TeenTober: Cultivating a Fondness for Reading

Editor’s note:TeenTober™ is a new, nationwide celebration hosted by libraries every October and aims to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services helps teens learn new skills, and fuel their passions in and outside the library. Today we look at inspiring your teen who is blind or low vision to … Continued

Making Stories Sparkle! An Invitation to an Interactive Story Time 

Hello, I’m Gwynnie-Gwyn-Gwyn, the storyteller and creator of the Story Time Show, a show that is inclusive of the whole family or class. It’s a show that has children with complex learning needs and their families at its heart. It’s a show that aims to have FUN!  Can you imagine the joy of your family … Continued

Braille Literacy Month: Emergent Literacy for Individuals Who Are Blind or Deafblind

Have you ever thought about how people learn? As I have written on previously (for instance, in the blog Explore an Orchard with Your Child Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired), and as you have no doubt witnessed in your own learning endeavors and when teaching your child(ren), individuals learn when they are able to make connections.  People aren’t blank slates on which we simply download or impart information; individuals understand concepts … Continued

16 Tips for Encouraging a Struggling Reader Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired

My curly-haired, almost ten-year-old daughter is spunky, empathetic, artistic, and creative…She’s also a struggling reader. Though she’s continued to receive slow and steady instruction in phonics since she was four or five years old, reading is an effort and a significant source of frustration for her. Maybe you, too, have a struggling reader who panics when … Continued

Reading Aloud to Help Your Child Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired Develop Empathy

It seems empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is something we could all use a bit more of today.  Wouldn’t it be a far healthier place if we could recognize, care about, and express concern over each other’s feelings and experiences, no matter our differences? All relationships (familial, neighborly, friendships, peer, coworker, … Continued

Three young girls standing on a lawn exchanging books

Swap Books with Friends (aka Book Pals), and More Ideas for Encouraging a Love of Reading

Our kiddos have worked tirelessly in pre-reading or reading skills all school year! I’d like to offer a few suggestions for how to keep up the momentum, and perhaps more importantly—to inspire a love of reading. Read aloud First, read aloud—no matter your children’s ages! My go-to for book suggestions is Read Aloud Revival’s Book … Continued

Are You Homeschooling Your Child Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired? Share Your Experience and Resources

Hi, homeschooling families! I have heard from many a family who has a child who is blind or visually impaired and who is researching homeschooling. And so I come to you, homeschooling families, asking you to share your experiences and advice. We’d love to glean from you and hear what it’s like to homeschool a … Continued

An Overview of Assessments for School-Age Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Whether your child has been diagnosed with an eye condition or you suspect your child’s poor vision is negatively affecting his education, it is important to request an evaluation for vision-related services from the school’s special education teacher or director. A teacher of students with visual impairments and/ or an orientation and mobility (travel training) … Continued

BrailleBlaster Question and Answer: Braille Software for Everyone

Editor’s Note: Parents, would you like to create braille at home for your child? Now you can using the American Printing House for the Blind’s (APH) BrailleBlaster™ software. All you need is access to an embosser or a refreshable braille display, and you can provide materials in braille for your visually impaired child. We’ve partnered … Continued