abacus Text formats

Study Skills8

Filing documentso Papero Electronic files

Completing assigned research assignments Methods for taking/studying notes from:

o Lectureso Audible materials

Science Tactile graphics related to science Modified measuring devices Alternative methods for lab equipment and procedures according to TEKS Text formats

Social Studies Text formats Tactile graphics

o Graphso Diagramso Chartso Models

Art (graphic arts; music) Producing tactile images Braille music notation

Social Skills Reinforcing appropriate behaviors Problem solving with student Appropriate gender relationships Dealing with bullying (cyber and in school) Peer-related dress

Recreation/Leisure Accessing social media Adaptations for music; sports Adaptive methods for texting & email Access to, and expression of personal interests (“meet ups”) Internet safety

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Middle through High SchoolAssistive Technology

Skill maintenanceo Refreshable braille note takerso JAWS or screen enlargement softwareo iPod/tablets in conjunction w/ braille deviceso Auditory format books

Creating Excel spread sheets Creating data bases Creating PowerPoint presentations Turning in assignments as electronic documents Using a tablet (a.k.a., iPad) for reading assignments (visually and auditorally) and for distance

viewing Taking notes on an electronic tablet Using cloud storage (a.k.a., Dropbox) Consumerism as it relates to technology

Effective Teaching StrategiesUsing Explicit Instruction as a Framework for Direct Teaching

(Explicit Instruction, by Jennifer L. Goeke)

Get this book!

Figure 4 Photo of Explicit Instruction book jacket.

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Definition of Explicit Instruction Explicit instruction is a sequence of supports:

o First, setting a purpose for learning, o Then, telling students what to do,o Then, showing them how to do it, o Then, guiding their hands-on application of the new learning, ando Finally, bringing the lesson to a conclusion (closure)

Explicit Instruction…. Moves systematically from extensive teacher input and little student responsibility initially, to… Total student responsibility and minimal teacher involvement at the conclusion of the learning

cycle

Planning Your LessonFour basic components of a lesson plan

1. Statement of Learning Objective What is the student expected to learn

2. Necessary materials3. Procedure

Steps to be followed to achieve the goal4. How student learning will be assessed

Step I: Explaining the purpose of the lesson Connect to the student’s interests, background knowledge, and/or the previous lesson Examples:

o “Today we are going to work on____”o “By the time we are finished, you will be able to____”o Remember yesterday when we____? Well, today we are going to_____.”

Step II: Telling the students what to do Give just enough information to cover the basics, then get the student started on the task Be positive; don’t introduce the skill as “hard to learn”

Components of a Good Explanation Divide the task into 3-5 steps Tell the student how many steps will be involved Present the steps orally and visually/tactually to provide extra reinforcement State the steps clearly:

o Use short sentenceso Avoid vague termso Number the steps and begin with a verbo Give concrete examples

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Step III: Showing students how to reach their goal (modeling) Modeling means that the teacher engages in whatever is involved in the learning task exactly

as students will be expected to perform it Keep students actively involved:

o Ask S to complete an actiono Ask S to summarize what you said o Ask S to give you examples

Appropriate Rate of Presentation Give chances to participate Maintain a pace that stimulates your student Stimulate and maintain interest Challenge student to think Incorporate physical activity Require overt responses Affirm briefly; make simple corrections Adjust according to student understanding

Student Answers and Corrective FeedbackType of Answer

1. Quick, correct answer2. Correct but hesitant3. Careless mistake; incorrect answer4. Inaccurate answer due to facts or processing

Teacher Response

1. Move on to new question; maintain pace of lesson2. Provide brief feedback on why the answer is correct3. Correct student error and move on to maintain pacing4. Restate question in simpler form; provide clues/prompts; reteach if necessary

Step IV: Guiding the student through hands-on application Essential characteristics

Immediately follows presentation and modeling of initial concept Promotes and solidifies learning achieved in earlier part of lesson Directly linked to learning objective Active student participation Promotes student self-direction

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Examples of guided practiceObjective

Brailling sentences using whole-word contractions Solving a multi-step math problem on the abacus Increasing reading speed

Guided Practice Activity

Dictation by teacher, work checked after every sentence Student solves problems one at a time while the teacher monitors his execution of each step Teacher uses “repeated reading” strategy with student, showing S his timed results

Moving from guided practice to independent practice Student works independently with little or no teacher interaction Should be provided in enough different contexts so that skills, strategies, and concepts can be

generalized to subsequent contexts

Closure An action, statement, or an activity that is designed to bring the lesson to an appropriate

conclusiono Helps organize student learning and facilitate storage/retrieval of the skillo Helps student become reflective learner by requiring him to actively consider what

happened during the lessono Last opportunity for the teacher to gauge student understanding and clear up any

misunderstandings

Sample closure statements What did we learn today? (review and summarize) So what? (how is it important, relevant, or useful?) Now what? (how does it relate to our unit outcomes?)

