The Literacy Hour

Shared Writing
Reception Writng Record
Braille Teaching

THE LITERACY HOUR FOR

VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN

Education Leeds Visually Impaired Team

When the National Literacy Strategy ‘s framework for teaching was fist introduced there was little, if any, consideration given to the needs of Visually Impaired (VI) Children. At the time the Education Leeds Visually Impaired Team (VIT) produced guidelines to help mainstream teachers to include VI children in mainstream schools.

Several years have past since then and we are all more experienced, wiser and sophisticated in our approach to the Literacy Hour. Much has been learnt about meeting the needs of VI children in this session, and the VIT felt it was time to update their guidelines to reflect some of their good practice and that of mainstream teachers in including VI children in the Literacy Hour.

Planning.

If visually impaired children are to be included successfully in the Literacy Hour planning is vital. Sharing your planning with your support assistants is equally important, since they are the ones who are adapting materials and working with the children using them. It is crucial for the SNA to know the purpose of the activity i.e. when learning to write instructions for a recipe, is the task to learn how to write instructions or how to make the biscuits?

Many visually impaired children require considerable adaptation and modification to be made to materials, and this takes time. It is not something which can be done five minutes before the lesson. It is good practice to give SNAs time to prepare the materials by:

· providing half termly planners as a means of giving SNAs advance notice of the books which will be used each week and which themes and exercises will run with the books.

· providing your SNA with your planning for the coming week. Thursday is a good day to have this meeting when worksheets, objectives and other information relevant to the coming week are discussed and shared. It allows Monday’s work to be prepared before the weekend.

· informing your SNA or QTVI at the beginning of the year of any particular topics, which you are covering throughout that year. This allows time for special materials, artefacts, useful real life objects to be collected, borrowed or ordered. These can bring a subject alive for VI children and provides information which might be missed visually.

In November 2003 the Department for Education and Skills issued a document entitled The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies-Including all children in the literacy hour and daily mathematics lesson. This contains some very sound information and is referred to in the following document. There is section about the role of additional adults within the classroom and offers alternative ideas. Don’t be put off by its size; it is worth dipping in to.

Visually impaired children will be able to follow the full National Curriculum, including the Literacy Hour, but teachers need to be aware of aspects that may cause difficulties.

Class and Group work

Be aware that VI children miss out on incidental learning and reading.

	Ensure correct seating position at the front, near the leader of the session.
	Some children may need their own copy of the big book in an appropriate size.
	Check the child is on the correct page and keeping up.
	Good lighting levels, which do not create glare on the learning materials, are important.
	Avoid standing in front of the light source.
	Provide non-glossy, non-reflective reading materials.
	Ensure enlarged photocopies are bold, clear, clean with good contrast and are large enough to be read.
	Give clear verbal instructions since body language and gestures may be missed.
	Say the child’s name first to alert them to questions.
	Provide more verbal explanations about what is happening.
	Opportunities to look at the Big Book before the lesson would help the child. Allowing the book to go home the night before or over the weekend involves parents and saves precious time in the classroom.
	Write in large, clear print and say the words as they are written.
	Use thick black marker pens on flip charts, white boards, flashcards and replace pens as soon as they start to become feint.
	Show flashcards briefly at the child’s eye level.

Individual work

	Give less work in order for child to complete work.
	Build in opportunities for short breaks from looking.
	The child should not share a book or sheet.
	Skills such as scanning, skimming, using an index alphabetical order etc. may cause difficulties visually and need to be taught on an individual basis.
	Provide opportunities for practice and reinforcement of the above skills.
	Worksheets should be uncluttered easy to follow and have clear, bold print of an appropriate size.
	Pictures should be clear representations, not stylised.
	Use photographs where possible.
	Unnecessary graphics should be removed.
	Have a matt finish.
	Boxes should be of an adequate size to suit the child’s handwriting.
	The same principles apply to IT programmes as applies to worksheets i.e. clear and uncluttered.
	Worksheet may need to be differentiated depending on the child’s eye condition.
	Encourage the use of low vision aids if these have been prescribed

Foundation Stage

Class and Group Work

Word, Sentence and Text Level Objectives.

