By: Carmen Willings teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Updated May 27, 2024
Help raise student awareness of environmental print and braille. This is important for promoting independence and literacy skills in students with visual impairments. The following are strategies you can use to:
Environmental Print Recognition: Provide students with opportunities to read and identify environmental signs and sounds both in the classroom and during field trips. Students with low vision may need magnification devices to read print, while those with minimal or no usable vision will require instruction in accessing braille signage using technology.
Print at Home: receipts, cookbooks, party invitations, food labels, newspapers, phone book, CD jackets, DVD cases, magazines, birth, death, marriage certificates
Print at School: school calendar, school map, school menus, school newspaper, school phone extension listing, school supply list, school’s literary magazine, student’s schedule, teacher handouts, newspaper, yearbooks
Print in Community: sales flyers, coupons, food labels, menus, brochures, maps, medicine bottles
Early Exposure to Braille: Expose students to braille from an early age to promote familiarity and fluency. Incorporate braille into a literacy-rich environment both at school and at home, providing daily exposure to braille materials such as class schedules, messages, labels, recipes, menus, and children's books.
Functional Uses for Braille: Encourage functional uses for braille, such as labeling personal belongings, recording phone numbers, writing assignments or lists, and creating braille clothing labels. Utilize a braille labeler for producing labels, and model the use of braille for reading aloud and sending messages.
Integration of Braille in Classroom Environment: Incorporate braille into the classroom environment by labeling desks, cubbies, lockers, bulletin boards, classroom signs, rules, posters, and calendars. This integration ensures that braille is present and accessible throughout the student's daily activities.
By implementing these strategies, you can help students recognize and access environmental print and braille effectively, promoting independence and literacy development.