Video 1After this video, we will ask you for examples of how this teacher:

Set a purpose for learning Told her student what to do Showed or explained how to do it Guided him through application of the skill Brought the lesson to closure

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Video 2After this video, we will ask you for examples of how this teacher:

Set a purpose for learning Told her student what to do Showed or explained how to do it Guided her through application of the skill Brought the lesson to closure

Teaching Resources APH products for the CORE CURRICULUM APH products for the EXPANDED CORE CURRICULUM Teaching Accessible Science (Perkins) ECC Subjects and Skills (Paths to Literacy) Paths to Literacy RECC (Resources for the ECC, TSBVI) Distance Learning instructional videos (TSBVI) TSBVI YouTube instructional videos Ideas for teaching Independent Living Skills

"The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, the great teacher inspires.“

- William Arthur Ward

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The Role of the TVI for the Core and Expanded Core CurriculaExcerpts from Foundations of Education, Vol. II,

Koenig, A.J., & Holbrook, M.C., 2000 (Eds.)

The following pages are intended to be used as a quick reference when determining the role of the teacher of students with visual impairments across the core and expanded core curricula. More detailed information can be found in the resource cited above.

Physical Education and Health Providing consultation to the physical education teacher on the student's eye condition,

functional vision skills, restrictions on physical activities, and other factors that will affect the student's involvement in physical education;

Recommending modifications of physical activities that will allow full or, when appropriate, partial participation of the student in physical education;

Providing direct instruction (using appropriate special training methods) in prerequisite or disability-specific skills that the student needs to acquire before lie or she can be fully involved in physical activities;

Supplying adapted physical education equipment or information on where the equipment can be obtained;

Advocating for a student's active and sustained involvement in physical education programs;

Providing consultation to health education teachers on modifications needed for a student;

Instructing a student in a separate setting for sensitive health topics (such as some aspects of sexuality education and personal hygiene); and

Informing parents about the strategies that will be used to instruct the student in sensitive health topics

Mathematics

Use formal and informal strategies to assess mathematics concepts and skills, particularly those that are unique to students who are visually impaired (such as calculation with an abacus or braillewriter and the use of tactile displays);

Teach students specialized computation methods, using an abacus, braillewriter, talking calculator, and mental math;

Teach students the Nemeth Code sequentially and in meaningful contexts;

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Teach students to interpret and use tactile graphs, charts, and other displays;

Provide consultation to general education teachers on appropriate methods for teaching mathematics to students who are Visually impaired; and

Provide general education teachers and students with appropriately modified learning materials and equipment for mathematics instruction, including tactile graphics.

Independent Living Skills Conduct assessments of independent living skills to determine skill areas that need to be

included in a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP);

Collaborate with a student's parents and other caregivers, other specialists, and general education teachers to develop strategies for teaching independent living skills;

Provide direct instruction in independent living skills in natural environments as specified in a student's IEP;

Gather resources and adapted materials for teaching independent living skills to share with the parents and other members of the student's educational team; and

Explore and plan additional opportunities to expand a student's opportunities for instruction in independent living skills, such as home-based instruction and attendance at a summer camp.

Literacy Provide initial and ongoing assessments of students' needs for literacy media;

Collaborate with and model for family members and others the strategies needed to facilitate the development of emergent literacy in students who are blind and students with low vision;

Provide direct, consistent, daily instruction in prebraille skills and beginning, braille literacy skills throughout preschool and the early elementary grades;

Provide direct instruction in unique literacy skills, including slate and stylus skills, signature writing, aural reading (gathering information from audiotaped materials), live reader services, keyboarding, word processing, and technology skills;

Provide direct instruction in braille reading and writing for students who are learning braille as a complementary medium to print or who are moving from print to braille;

Teach the integrated use of vision skills and the use of optical and non-optical devices to students with low vision; and

Collaborate with general education teachers and others to integrate students with visual impairments in literacy instruction within general education classrooms.

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Arts Education Advocates with other members of the educational team, administrators, and teaching staff for

the appropriate participation of students with visual impairments in all arts activities.

Collaborates with art teachers to adapt lessons and decide on possible modifications of instruction.

Ensures that the art teachers and students have the appropriate materials, resources, and adaptations to allow the students to participate in arts activities.

Exposes students to ideas, concepts, activities, and experiential learning that will enhance their understanding of the arts.

Pre-teaches art skills (such as a dance step or the use of a tool) or specialty skills (such as braille music notation) as needed to prepare students for lessons in art disciplines.

Narrates or describes performances and works of art.

Social Studies and Science

Collaborate with general education teachers and content-area teachers in science and social studies to provide guidance on including students with visual impairments in their classes;

Provide adapted materials, models, and equipment for the students to use;

Prepare tactile maps, charts, and diagrams when these materials are unavailable from other sources; and

Teach the prerequisite skills and compensatory academic skills needed in science and social studies (such as reading a tactile map or using adapted measuring devices) before lessons are taught in the content-area classroom.

Career Education Work with parents of young students to encourage household responsibilities;

Assess each student's awareness of occupations;

Provide opportunities for a student to explore a variety of jobs and to meet adults with a visual impairment who are employed;

Assist the student in keeping a portfolio that includes interest inventories and information on a variety of career paths;

Participate in the ITP team;

Collaborate with the rehabilitation counselor for students with visual impairments;

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Collaborate with the school job coach and/or orientation and mobility specialist for on the job training opportunities.

