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Activity and strategy

Number Book

This fun hands-on activity uses real objects to help children who are blind or deafblind to learn to count and develop number concepts.

Create a counting book with objects that can be removed, via Velcro, for the child to count and then place it back on the book.  The bonus about having removable objects is that you can change the object being counted to cater to the interest of the child.  You will also notice each page has the ASL sign for the number as well as the braille number.

Materials

  • Cardboard book (I found this one at Michaels)          
  • Circle stickers for the large braille numbers
  • Braille numbers (regular size) 1-5 or 1-10
  • Velcro pieces
  • Beads and a pipe cleaner to make an abacus
  • Objects being counted

Procedure

  • Have the child feel the large braille and then read the regular braille number. 
  • Count the objects together  by touching each object, taking each object off and counting, or counting as you put the objects back onto the page. 
  • Count to 5 together (or 10) using the abacus, moving each bead as you count.  Count to five together using the strip of braille numbers on the book beneath the abacus. 
  • Ask your child questions about the objects: “How many cars on this page?”  As they feel the braille number ask them, “what number is this?”
counting
Five colorful ball stickers making braille “1” and ASL sign for “one”
counting
Matchbox car with Velcro
counting
Five colorful ball stickers making braille “1” , matchbox car, and sign for “one”
counting
Colorful ball stickers making braille “2” and two matchbox cars
counting
Matchbox car and matchbox police vehicle with ASL sign for “two”
counting
Colorful ball stickers making braille “3” and three matchbox cars

Variations

  • Add or take away pages.  For example, the book could count 1-3, 1-5, or 1-10.  To make it more advanced you could count by 5’s (might need bigger pages for that). 
  • Vary the objects you count based on the interest of your child.  Ideas: cars, keys, buttons, legos and rocks.
counting book
Small plastic beaded animals on pipe cleaner
counting
Small plastic beaded animals on pipe cleaner with numbers 1-5
number book collage
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