;
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016
2
Although Lewis and Allman write, "There are no easy answers to the problem
of not having enough time" (p. 9), this book is a step in the right direction.
This book aims for simplicity and accessibility, providing step-by-step
lesson plans and detailed assessment criteria, (among many other easy to
use templates for the busy TVI), yet the authors are quick to caution against a
one-size-fits-all,
formulaic approach to teaching the ECC. Although most
teachers will find value in reading the book as I outlined above, skimming and
picking their way through its vast resources, they must be wary of simply
adopting the authors' methods wholesale.
1
It is important to remember that as
practitioners of the Expanded Core Curriculum, we are dealing with an
extremely unique, often ambiguous, highly individualized yet tightly
interconnected set of skills. This content is usually absorbed incidentally as
sighted children collect facial expressions, gestures, traffic signs,
advertisements and millions of other clues which help them navigate society.
It is our unique job as teachers of the visually impaired to recreate these
1
This is not to undermine any information the authors have provided; in fact, the authors
themselves preach restraint when using their materials. In Part II of the book, where each of
the nine areas has its own detailed chapter, every appendix is headlined with a disclaimer
asserting that "The activities presented, like all instruction, need to be considered and modified
to address the needs of individual students".
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