Early Childhood Participate in and facilitate the initial screening, comprehensive assessment, and ongoing

assessments;

Participate in the development of the child's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP);

Collaborate with families and other caregivers, early childhood intervention specialists, medical personnel, and others concerning the impact of a visual impairment on development and learning and concerning appropriate intervention strategies;

Provide resources, information. and referrals to families and others who are involved in the child's early education;

Provide direct instruction in areas of the expanded core curriculum (such as concept development and prebraille skills) as appropriate; and

Ensure a coordinated transition from home to school-based programs and from preschool to kindergarten.

Social Skills Work with parents of infants and preschoolers in their homes and in school programs to

promote early social behaviors and skills;

Assess each student's social skills using a variety of strategies to determine areas in which instruction is needed;

Work with the other members of a student's educational team to design and plan an intervention program for increasing social skills;

Provide direct and targeted instruction in social skills;

Provide accurate and constructive feedback on each student's social skills and competence to the student and his or her family;

Implement strategies to ensure that social skills that are learned in specialized settings will generalize to other environments (school, home, and community);

Work with other members of the educational team, including the family to facilitate and reinforce appropriate social skills in all environments;

Provide opportunities for a student to meet and interact with role models and mentors who are visually impaired; and

Ensure that social skills instruction is written into a student's educational program.

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Visual Efficiency Conduct functional vision assessments to determine students' levels of skill and to identify the

types of instruction that, students need to increase their visual efficiency;

Provide direct instruction in the use of optical low vision devices;

Provide instruction and consultation in the use of nonoptical devices, environmental modifications, and other techniques;

Ensure that visual skills instruction is integrated, as appropriate, throughout students' educational programs;

Promote, provide corrective feedback on, and reinforce students' choices in using a visual approach, nonvisual approach, or a combination of approaches to perform tasks; and

Continuously monitor and evaluate students' use of visual skills and future needs.

Recreation and Leisure Expose students to a variety of recreation and leisure activities so they can choose those that

best match their individual interests;

Provide direct instruction in recreation and leisure activities or their prerequisite skills, as appropriate;

Provide consultation to recreation, specialists that will allow the students to participate in regular, community recreation programs; and

Create meaningful links with the academic curriculum to foster the development of enjoyable recreation and leisure skills.

Assistive Technology Guide the provision of assistive technology services with the assistance or collaboration of

general technology specialists or assistive technology specialists in the schools;

Advocate for the provision of various types of technology and technology instruction for all students on their caseloads;

Conduct appropriate assistive technology assessments with the assistance or collaboration, if necessary, of the schools' technology specialists or specialists in assistive technology;

Advise school district officials on the purchase of appropriate assistive technology;

Guide the IEP team in determining the appropriate goals and instructional benchmarks with regard to assistive technology;

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Design and provide direct instruction in the use of the chosen assistive technology or train other school staff (such as a general technology specialist, assistive technology specialist, or paraeducator);

Provide ongoing assessment of a student's skills, as well as changing needs; and

Consult with the general education teachers to facilitate the inclusion of assistive technology in the general curriculum.

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VI. Defining the Expanded Core Curriculum ________________________________________________________________Guideline/Standard #3:Evaluations of all areas of the expanded core curriculum are used to determine individual student programs._______________________________________________________

For children who are blind or visually impaired, evaluations to document the present level of academic and functional performance for the development of the individualized education program (IEP) are required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (34 CFR §300.320 (a)(1)) The term expanded core curriculum is used to define concepts and skills typically learned incidentally by sighted students that must be sequentially presented to the student who is blind or has low vision. The expanded core curriculum areas include (A) needs that result from the visual impairment to enable the student “to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and (B) other educational needs that result from the child's disability” as required by IDEA. (34 CFR § 300.320 (a)(2)(A)(B)). The presence of a visual impairment requires that these skills be thoroughly evaluated and systematically taught to these students by teachers with specialized expertise. Without specialized instruction, children with vision loss may not be aware of the activities of their peers or acquire other critical information about their surroundings. (NASDSE, 1999, p. 70).

As the IFSP/IEP is being developed, the following unique skills related to the expanded core curriculum should be considered:

Compensatory Skills needed to access the general curriculum, including: o Access to literacy through Braille and/or print, handwriting skills and auditory skills.

Texas House Bill 2277 (1991) assumes that all functionally blind students are to be taught Braille unless their learning media assessment recommends different literacy media. (TEC §30.002f) - Many students with low vision use regular print with magnification devices. Some students need both print and Braille. Students with multiple disabilities, including deafblindness, may use a tactile or object symbol system for literacy.

o Communication needs that will vary depending on degree of functional vision, effects of additional disabilities and the task to be done. Students with deafblindness and others may have alternative communication systems such as tactile sign language, symbol or object communication, or calendar boxes.

o Specialized instruction in concept development that may be significantly impacted when visual observation is limited. It is essential to offer specific and sequential hands-on lessons to build a broad base of experiences. In higher grades, there are many mathematical, geographical and scientific concepts that must be taught with adapted materials and strategies for students unable to learn from pictures and visual diagrams. A child with little or no vision may have fragmented understandings of the world without systematic tactile exploration and clear verbal explanations. Some concepts are totally visual, such as colors, rainbows, clouds, and sky. Some are too large to experience completely, such as a building, mountain ranges, and oceans. Other items are too tiny or too delicate to understand through touch, including small insects, a snowflake, or an

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item under a microscope. Fragmented concepts can impede social, academic, and vocational development.

