Literacy and Visual Impairment

Abstract

Research supporting specific instructional approaches for young children with visual impairments and blindness is limited. There is, however, a growing body of evidence to support the belief that the critical components of emergent and early conventional literacy for children with visual impairments do not differ markedly from those of their sighted peers. Specifically, infants and toddlers with visual impairments and blindness require interactions that support their oral language development, awareness of print or braille, and opportunities to explore writing. Although these very young children are often delayed in developing emergent literacy understandings, the path of their development is consistent with emergent literacy development of sighted children. The research regarding older children with visual impairments and blindness suggests that they too benefit from instruction that emphasizes the critical elements of early literacy instruction for all children. Research also suggests that specific strategies, such as repeated readings, direct instruction in phonics, and big word decoding that emphasizes morphemes, can benefit school-aged children with visual impairments and blindness. Further research is needed if we are to understand fully the most effective approaches to emergent and early literacy instruction for children with visual impairments and blindness, but there is a solid base from which we can begin.

A Computer‐based Program to Teach Braille Reading to Sighted Individuals

“…It is important to note that our participants were not fluent braille readers; our peak performance at the immediate posttest was 38 words in 5 min, which was well below fluency. Although specific guidelines for components of braille fluency have not been established, researchers have suggested that the components may be similar to those included in literacy for visual students (Erickson & Hatton, 2007). Therefore, practice and feedback likely would be needed to achieve fluency, but the current program appears to be both an efficient and effective first step toward this goal.…”

A Summary of the Communication and Literacy Evidence-Based Practices for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Visually Impaired, and Deafblind

“…General professional agreement supports strategies that assist children who are blind and visually impaired to acquire language skills (Erickson & Hatton, 2007b;Ferrell, 2011;Wormsley & D'Andrea, 2000), including • • expansion of verbal language and nonverbal cues;…”

“…There is conflicting evidence that children with visual impairment experience delays in language development that may hamper acquisition of literacy skills (Bigelow, 1987; Erickson & Hatton, 2007a; Fraiberg, 1977; Preisler, 1995; Urwin, 1978; but see Ferrell, 1998). General professional agreement supports strategies that assist children who are blind and visually impaired to acquire language skills (Erickson & Hatton, 2007b; Ferrell, 2011; Wormsley & D’Andrea, 2000), including…”

“…However, there has been general agreement that the quality and quantity of literacy experiences in both print and Braille need to improve (Erickson & Hatton, 2007a, 2007b; McCall, McLinden, & Douglas, 2011; Murphy, Hatton, & Erickson, 2008; Parker & Pogrund, 2009; Wormsley & D’Andrea, 2000). Recommended practices for students of school age have included repeated readings, direct instruction in phonics, decoding morphemes, and exposure to a wide variety of reading genres (Erickson & Hatton, 2007a, 2007b; Legge, Madison, & Mansfield, 1999; McCall et al, 2011). Recent research has indicated that instruction in vocabulary requires more attention as students grow older (Wall Emerson, Holbrook, & D’Andrea, 2009).…”

Screening of Vision and Hearing in Primary School Children

“…Being unable to see or hear normally may compromise our professional and social future and disable us from obtaining an education. [1234]…”