Visually Impaired Resource Guide Mathematics Kindergarten and Grade One

At this level children are given objects such as blocks and counting sticks to work and play with. Children learn how to make simple measurements and how to use pictures, numbers, shapes and sizes and simple mathematical symbols such as plus and minus.

Is very important at this level to give the student a variety of manipulatives to teach and reinforce one to one correspondence, to use concrete objects for simple measurements, to learn to describe the attributes of an object and to learn to discriminate differences in size and weight. Braille instruction should commence in writing and reading the number sign, Nemeth* numbers, plus, minus and equal signs. Additional time will need to be spent in learning how to manipulate the brailler and the process of putting in, aligning and removing braille paper. If calculators are available, the visually impaired student should have access to experience and use a calculator with speech output. These experiences with electronic technology must not replace necessary experiences using manipulatives or the brailler. The introduction of skills should parallel classroom instruction as closely as possible.

Blind students must have physical boundaries when dealing with manipulatives (e.g. trays, sorters, cups, egg cartons) to prevent items from getting lost or being placed in the wrong group. This system also encourages the use of a systematic search technique.* [refer to the Vision Resource Teacher in your area for further information] 1 Working groups of manipulatives should have boundaries within the larger working tray. For example, when beginning the concept of an equation each portion of the task should have well defined containers/boundaries.

It is important to adapt tasks so they are meaningful to the visually impaired child. For example, if the task is to count the rings on a picture of a finger and write the corresponding number, the blind child could count the number of Nemeth number signs or embossed lines or shapes or other tactile attributes on a braille page and write the corresponding number. The task is to count, therefore count something meaningful to the blind child. The added bonus is often in facilitating incidental learning such as refining tactile discrimination skills.

Learning About Numbers

• learn about whole numbers and fractions
• know how to estimate the number of objects and add and subtract numbers up to 10
• know how to count up to 100 and begin to understand place value to 99
• add and subtract to solve simple problems

The student should develop a systematic search technique [refer to the Vision Resource Teacher in your area for further information] , location terminology and related concepts. (e.g. top of page, bottom of page, left, right) Use weight, sound and size as estimators of the number of objects in a group. The abacus and a combination braille/tactile/large print number line, can be used to teach and reinforce one to one correspondence, place value and simple addition and subtraction problems.

Data Analysis

• Collect information and show how this information fits into different categories (displaying)

Continue to use a variety of meaningful manipulatives to represent visual information and to achieve these curriculum goals. This is the very beginning of charting and graphing. Students should learn how to read and produce information on a simple chart and be exposed to some basic formatting techniques. Tactile graph paper is available commercially.

Geometry

• learn about objects and shapes such as circles, triangles and squares
• learn about geometric patterns using shapes and objects

Continue to use a variety of meaningful manipulatives to achieve these curriculum goals. Learn the basic vocabulary and attributes of shapes. (e.g. circles, triangles and squares) Relate these shapes and attributes to real life objects whenever possible.

Learning About Measurements

• compare, estimate and record the length of things using centimeters (standard units) as well as objects such as hands, feet and pencils (non-standard units)
• begin to know about time, temperature and money

The use of real money for the blind child helps with daily living skills and the Vision Teacher may be consulted in the instruction of identifying coins tactually and folding techniques to identify paper bills. Tools that can be used at this level include the talking clock, Braille Lite * [refer to the Vision Resource Teacher in your area for further information] clock, raised clock, talking thermometer, as well as commercially prepared worksheets.

Algebra

• Algebra is not part of the mathematics program in K to 3

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