Sensory Efficiency (includes visual, tactual and auditory skills): Students who are blind and students with low vision need systematic instruction to learn efficient use of their senses.

o Instruction in visual efficiency must be individually designed and may include using visual gaze to make choices, tracking car movements when crossing the street, responding to visual cues in the environment, and/or using optical devices such as magnifiers and telescopes.

o For most students with visual impairments, an increased reliance upon tactual skills is essential to learning. These skills should be considered as part of the IEP development. It takes more detailed “hands-on” interaction and repetition to tactually understand a concept, such as relative size, that may be readily captured with a glance.

o Systematic instruction in auditory skills is critical for successful mobility and learning. Students must learn to effectively use their hearing to respond appropriately to social cues, travel safely in schools and across streets, learn from recorded media and use echolocation for orientation.

Orientation and Mobility (O&M): Safe and efficient travel throughout the environment is a critical component in the education of students with visual impairments. Orientation & Mobility evaluation and instruction should begin in infancy with basic spatial concepts, purposeful and exploratory movement, and progress through more independent age-appropriate motor and travel skills in increasingly complex environments. Vision provides the primary motivation for infants to begin to move their bodies, to raise their heads to see people, to reach toward objects, to move through the environment and to begin to play. Significant delays and differences in meeting motor milestones can impact overall development. The blind child needs to know how classrooms or other environments are arranged in order to independently move with confidence. Systematic orientation to a space may be needed before the placement and function of furniture and objects is understood. More advanced age-appropriate travel skills such as street crossings, bus travel and community experiences are needed, as the student gets older.

Assistive technology: Technology permits students with visual impairments to access the general curriculum, to increase literacy options and to enhance communication. There are a variety of high and low-tech assistive technology tools designed specifically for students with visual impairments that require specialized instruction. These devices include, but are not limited to: electronic Braille note takers, yellow transparencies, tactile symbols, calendar systems, video magnifiers, screen reader software, screen enlarging software, and magnification devices.

Social skills: A visual impairment can socially isolate a student, impede typical social interactions or limit social skill development. A student with a visual impairment may not be able to see facial expressions and subtle body language to participate in conversations and activities. Social skills that sighted children are able to observe and imitate may need to be taught to a child with a visual impairment.

Independent living skills: Personal hygiene, dressing, food preparation, money management, housekeeping, and organization skills are critical skills for successful transition from school to independent living. Young children begin learning basic skills in independent

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living from visual observation and imitation. Most students with visual impairments, however, will need systematic instruction and adaptations to standard equipment, such as modifications to read oven markings and to cook independently and safely. Depending on the level of vision, cognition and other individual characteristics of a student, adaptations may range from minor highlighting to tactile clues for matching clothing. Students can learn to apply make-up and perform other grooming activities with magnifying lenses, specially marked containers and highlighted dials on electric shavers. These skills are not typically evaluated or taught in a sequential and systematic basis in general education settings. Family members may require assistance and guidance to implement the proper adaptations that will permit practice and mastery of new independence skills within the home.

Recreation and leisure skills: Students with visual impairments need to be exposed to and taught recreation and leisure activities that they can enjoy as children and throughout their lives. They are often not aware of the options or the possible adaptations that would allow them to participate in these activities. Such skills include both individual and organized group activities for students at all ages and levels.

Career education: Students with visual impairments need to be taught about the variety of types of work and career options that are available since they cannot casually observe people in different job roles. They need opportunities to explore their strengths and interests in a systematic, well-planned manner. This training may include the acquisition of specialized skills and equipment to compete in the job market. Students must be prepared for a wide range of vocational choices and the adaptations, including technological devices, which make them attainable. It is important to have opportunities to job shadow for concrete experience of different career choices and to learn about other persons with visual impairments who have successful vocational outcomes.

Self-determination: Self-determination includes personal decision-making, self-advocacy, and assertiveness. These skills lead to competence, as opposed to learned helplessness, and are important components of positive self-esteem. Generally, low societal expectations for people who are blind can be overcome with specialized instruction in developing self-determination skills so that students can meaningfully participate in their educational and transition planning and make positive adult lifestyle, job and other life choices upon graduati

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Braille Readiness GridDeveloped by Anne McComiskey, Director of the BEGIN early childhood program of the

Center for the Visually Impaired

Tactile Tolerates being touched

Enjoys being touched

Locates objects by touch

Examines objects by Touch

Matches and sorts objects

Touches braille in exploration

Grades textures of sandpaper

Locates tactile “mark” on paper

Uses pad of index finger to touch

Traces 3-D outline of shape

Traces 2-D outline of shape

Traces left to right continuous line with sticks, glue, etc.

Traces left to right using:a. Braille cell w/no spaceb. Braille cell w/spacec. Dot 2, 3, 5, 6 w/no spaced. Dot 2,3,5,6 w/spacee. Dot 3, 6 w/no spacef. Dot 3, 6 w/spaceg. Dot 1 w/no spaceh. Dot 1 w/space

Uses 2 hands cooperatively in tracing (place marker & reader hand)

Locates braille marked items in home

Participates in formal tactual sheets & units

Fine Motor

Holds object in each hand

Uses pincer grasp

Opens and closes books

Turns cardboard pages

Uses 2 hands cooperatively

Uses appropriate grasp with stylus

Makes stylus art with construction paper

Turns pages one at a time

Copies patters with pegs, muffin tins, Geo boards, etc.

