[blindkid] Elementary math question

Carol Castellano carol_castellano at verizon.net
Fri Oct 4 13:19:58 UTC 2013


Hi Brandon,

I'll join the chorus!

You seem to understand how your daughter learns, needing extra time 
to explore materials, learn formatting, etc..  Would it be possible 
for the TVI and the classroom to do some additional planning so that 
the TVI can do some preteaching with the materials?  It sounds as if 
you're already working on all this at home--maybe the scheduling can 
be tweaked so that some of the prep work can be done at home, too?

Maybe check to make sure all underlying concepts are in place?  Maybe 
she still needs more time with manipulatives in her hands?

Best wishes,
Carol

Carol Castellano
Parents of Blind Children-NJ
Director of Programs
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.blindchildren.org
www.nfb.org/parents-and-teachers

At 11:38 AM 10/3/2013, you wrote:
>Thanks to all of you for your replies on this issues. It is especially
>helpful to have blind adults weigh in and unanimously support the tools
>being used. My questioning of the number line and the hundreds chart
>ultimately has more to do with the presentation of the material than with
>the tool itself. Her gen ed teacher has no experience with nonvisual
>teaching techniques and has 27 sighted kids in the room all going 100
>miles/hour. Our daughter is not exactly a speed demon on a good day. This
>has nothing to do with her blindness, for I remember being the same way as
>a kid! In order to actually truly learn and retain any
>information, she needs time to explore the tactile materials, learn the
>formatting, be able to ask questions as they arise, do a problem, consider
>it, maybe do the same problem again with a different tool to cement the
>concept, then repeat, repeat, repeat. This is what we do at home in
>the evenings and it usually both fun and effective. However, school is a
>different world.
>
>My question about throwing out parts of the curriculum was also a bit broad
>and would understandably open a big ugly can of worms. My real ongoing
>question has more to do with which teaching *methods *are useful and which
>ones should be thrown out. She obviously needs to learn all the material.
>
>I made a home version of the MathView this week and we'll be adding that to
>the toolbox.
>
>We had a change of TVI for the our school district this year, which is
>ultimately a very good development and I think she is good. Right now,
>however, we are all reassessing needs and discovering that some the the
>previously claimed measurements of acheivement and progress weren't exactly
>accurate. It's unpleasant to think about, but is an important part of the
>process of rebooting and catching up.
>Brandon
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