Experiential Calendars for Students with Visual Impairment
Resource Review by Marcia Rollings, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Governor Morehead Preschool
| Resource: |
Smith, N. Calendar: Everyday Exposure to Experiences for Enjoyment. Louisville, KY: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. |
Real life, hands-on experiences -- that's where meaningful learning begins for a child with visual impairment. For a person with vision, the world is full of these experiences. We call them "daily activities"! A child with vision is motivated to become intimately involved with the world around her simply because she sees something interesting and is curious to know more about it. This does not happen so naturally for a child with no or low vision.
Nancy Smith, a statewide consultant for children who are visually impaired or blind with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, has authored a calendar containing daily ideas for real-life experiences. Smith states that many children with visual impairment are content to entertain themselves by doing the same activity over and over, resulting in restricted perception of an object or activity. We as parents and educators need to step in and help bring the world, through multisensory activities, to the child. This calendar helps to take the pain out of planning learning experiences to share with a child with visual impairment, and may spark creative ideas of your own!