Shows hand strength and flexibility

Shows finger strength and dexterity

Places individual finger on braille keys

Manages paper into slate

“Scribbles” with slate and stylus

Manages paper in/out of brailler with help

Positions fingers on braille keys appropriately

Manages paper in/out of brailler independently

Operates all keys of brailler appropriately

Plays at brailling

Listening, Attention

and Expression

Alerts to sound

Listens to interaction songs

Sits socially with adult 5-10 minutes

Listens to and enjoys rhymes

Participates in finger plays and songs

Follow 2-step directions

Uses jargon and imitation on phone

Matches sound cans

Shows interest in short stories about self

Shows interest in short stories about others, with participation

Shows interest in stories about others without participation

Tells simple event (idea)

Makes up simple stories (3 ideas)

Listens to simple story tape

Relates 2 events from short story

Understands slow automated voice

Attends to task completion (5-10 min.)

Concept Building

Identifies body parts

Names body parts

Identifies objects and actions

Names objects and actions

Shows object permanence concept

Searches for dropped objects

Shows same and different concept awareness

Demonstrates number awareness of quantities to 3

Shows more/less, big/small, long/short, wide/narrow concepts with objects

Plays symbolic-ally

Shows concepts of: Above/below Left/right Back/front Up/down Top/bottom Middle/sides (with

objects)

Under-stands positional concepts with marks on page

Shows rote know-ledge of alphabet

Shows letter/ cell awareness using balls, marbles & braille

Participates in rich life experiences

Says letters of name (rote)

Says names of brailler keys

Shows awareness of touch patterns representing word; i.e., name

Book and Story Skills

Uses books as toys (squeak, pull, etc.)

Identifies parts of a book (cover, pages, margin, etc.)

Holds book and turns pages

Explores tactile books using pad of fingers

Traces marks purposefully in tactile book from start to end

Participates in object "book” story

Has lap time with appropriate book daily (i.e. Twin Vision)

Dictates and reads “sentence” book

Selects favorite book and stories

Completes formal braille primer series (APH)

Reads “On the Way to Literacy” Series (APH)

DIRECTIONS: Reading and writing braille is achieved by systematic building of skills in many areas of development. This literacy readiness grid enables parents and teachers to identify accomplished skills and target other skills for educational programming.

Using observation and informal assessment identify which skills in each area a child has accomplished. Highlight the accomplished skill box entirely. Emerging skills are partially filled with highlighter. Non-highlighted skill boxes are skills targeted for the child's educational program. This is a flexible tool. Add or delete boxes for individual children.

Remember: FUN IS THE KEY INGREDIENT. © Center for the Visually Impaired, Inc., www.cviatlanta.org 404-875-9011

Name:     

DOB:     

Vision:     

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Figure 5 Image of Braille Cheat Sheet pdf which can be downloaded at http://www.duxburysystems.com/braillechart.asp

BRAILLE FUNdamentals • Appendix (pages 14-26)

Rules

1. Alphabet Whole Word Contractions• Stand alone.• May not be used as parts of words.• Can be proper names (i.e., Will)• Can be next to an apostrophe, but an apostrophe cannot precede them (i.e.,

can't).• May not be made plural by adding s.• May be joined by other words to make genuine hyphenated compound words (i.e.,

merry-go-round) but can do every from go have just knowledge like more not people quite rather so that us very will it you as

(Clusters 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

2. Punctuation• Punctuation follows the same spacing and order as print.• Do not double space after punctuation.

, ; : . ! () [] “” ? ‘’ * / ‘ … - — --(Clusters 4, 11, 12, 17, 20, 22, 30, 33)Note: Rules for specific punctuation can be found throughout the list of rules.

3. One Cell Whole Word/Part Word Contractions• May stand alone or with each other as whole words.• Must be used as parts of words wherever the letters they represent occur, except

when specific rules limit their use.• The word signs a, and, for, of, the and with should follow one another without a

space between them (e.g., with the = with the, and a = and a, unless there is a composition or punctuation sign between them.

• and, for of, the and with should be used in preference to other contractions, provided they do not waste space (e.g., the not th and ed in bathed).

• St may be used for abbreviations.• In proper names when the letters sh, and th are pronounced as one sound, the

contractions should be used (i.e., Townshend). a, and, for, of, the, with, child, shall, this, which, out, still

(Clusters 3, 24, 26, 15, 29, 31, 34, 35, 43, 48)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

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4. One-Cell Whole Word/Part Word Contractions• Must be used as parts of words wherever the letters they represent occur, except

when specific rules limit their use.• ble and ing must never begin a word, but may be used in the middle and end of a

word and at the beginning of a line of the divided word.• Part word signs which have no whole word meanings may be contracted when

they stand alone (e.g., Ed, er, Ow!) gh, ed, er, ou, ow, st, ar, ble, ing

(Clusters 15, 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 38, 41, 52)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.5. Dot 5 Initial Letter Contractions

• May be used either as words or parts of words when they retain their original sound (e.g., timed, mothering, timer). day, ever, father, here, know, lord, mother, name, one, part, question, right, some, time, under, work, young, there, character, through, where, ought

(Clusters 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26, 34)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

6. The Apostrophe• Is inserted before the s in plural abbreviations, numbers or letters, even though it

has been omitted in print.• Should also be inserted in the expression OK'd. In such cases, the apostrophe

terminates the effect of the double capital sign (e.g., ABCs = ABC's, 1930s = 1930's, ps and qs - p's and q's, OKd = OK'd).