VI children will have a diminished awareness of environmental print and will not have experienced it in the same way as sighted children. To enrich this:

	Don’t assume that VI children can see/read displays.
	Place print labels, notices, signs etc. at child’s eye level and draw attention to it.
	Introduce a wide variety of printed materials, including familiar objects such as sweet wrappings and cereal packets etc.
	Use an adult to explain, guide and read with VI children when using a variety of printed materials i.e. comic books, newspapers, labels etc.
	Use clear print at all times. Italics, speech bubbles etc. are confusing and difficult to read.
	Use taped stories, rhymes and poems to provide VI children access to stories.
	Allow more time and provide more opportunities for VI children to explore a print environment.
	Use an adult to explore pictures or text with VI children or use a buddying system with an older child in school.
	Ask VI children questions at the beginning of a group reading session. That way they are likely to be keeping up. This helps slower readers.

Individual work

Word, Sentence and Text Level Objectives.

VI children will be slower to acquire grammatical awareness, as they may not have experienced written texts in its many forms.

	All the points above are appropriate to increasing this awareness.
	Provide some adult support on an individual basis.
	Scanning from left to right may be difficult for VI children and this skill may have to be taught.
	IT programmes are a useful tool for teaching scanning techniques.
	Ask your QTVI about a visual training programme.

Writing can be a laborious task for VI children. They are slower to form letters and to develop writing skills.

	Allow more time to complete a task.
	Allow more practice time.

Provide a larger space or box to write in on worksheets.

Key Stage 1

Class and Group Work

Word, Sentence and Text Level Objectives.

VI children will have a diminished awareness of environmental print and will not have experienced it in the same way as sighted children. To enrich this:

Don’t assume that VI children can see/read displays.

	Place print labels, notices, signs etc. at child’s eye level and draw attention to it.
	Wherever possible environmental print and displays around school should be at child’s eye level.
	Introduce a wide variety of printed materials, including familiar objects such as sweet wrappings and cereal packets etc.
	Use clear print at all times. Italics, speech bubbles etc. are confusing and difficult to read.
	Be aware that VI children may not find print stimulating-point out interest value.
	Be aware that VI children may not be aware of subtle differences in print style-point out differences.
	Use taped stories, rhymes and poems to provide VI children access to stories.
	Allow more time and provide more opportunities for VI children to explore a print environment.
	Use an adult to explore pictures or text with VI children or use a buddying system with an older child in school.
	When teaching reading a phonic approach is more appropriate. Look and Say relies on seeing the word as a whole and this may be difficult for some VI children.

In year 2 organisational devices such as arrows, lines, boxes and keys are introduced into sentence level work. The relationship between these sequences may be confusing for VI children.

	Choose clear materials or simplify materials.
	Use an adult to help explore and explain the materials and organisational devices and to help orientation around the page.
	Allow extra time to complete the task or expect a little less work.
	Individual work
	Word, Sentence and Text Level Objectives.

VI children will be slower to acquire grammatical awareness, as they may not have experienced written texts in its many forms. All the points above are appropriate to increasing this awareness.

	Provide some adult support on an individual basis.
	Scanning from left to right may be difficult for VI children and this skill may have to be taught.
	IT programmes are a useful tool for teaching scanning techniques.
	Ask your QTVI about a visual training programme.

Editing their own work can be an onerous task for VI children. The help of an adult or another child who is good at this task is a strategy which is worth consideration.

Key Stage 2

Class and Group Work

Word, Sentence and Text Level Objectives.

Sentence level work can pose problems.

	Checking for sense and accuracy may be difficult, since errors may not be “visually” obvious and some VI children can not read back their own writing. The support of an adult may be appropriate.
	Proof reading, editing and revising may need to be taught and will require a lot of adult guidance.
	Allow extra time for all of these tasks.
	Provide adult support for deciphering new/unfamiliar words.
	Think about how much of the work can be delivered orally. Nouns, verbs, suffixes etc. can be discussed.

Much of the text level work is concerned with the visual presentation of texts; its layout, style and formats. This can be visually challenging for many VI children.

	Try to keep the layout as simple as possible.
	Consider the purpose of the activity.
	Differentiate the text if necessary.
	Do not confuse the child’s visual ability with academic ability.
	Choose clear materials or simplify materials.

The nature of the word level objectives can cause difficulties for many VI children and so a separate section is provided on this area of work.

Individual work

Word, Sentence and Text Level Objectives.

VI children will be slower to acquire grammatical awareness, as they may not have experienced written texts in its many forms.

