[blindkid] Descriptive books??

Sat Dec 6 20:42:48 UTC 2008

This is very interesting to me....My youngest son is legally blind but we do think he can see colors and certain lights. He has many other disabilities too and being descriptive about pictures in a book is a great idea I also have a older son with many disabilities he can see but does not understand what he sees so maybe this would benefit him too we are not sure how much he understands. Next question is how to get the teacher and paras at school to do this?
Thanks,
Jena
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Colleen Davis 
  To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children) 
  Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 12:18 PM
  Subject: Re: [blindkid] Descriptive books??

  Carlton and Carrie,

  My husband is director of libraries and AR comes under his "umbrella". I talked to him about it and he is going to address this when he meets with the teachers that use AR and the librarians for when they do readings for classes. 

  I have always talked to classroom teachers about describing pictures in books that they read aloud to their studies. I don't have any Braille students of the AR age right now, but I used to describe any pictures in books since I saw them daily.

  Your comments got me thinking that there are probably kids with other disabilities that would benefit from this. Also, I may begin adding the description of pictures for AR books to modifications required for my kids with low vision. A parent volunteer or paraprofessional could do this. I will have to think it through and work it out, but I 'can do what I can do".

  Thanks to all of you who bring up the things that you as parents encounter. It helps us TVIs do a better job. Last week I combined all the storage ideas and resources for audio descriptive DVDs, etc., and made it a part of my newsletter (giving the list credit, of course!).

  Colleen in TX

  ________________________________
  From: Carrie Gilmer <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
  To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
  Sent: Saturday, December 6, 2008 8:59:34 AM
  Subject: Re: [blindkid] Descriptive books??

  Dear Carlton,
  I am so glad you have pointed this out. I had not heard this about the AR
  specifically before. We are taking a close look at online and computer based
  tests and gathering information on a national level. I am forwarding your
  concerns on. Thank you for bringing it up. If anyone has any troubled
  experience with online tests or experience in attempting to contact or work
  with a testing company--or you have experience with something working
  well... please send me your experience asap.

  And thanks for the nice words for me Carlton...smile. 

  Carrie Gilmer, President
  National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
  A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
  NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
  Home Phone: 763-784-8590
  carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
  www.nfb.org/nopbc
  -----Original Message-----
  From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
  Behalf Of Carlton Anne Cook Walker
  Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 4:15 PM
  To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
  Subject: [blindkid] Descriptive books??

  Hi all,

  Carrie's post got me thinking (as her wonderful posts always do).  The
  need for descriptions in picture books is evident in the tests of the
  Accelerated Reader (AR) program.

  My second grader, Anna, just took an AR test this afternoon on a book
  at the second grade reading level.  All but one of the five questions
  on the test had to do with the PICTURES in the book.  Now, granted,
  the book is a Caldecott Award winner and the pictures are nice, but
  this is an Accelerated READER program, not an Accelerated Looking At
  And Interpreting Pictures program.

  We has this same problem with kindergarten AR tests -- I had hoped it
  would have improved by now.

  This is a book I brailled myself, it isn't available from NBP or
  Seedlings (which might have had picture descriptions).  Even though
  Anna has some vision, she could not interpret most of the pictures --
  they were somewhat abstract and did not have terrific contrast.  I'm
  REALLY glad I described the pictures for her as she read the book to
  me -- otherwise, she would have received a poor score on the quiz.

  Golly, when does it get easier (smile)?

  Take care all!!

  Carlton

  -- 
  Carlton Anne Cook Walker
  213 North First Street
  McConnellsburg, PA    17233
  Voice: 717-485-3383

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