• Follow the general rule for punctuation, (Rule 2).(Cluster 20)

7. Numbers• Literary braille numbers are always the number sign plus the numeral.• The effect of the number sign is not terminated by commas, colons, hyphens,

fraction signs and decimals. However, after a space or dash, the number sign must be repeated.

(Clusters 21, 23)

8. Hyphen• No space should be left before or after a hyphen in a compound word. However, a

space should be left appropriately before or after the hyphen in a disconnected compound word (i.e., five- or six-pointed star).

• Follow the general rule for punctuation, (Rule 2).(Cluster 22)Note: Never call it a dash. A dash is a double hyphen and is found in Cluster 55.

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9. Letter Sign• Is placed before a letter or letters to distinguish between the letter meaning and a

number, a word, a whole-word contraction, or a short-form word.• Is required when:

- any letter, or group of letters, immediately follows a number or is joined to it by a hyphen (i.e., 4-H Club).

- a letter stands alone and is not followed by a period indicating an abbreviation (i.e., D Day).

- a combination of letters standing alone could be confused with a short-form word (i.e., line AB).

- a single letter is followed by an apostrophe or is joined by a hyphen (e.g., C's, b-1, e-mail).

• Is NOT required before a single capitalized or uncapitalized letter when:- the letter is an initial or an abbreviation followed by a period or an oblique

stroke (e.g., M.D., c/o).- a number is followed by a contraction (e.g., 1st, 4th).- the letter is preceded or followed by the apostrophe, indicating omission of

letters (e.g., 'e = he, t' = to).- the letter is in or refers to an outline or listing, or is enclosed within

punctuation marks (e.g., (f) or a) b) c).

10. Short-Form Words• Should be used alone or as part of a word.• An addition may be made only if it retains its original meaning and would not

obscure recognition of the word.• An addition may be made to the short-form word provided the combination cannot

be mistaken for, or have the appearance of another word.• Must not be divided by a hyphen at the end of a line, but a hyphen may be added

after the short form word if other syllables are added.• Should be used as the whole proper name only, not as a part of a proper name.• Short forms for after, blind or friend should not be used when followed by a vowel,

but may be used when followed by a consonant, or a hyphen in a divided word. about, above, according, across, after, afternoon, afterward, again, against, almost, already, also, although, altogether, always, because, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, blind, braille, children, conceive, conceiving, could, deceive, deceiving, declare, declaring, either, first, friend, good, great, herself, him, himself, immediate, its, itself, letter, little, much, must, myself, necessary, neither, o'clock, oneself, ourselves, paid, perceive, perceiving, perhaps, quick, receive, receiving, rejoice, rejoicing, said, should, such, themselves, thyself, today, together, tomorrow, tonight, would, your, yourself, yourselves

(Clusters 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 40, 41, 42)

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11. Lower Sign Contractions• Are never at the end of a word without a space, as they would be read as

punctuation.• Be, enough, were, his, in, and was may be preceded by the capital and/or italic

sign. They must not be in contact with any other letter, contractions, word or punctuation sign.

• Any number of lower signs should follow on another without a space if one of them is in contact with a sign containing dot 1 or dot 4.

• Two or more unspaced lower signs must follow one another when they are not in contact with an upper sign containing a dot 1 or a dot 4.

• When two or more lower-sign contractions follow one another without being in contact with an upper sign, the final lower sign contraction must not be used (i.e., "to his" must spell out "his").

• To, into and by:- are unspaced from the word, abbreviation, letter, or number which follows

them.- begin on the next line if there is not enough room on the braille line for it

and at least the first syllable of the following word, abbreviation, number or letter.

- may be preceded and/or followed by braille composition signs.- may not be used and joined to any punctuation sign which follows.- do not use as parts of words, in compound words, or as proper names.

• Ea and the double letter signs bb, cc, dd, ff, and gg:- must be used only when these letters occur between letters and or

contractions within a word.- must never begin or end a word.- should not be used when in contact with a hyphen or apostrophe.- must not be used where the letters are separated by a primary syllable

division.- may overlap syllable divisions which occur between a prefix and the root of

a word, since to use them would not obscure recognition (e.g., address, affect).

• Be, con, and dis:- may be used only as syllables at the beginning of a word or a t the

beginning of a line in a divided word.- may be used after a hyphen in a hyphenated compound word.- may be used in names for the first syllable following Mac or Mc when the

syllable is capitalized (i.e., McConnell).- must not stand alone as syllables at the beginning of a line in a divided

word.- may not be used in contact with a hyphen in a divided word.- can be used within an abbreviation of a word, but cannot be the whole

abbreviation.- must never be used before the apostrophe, but may follow an apostrophe.

