Gwyn McCormack
My name is Gwyn, I am a qualified teacher of visual impairments with 20 years experience. I run an educational consultancy and training service for professionals working with children with visual impairments called Positive Eye, based here in the UK. Positive Eye delivers courses both here and in Europe. In addition Positive Eye has its own product range, which I have written and developed and publish in house to meet the bespoke requirements of the audience I work with. It has become a popular range amongst professionals in the UK.
Beginning Braille Activities
- Adapted Reading Lesson of High Frequency Words
- Braille Code Collection Boxes
- Braille Mechanics Guidance
- Caterpillar Activity
- Five Rocket Men Going to the Moon
- Initial Letter Sounds, Braille Contractions, and Numbers Drawers
- Lazy Sue Braille Development Activity
- Lucky Dip Braille Activity
- Model of Literacy Lesson: Practicing Blending for Reading
- Motor Activities Checklist to Encourage the Development of Pre-Braille Skills
- Pathways Towards Reading Readiness for Braille
- Practicing Reading High Frequency Words in Braille
- Strategies to Make Literacy Meaningful to Beginning Braille Readers
Games
- Fun games with a ‘Lazy Sue’ supporting literacy in an inclusive way
- A Fun Social Skills Game: Guess the Message!
- Tactile Bingo
- Tactile Pattern Game
Holiday Ideas
Instructional Materials
- Geometry Resources for Students with Visual Impairment
- Homemade Shape Sorter
- Make an Abacus: Supporting Understanding of Placement Value
- Math Discovery Box
- Measurement Resources Leaflet
- Number Line
- Primary Mathematics Resources Box
Language and Literacy
Math and Number Concepts
- 6 Tips for Teaching Maths to Students with Visual Impairments
- 19 Ideas to Teach Basic Math Concepts to Students with Visual Impairments
- 56 Tactile Math Ideas: Ideas and Suggestions for Development of Basic Concepts & Early Math Skills
- Addition Machine
- Bethany Stays for 1 Sleepover with 1 Nana: Developing the Concept of “Oneness”
- Developing Early Literacy, Numeracy and Visual Skills
- Measuring Angles (sighted methods of access)
- Measuring with a Ruler
- Numeracy Development Plan
- Practical Ideas to Support Concept Development
- Support the Understanding of Using Cubarithms
- Tom Makes One Pizza
Story Buckets
Theme-Based Activities
- Creative Literacy and Numeracy Ideas on the Theme of Frozen
- Cross Curricular Planning: Camping Trip
- Cross Curricular Planning: Seaside
- Cross-Curricular Theme to Literacy and Numeracy: The Supermarket
- Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish
- A Fun Interactive Resource: The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
- Hello Kitty’s Tea Party!
- Keywords from Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch
- Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch: A Cross-Curricular Approach to Reading Readiness for Braille
- Literacy and Numeracy Ideas with Buckets!
- Matching Bucket Activity
- The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly
- People as Helpers
- Sensory Areas: Families
- Sensory Areas: Fire Service
- Sensory Areas: Growth and Change
- Sensory Areas: Holiday on the Farm
- Sensory Areas: Homes
- Sensory Areas Journeys: By Boat
- Sensory Areas: Toys
- Sensory Areas: Weather
- Sensory Curriculum Ideas to Support a Holistic Approach to Literacy and Numeracy
- Supporting early maths and literacy with Robert the Robot
- Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey
Tips for Students with Low Vision
- Handwriting Tips for Students with Visual Impairments
- Top Access Tips to Pictures and Illustrations
- Top Access Tips for Print Media
Tips for Teachers
- 10 Uses for Wikki Stix to Support Curriculum Access
- Braille Guidelines for the Classroom Practitioner
- Case study: Holistic Approach to Braille Reading Readiness
- Creating Large Print and Tactile Graphs
- Enabling Access: Tips for Adapting Worksheets for Students with Visual Impairments
- Modelling the Adaptation of Mainstream Literacy Lessons
- Modifying Charts for Students with Visual Impairments
- Motor Activities Checklist to Encourage the Development of Pre-Braille Skills
- Positive Eye
- Recommended Resources for Vision Professionals
- Tip Sheet: Access to Literacy
- Top Access Tips for Dual Media Learners