	All the points above are appropriate to increasing this awareness.
	Provide some adult support on an individual basis.
	Scanning from left to right may be difficult for VI children and this skill may have to be taught.
	IT programmes are a useful tool for teaching scanning techniques.
	Ask your QTVI about a visual training programme.
	Editing their own work can be an onerous task for VI children. The help of an adult or another child who is good at this task is a strategy which is worth consideration.

Text level objectives-format, layout and style.

	Do not expect the same standard of presentation as you would for a normally sighted child.
	Provide support when the activity involves the production of work in different formats, styles and layouts to help orientation around the page.

Some VI children may find it easier to produce this type of work on the computer.

Handwriting.

Foundation Stage

Particular care needs to be taken when teaching handwriting skills to VI children.

	Use thick pencils or pencil grips.
	Use a pencil with a dark lead or a black felt pen.
	Use lined paper.
	Use dotted lines on paper instead of tracing.
	Use letters with a textured surface instead of tracing in the air.
	Provide lots of opportunities for the reinforcement of letter shapes, always showing the correct starting position for a letter.
	Ensure that letters always start in the correct position and the direction of their formation is correct.
	Discourage bad writing habits.
	Encourage good posture and ask your QTVI if the child needs a writing desk.
	Ask your QTVI for a list of suitable handwriting schemes if you think yours is unsuitable. Suitable schemes should provide clear, bold print, uncluttered layout, easy to interpret guides showing where to start a letter and lots off practice sheets. (Appendix )

Key Stage 1

Many of the tips above still apply.

	Check often that letters are being formed correctly.
	Don’t liken letters to others when teaching i.e. 'a' is an 'o' with a tail.
	Provide practice writing with other media i.e. chalk, sand, paint etc.
	It may not be appropriate for vi children to begin joining letters at this stage rather make sure letter formation is accurate.

VI children may be slower at handwriting than sighted children.

Key Stage 2

Many of the tips in the two above sections may still apply.

	Building up speed in handwriting may not be appropriate or desirable yet.
	It may not be possible or suitable for VI children to develop joined handwriting at the same time as their sighted peers.
	Lower Key Stage 2 is an appropriate time to ask your QTVI about an assessment for keyboard skills, particularly if handwriting skills are poor.
	VI children may have poor presentation skills and providing models that look good should help.
	Make good use of the computer for presentation.
	Keyboard skills will be taught to VI children who need them and this, in turn, can improve presentation skills.

Writing

Writing can be a laborious task for VI children. They are slower to form letters and to develop writing skills.

	Allow more time to complete a task.
	Allow more practice time.
	Provide a larger space or box to write in on worksheets
	Reading back their own writing may be difficult for some VI children. This can be made easier by having written work word-processed first, especially when it is planned to have children read their own writing to the rest of the class
	Taping stories is an alternative means of recording them, and removes the pressures and constraints of handwriting their work. This is a useful method of recording for emergent writers. Encourage the rules of a beginning, middle and end.
	Presentation may not be as neat or mature as that of their sighted peers.
	Choose an alternative means of recording.

Alternative Ways of Recording.

Other methods of recording work are just as valid as writing, and provide VI children with a less stressful working environment as well as the added excitement of doing something different.

There are lots of suggestions in the Department for Education and Skills publication ‘The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies-Including all children in the literacy hour and daily mathematics lesson’ for ways of doing this. At the back of the folder is a poster outlining a variety of activities under headings such as;

	Charts®flow charts, group wordstorms, card sorting, mind mapping.
	Scribing®dictation to a helper, paired recording with a fluent writer.
	Images®making posters, drawing/diagrams, video recording, photospreads, making 2D or 3D displays.

It is a comprehensive guide and worth looking at for ideas.

Keyboard Skills.

For some VI children writing and reading their own writing are particularly difficult tasks. Their letter formation is poor, they may never move on to joined-up writing others may be unable to read it. The presentation of their work is often unacceptable. This can present problems at high school and with exam work.

These types of problems usually become evident during KS2, and at this stage your QTVI will be able to assess the need for the specific teaching of keyboard skills (touch -typing). At present, the VIT is in a position to provide this teaching.

Spelling

Spelling is a difficult skill for VI children to master.