• Com:- may be used at the beginning of a word or the beginning of a line in a

divided word, but need not be a syllable.- must never be used in contact with a hyphen, dash or apostrophe, even

when a composition sign intervenes.30

- may be used after a capital and/or italic sign, unless it immediately follows a hyphen, a dash, or an apostrophe on the same line of writing.

- when capitalized, the contraction may be used in a name follow Mac or Mc.

ea, be, bb, con, cc, dis, en, enough, to , ff, were, gg, his, in, into, was, by, com(Clusters 29, 33, 36, 39, 41, 46, 48, 49, 50, 52)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

12. Dots 4, 5 Initial Letter Contractions• May be used either as words or parts of words when they retain their original

sound (i.e., wordy). upon, word, these, those, whose(Cluster 30)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

13. Dots 4, 5, 6 Initial Letter Contractions• May be used either as words or parts of words when they retain their original

sound (e.g., spirited, worldly). cannot, had, many, spirit, world, their(Clusters 30, 39, 42)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

14. Dots 5, 6 Final Letter Contractions• Should be used in the middle or at the end of a word, or at the beginning of a line

in a divided word. They may never begin a word nor be used alone as a whole word, nor should they be used when preceded by the hyphen or the apostrophe.

ence, ong, ful, tion, ness, ment, ity(Cluster 32)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

15. Dots 4, 6 Final Letter Contractions• Should be used in the middle or at the end of a word, or at the beginning of a line

in a divided word. They may never begin a word not be used alone as a whole word, nor should they be used when preceded by the hyphen or the apostrophe.

ound, ance, sion, less, ount(Clusters 36, 38, 41, 42)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

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16. Dot 6 Final Letter Contraction• Should be used in the middle or at the end of a word, or at the beginning of a line

in a divided word. They may never begin a word nor be used alone as a whole word, nor should they be used when preceded by the hyphen or the apostrophe.

ation, ally(Clusters 51, 52)Note: See Rule 24, General Use of Part Word Contractions and Rule 25, Preferred Contractions.

17. Decimal Coinage• The dollar sign is placed before the number sign to indicate dollars. When writing

dollars and cents, the decimal sign is used to separate the cents from the dollars. Neither the dollar sign nor the number sign should be repeated after the decimal sign.

$ dollar sign, . decimal(Cluster 44)

18. Fractions• Fractions are written: number sign, numerator, fraction bar, denominator.• In a mixed number, the fraction is joined to the whole number by a hyphen, and

the number sign is omitted before the fraction (e.g., 85-5/16). the fraction may not be carried over to the beginning of a new line.

/ fraction bar(Cluster 45)

19. Dash and Double Dash• When used as a mark of punctuation, no space should be left before or after a

dash, even though the spacing or the length of the symbol may vary in print.• A space is necessary after a dash if it ends an incomplete sentence.• A dash may begin or end a line, but the sign must not be divided.• When a dash represents an omitted word or name, a double dash should be used

and should be spaced and punctuated as a word.

- dash, -- double dash(Clusters 55, 56)

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20. Ellipsis• Is usually 3 dots or asterisks in print indicating the omission of words.• Should be spaced and punctuated as a word.

… ellipsis(Cluster 55)

21. Italics• Is placed before an abbreviation, word, apostrophized word, hyphenated

compound word, or number to indicate that it is italicized.• Is not to be repeated after the hyphen or apostrophe.• Should not be repeated at the beginning of the next line of a divided word or

number.• Must be used in braille if they are used in print only in the following instances:

- to indicate emphasis (i.e., If you are going to go, go.).- to show distinction only in such cases as foreign words and phrases; names

of ships, pictures, book titles, publications, etc.; subject headings at the beginning of paragraphs; the difference between silent thought and conversation; when in print a passage is printed in italics or different typeface from that of regular text.

• Should be omitted when:- quoted passages appear in both quotations and italics, unless the italics are

required to show emphasis or distinction.- pronunciations are written in both parentheses and italics.- writings of all stage directions, settings, etc.- a letter which means a letter is written in braille preceded by a letter sign.- lists of words are printed in boldface type or italics.- word endings are separated from the root words and are printed in italics or

boldface type.• If more than three consecutive words are italicized, the first word is preceded by

the double italic sign. Where the last word of an italicized passage is a hyphenated compound word, the closing single italic sign should precede the first part of the compound word.

• In italicized passages comprising more than one paragraph, the double italic sign should be repeated at the beginning of each new paragraph and the final single italic sign should precede only the last word or the last paragraph.

• The dash or ellipsis at the beginning or end of an italicized passage is not to be included in the italics.

(Cluster 55)

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22. Brackets• When a portion of a word is enclosed in brackets, print practice should be followed.• Should be spaced and punctuated as a word.

[] brackets(Cluster 55)

23. Termination Sign• In general literature, the hyphen should be used to set apart the italicized or

capitalized part of a word (e.g., they're = they-'re, unSELFish = un-SELF-ish).• When in print a hyphen follows an italicized or capitalized part of a word, the

termination sign must be inserted before the hyphen (i.e., white-collar needs a termination sign before the collar.

