Overview
Literacy begins with an understanding of one’s world, including people, the environment, and daily activities. Meaningful hands-on experiences help to develop basic concepts that can be communicated in many different forms, including print, braille, objects, speech, sign language, and other symbol systems. Literacy contributes to independence, as well as to quality of life.
Literacy happens throughout the day in both formal and informal ways. Create a literacy rich environment where children can observe print, braille and other formats in use, participate in routines and functional tasks, and communicate with others to develop literacy skills at home, at school, and in the community.
Many aspects of reading and writing are the same for all children, regardless of vision, age, or ability level. All children must learn to read before they can read to learn. Key literacy foundations apply, such as comprehension, fluency, phonics, and vocabulary. Here are some selected reading resources that are relevant to this population.
Browse our selection of tip sheets, from introducing braille to a young child who is blind to improving instruction for English learners; teaching number concepts to making books meaningful and accessible; and working with students with multiple disabilities to technology for college-bound braille readers.
Explore basic introductory information about having a student with visual impairments in your classroom. Browse our on-demand training offering 11 short videos on topics such as teaming, adapting materials, braille essentials, assistive technology and more. Take quizzes to test your knowledge and find new resources to help support your students!
