Teaching Concepts
Concept development is about understanding the characteristics and spatial relationships of objects. Students with visual impairments are unable to interact effectively with their environment and may miss out on opportunities to learn concepts. Students with visual impairments or blindness need meaningful experiences and interactions with real objects.
Students with visual impairments are subject to three main limitations, as stated in this section. These are:
- The loss of variety and range in experiences
- A decrease in mobility or a restriction of movement (which can impact opportunities for accessing experiences and developing social relationships);
- Perception of the environment as a threat to your self and others.
Explanations and Guided exploration may be required for students who are interested in the objects they interact with. Explanations are used to provide vocabulary and connections between the experiences. These experiences can help students develop their vocabulary, increase their understanding, and encourage them explore their environment.
These restrictions can be minimized or eliminated by providing concrete experiences that unify the student and encouraging them to take part in the action by "doing". Concrete experiences will give students many opportunities to learn new concepts. You can easily develop many of these concepts by participating in your family's and school's daily routines. You can also create fun and meaningful opportunities for your sighted siblings, as well for your students with visual impairments. The teacher of students with visual impairments and the orientation and mobility specialist will assist the student in developing concepts.
Things
Children will learn the most about objects by being exposed to many different objects. Encourage students to interact with objects and identify their characteristics.
Instructional suggestions:
- Verbally label objects, pointing out differences and similarities. A chair is a chair, for example. Although a chair may be rigid or soft, its primary purpose is to offer a comfortable place for the user to sit.
- Ask the student for help in classifying other items of similar characteristics. As a literacy tool, pair the objects with print/braille as often as possible.
Forms
It is important that children learn first about three-dimensional objects. Once they are familiar with 3D objects, students can then transfer their knowledge to 2D objects. This understanding is essential for all students. However, future braille readers will also need it.
Instructional suggestions:
- Exploring 3D shapes models, shape sorter toys, and shape inset puzzles are all natural ways to introduce new shapes.
- The shape should be labeled verbally by the student as soon as the student touches it.
- Assist your student in tracing the shape's perimeter. Make sure to highlight the corners, edges, and sides. Include literacy opportunities by marking the shape's name on the puzzle pieces or object, and making sure the student can see the print or Braille words.
- Explore shapes both in play and in the natural world. Encourage students to compare and find similarities and differences between shapes.
- Refer to shape models and help students trace the outsides of objects.
- Give the child many opportunities to learn about shapes using a variety items.
After the student is confident in identifying 3D shapes, help him/her to create 2D representations.
Sizes
Instructional suggestions:
- Talk about the sizes of objects in the environment and you can practice your knowledge.
- You can provide objects in different sizes for students (ex. You can give the student objects in different sizes (ex.
- Compare the sizes of the objects. Goldilocks and Three Bears is a classic tale that teaches size concepts.
- Encourage students to sort and match shapes once they are able to do so.
The look and feel of different materials.
Instructional suggestions:
- Allow students to have the opportunity to explore many materials with different textures.
- You can create or obtain tactile books to help you compare textures.
- Compare and contrast different clothes.
- Sort and identify a variety textures.
Awareness of Body
Instructional suggestions:
- Family members can exercise body awareness naturally with children while they bathe or dress them.
- Singing songs about the body and movements is a great way to help students learn their bodys parts in class.
Spatial and Positional Relationships
Fazzi & Petersmeyer state that "developing spatial awareness allows students to understand the arrangement, spacing, and placement of persons and things in relation to each other." O&M specialists are vital in helping students understand spatial concepts. Spatial awareness concepts can be applied to education and directly relate to travel. Spatial concepts can be described as body awareness or spatial awareness. Like other concepts, students will benefit from direct experience. The foundations of development are laid when there is physical contact. After learning the concepts with their bodies, students can develop models and representations.
Instructional suggestions:
- Make use of all the opportunities to identify the positions of objects/materials in the surrounding environment.
- Make games that encourage students to compare themselves and other materials.
- Encourage students to show the concepts using their bodies.
- Encourage student participation in exercises that improve body coordination, such a large movement game that involves crawling, rolling and jumping as well as walking backwards, sideways and sideways.