	Allow extra time for and/or individual teaching of sight-reading of familiar and high frequency words.
	They may not be able to identify mis-spelt words in their own work because they are unable to read their own writing.
	Recognising common letter strings and checking critical features may not be appropriate.
	“Look, say, cover, write, check” is a difficult strategy and so an alternative method should be used.
	Ask your QTVI for a large print dictionary.
	Encourage the use of a wordbook.
	Encourage the use of a low vision aid if one has been prescribed.
	Use IT devices such as a Language Master, spell checkers, Talking Language Masters.
	Use talking programmes such as Talking PenDown.
	VI children may have access to a limited number of books-ensure good quality of contents and age appropriate vocabulary.
	Allow extra time for VI children to learn the high frequency words and break the number of words given at one time into smaller components.

Adult support may be needed to help identify/point out critical features of words.

Punctuation

Punctuation marks may be missed by some VI children or they may cause confusion.

	Over emphasise the presence and position of punctuation marks in texts to the VI child.
	Teach how to form punctuation marks, as you would for handwriting, on an individual basis.

Provide clear explanations and examples of the purposes of punctuation.

Further help is available in the Department for Education and Skills publication ‘The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies-Including all children in the literacy hour and daily mathematics lesson’ there are tracking charts which set out the objectives in the NLS framework.

These tracking charts track backwards and are very simple to follow. They make it very easy to identify learning objectives for an individual child who may have missed something in previous years, or may be having difficulty building on previous learning.

The charts cover phonics, spelling, punctuation and handwriting. See section entitled- Choosing appropriate learning objectives: literacy

Non Fiction

Non-fiction books can be a ‘nightmare’ for some VI children. The wide variety of layouts and types of fonts presented can cause confusion and stress. The task of working out the organisation of a page for VI children, some of whom may have poor spatial awareness, is enormous. Likewise writing and organising non-fiction work may be extremely difficult.

	Choose books with well defined, clear images and print.
	A ‘tailor made’ simplified version may be appropriate. Where there is a lot of information presented in a complicated layout i.e. in boxes scattered around the page, break the page into smaller sections.
	Allow extra time for VI Children to become familiar with the layout
	Provide one-to-one support to guide the child around the page and explain the layout and how to follow it.
	Some VI children will not be able to cope with certain forms of layout and will need the material presented in an alternative format.
	Some VI children will have difficulty scanning and skimming, therefor allow extra time for more careful reading. Alternatively provide an abbreviated text.
	Accept smaller amounts of written work but of a good standard of presentation.
	It may be easier for VI children to produce their own work using IT.
	Provide support to help orientation around the page and the information when VI children are producing work of this type.
	Give opportunities for continued practice.

The use of low vision aids or C.C.T.V.s only allows access to small areas of a page and is not suitable for examining a large area. Use for examining text or small details.

Miscellaneous Information.

Large Print Materials.

Every VI child has it’s own particular visual needs and print requirements. Every one of these children has their own way or ways of accessing print. Some will get close to print, some will prefer to use a C.C.T.V and others may prefer larger print. Many use a combination of both.

In certain classroom and teaching situations, and for younger children, large print is more appropriate. It is possible to obtain some books in large print to suit a child’s particular need. For example, sets of the Oxford Reading Tree are available in large print, and some novels can be obtained in a print size customised for a particular child. Your QTVI can provide some of these or give you details for obtaining them.

Enlarging materials is not always as straight forward as photocopying onto A3 paper. Materials may need to be adapted or reformatted in some way. Again your QTVI can provide guidance about ways of achieving the most appropriate results.

The VIT recommend Arial and Comic Sans MS fonts as the clearest when producing materials on the computer.

This is Arial font size 18in bold type.

This is Comic Sans MS font in size 18 bold type.

Before enlarging materials, it is advisable to discuss the needs of the particular child and the materials requiring modification with your QTVI.

SATs papers.

SATs papers are available in two formats, enlarged or modified large print.

Enlarged papers are black and white photocopies enlarged onto A3 paper.

Modified large print papers are black and white copies on B4 paper. The layout is made clearer and diagrams and pictures are simplified.

Both types of paper should be ordered when ordering the ordinary papers. It is advisable to discuss with your QTVI, the suitability of the types of papers for a VI child before ordering.

Provision of Practice Papers.

The VIT have a selection of past papers in both formats. Copies of these can be ordered, by schools, for use as practice papers but please give at least two weeks notice to enable photocopies to be produced.

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