Division on Visual Impairments

DVI Quarterly Volume 59(3)

A quarterly newsletter from the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Visual Impairments containing practitioner tips for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and other professionals.

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; Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016 10 Sensory bins Sensory bin filled with cotton craft pom pom balls. Sensory bin filled with artificial, silk flower petals and plastic bees to find. Sensory bins are a tried and true means for getting children to explore tactually. Some of the parents were accustomed to the concept of having children dig through dried rice, beans and sand in sensory bins, but expressed frustration over bugs finding the bins, and the mess incurred through using these bins indoors. Alternative sensory bins were presented in Braille Babies that addressed these concerns and included the use of cotton pom pom balls or silk wedding flower pedals. Children using sensory bins are asked to find hidden items in the bin. For example, small rubber ducks in the colorful pom poms or plastic bees made of rubber nestled in the artificial silk flower pedals. Children can play with the contents of the bins to measure, pour, fill, stir and otherwise have a hands-on-learning experience. Parents were encouraged to put containers of various sizes in the sensory bins for this part of the activity. As a mother, I know children wear through and ruin their clothing rapidly, and as a result, I added the use of fabric to elements of Braille Babies. Use fabrics to make tactile cards for matching and sequencing. Use fabrics from clothing, such as denim, corduroy, silk or terry cloth. Other textures, such as vinyl, burlap, screen (window screens) and any other varied texture can be used. Tactile scrapbooking paper can also be purchased at local craft stores to add texture and for use in the below activities. Several varieties of textures, such as fuzzy, slightly rough and bumpy scrapbook paper can usually be found at retailers with larger scrapbook paper inventory. 37

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