- termination sign

(Cluster 56)

24. General Use of Part-Word Contractions• Used where the letters of the contraction are in the same syllable, or would

overlap a minor or incidental syllable (e.g., inform, Eden).• Must NOT be used where the usual braille form of the base word would be altered

by the addition of a prefix or suffix (i.e., fruity).• Must NOT be used where it would violate the primary syllable division between a

prefix or suffix and the base word (e.g., twofold, pigheaded).• Must NOT be used where base words are joined to form an unhyphenated

compound word (i.e., sweetheart).• Must NOT be used where the use of contractions would disturb the pronunciation

of a diagraph or trigraph, two or more letters pronounced as one sound (e.g., Boon, sphere).

• Must NOT be used where two adjoining consonants are pronounced separately (i.e., Wingate).

• Must NOT be used where the use of a contraction would cause difficulty in pronunciation (i.e., Airedale).

25. Preferred Contractions• Unless their use violates any of the principles of the rules of English Braille, where

there is more than one possible choice in the use of contractions, the selections should be:

- Preference should be given to the contractions that save the greatest amount of space (e.g., partner not partner).

- One-cell contractions should be used in preference to two-cell contractions as parts of words (e.g., droned not droned).

- Where a choice must be made between two consecutive contractions, in order to avoid misspelling, preference should be given to the contraction, which more nearly approximates correct pronunciation (e.g., wherever = wh er ever).

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26. Order of Punctuation and Composition Signs• When two or more braille punctuation marks or composition signs occur together

before a word, number or letter, they are placed in the following order:- With Punctuation: open parenthesis, or bracket, open quotation sign, italic

sign, letter sign, apostrophe, capital sign, accent sign.- With Numbers: open parenthesis or bracket, open quotation sign, italic sign,

number sign, apostrophe, decimal sign.

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Tips for Increasing Your Student’s Reading FluencyPrepared by Chrissy Cowan, TSBVI Outreach

Several strategies can be used for building fluency. Two are featured on this tip sheet: Paired Reading and Listening While Reading. If your student has a prescribed optical device, (s)he should be using it during these reading sessions. You can use an interesting book or magazine on the student’s reading level, or select short, interesting pieces (e.g., website page, report on new technology, current events article) that may capture young readers’ attention such as humorous or suspenseful openings, descriptive passages, or bizarre facts. Definitions:Paired reading is a simple but effective technique for helping struggling readers to increase their reading fluency and accuracy in text. The adult and student read together from the text. When the student chooses, he or she can read alone, while the adult follows along silently in the text. Whenever the student misreads a word or otherwise makes a reading error, the adult supplies the correct word and resumes reading aloud along with the student.

Listening While Reading is a simple but effective technique for helping struggling readers to increase their reading fluency and accuracy in text.

Steps:Paired Reading Steps:

1. Read from the page with your student2. When your student taps your hand, let him read alone as you follow along silently3. If the student reads a word wrong, skips a word, or doesn’t know a word (wait 5-

seconds): Point to the word Say the word Have the student repeat the word Join the student in reading aloud again

Listening While Reading Steps:1. Read aloud from the page for about 2 minutes while your student follows along silently.2. Next, have your student read aloud alone from the same passage that you just read while you follow along

silently.3. If the student reads a word wrong, skips a word, or doesn’t know a word:

Point to the word Say the word Have the student repeat the word Tell the student to continue reading

Monitor fluency every 4 weeks during your training.

To Monitor Fluency, the student:1. Independently reads unpracticed text to the teacher and graphs the words per minute

(wpm) score on a Reading Record page 2. Practices rereading the same text several times

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3. Independently reads the text again to the teacher4. Graphs score in a different color

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VI Lesson Plan

Student: Date:

Subject: Lesson Title:

Lesson Objective(s):

Tasks/Skill Steps: How Student Performed:

Materials/Equipment Needed:

Independent Practice:

Prepare/Bring for Next Time:

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Web Resources to Accompany “Putting the T in Teaching”

Ideas for Teaching:

Independent Living Skillshttp://www.perkins.org/resources/scout/early-childhood/daily-living-skills.html

Teaching Braillehttp://www.pathstoliteracy.org/instructional-strategies-teaching-braille

Arthttp://www.artbeyondsight.org/sidebar/aboutaeb.shtml#video

Tactile Graphicshttp://support.perkins.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Webcasts_Teaching_Tactile_Graphics

Social Skillshttp://www.perkins.org/resources/scout/early-childhood/social-skills.html http://test.tsbvi.edu/curriculum-a-publications/1543-social-interaction-skills-curricula-a-resources

Math Strategieshttp://www.tsbvi.edu/math http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/instructional-strategies-mathematical-literacy

Auditory Strategieshttp://www.pathstoliteracy.org/auditory-strategies/strategies

Transitionhttp://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category_413A14B_10001_11051_20828_-1_20815

Teaching Resourceshttp://www.tsbvi.edu/resources

Recreation and Leisurehttps://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category_412A4B9C_10001_11051_20802_-1_20764

Please reference these files found on the TSBVI website. Braille Resources Magnifier Lessons Telescope Lessons

VI Lesson Plan

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Texas School for the Blind and Visually ImpairedOutreach Programs

Figure 6 TSBVI Logo

"This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.

Figure 20 IDEA logo

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