Resources for Families

In this section parents can learn how to foster literacy in children of all ages. Topics include the importance of early literacy preparation, how children learn to read, suggestions for games and activities, and instructions for making tactile books.

Below is a list of topics you'll find in this section. Click on a title to jump to a specific topic.

Infants
Preschool & Professionals
Reinforcing Reading Skills
Research
Web-Based Organizations and Internet Resources

Infants

Helping Your Baby Learn about Reading and Writing, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=75&TopicID=351&DocumentID=3913
Parents learn the importance of exposing children with visual impairments to literacy skills from a very early age; includes activities to enjoy together.

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Preschool

Activities to Promote Early Literacy, American Foundation for the Blind
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=97&DocumentID=2155
These activities integrate literacy into a preschooler's play, storytime, and daily activities.

Perkins Panda Literacy Kit, Perkins School for the Blind
http://www.perkins.org/literacy/panda/
The Perkins Panda materials "teach fundamental early literacy skills to children and help parents be more involved in their child's development."  This site includes information about early literacy, the importance of experiences in developing literacy skills, and the Perkins Panda.

Braille Resources for Parents, American Foundation for the Blind
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=97
AFB's article offers specific strategies to help preschool children develop essential literacy skills.

Promoting Your Child's Development of Reading and Writing Skills, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=76&TopicID=360&DocumentID=3870
The author offers ideas parents can use to foster a love of reading and writing in preschool-age children with visual impairments.

Early Literacy: Braille and the Young Child, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer98/literacy.htm 
Mary Jean Sanspree advises on how to determine if a child needs braille. She includes suggestions for fostering braille-readiness experiences and information about tactual learning for children with other disabilities; available in English and Spanish.

Reading and Making Tactile Books with Your Child, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=77&TopicID=356&DocumentID=3875
AFB's Family Connect shares tips on choosing books to read with small children, adding tactile drawings and braille to a book, and making story bags or story boxes.

Reading Comes Naturally: A Mother and Her Blind Child's Experiences, American Foundation for the Blind
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=97&DocumentID=1256
Diane Miller shares her experiences in helping her blind daughter to develop literacy skills. She describes the importance of bridging concepts, her search for braille books, homemade books, and how she created a literate environment.

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Reinforcing Reading Skills

Helping Your Child Develop Literacy Skills, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=77&TopicID=356&DocumentID=3882
The importance of a firm grounding in literacy skills is stressed in this article. It includes a list of ideas for fostering these skills during the elementary school years.

How Students Who Are Blind Read and Write, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=77&TopicID=356&DocumentID=3871
This article introduces parents to braille, the tools used to read and write it, what to expect when their child goes to school, and the role of the Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI).

Including Braille and Literacy in the Home: Don't Let Your Summer Be a Vast Wasteland, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/spring05/including.htm
Holly Cooper suggests literacy activities that can be done at home and in the community. Sources for books and other media are included; in English and Spanish.

Partners in Literacy: Supporting Braille Instruction and Braille Readers at Home, Council for Exceptional Children - DVI Quarterly
http://www.cecdvi.org/DVIIQ/Full%20Issues/DVIQ_Spring_2007_(1).pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
In this special Partnering with Parents issue, Missy Garber and Lynne Davis Dellinger talk about the importance of continuity between the use of braille at school and home. (pp. 11-15)

Ten Tips to Help You Teach Yourself Braille, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/newsletter/spring07/braille.htm
Amber Bobnar's article is "packed full of great suggestions and tools that parents can use to learn Braille themselves and have fun promoting their own children's learning."  Available in English and Spanish.

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Research

Literacy Begins at Home: Family Involvement in the Home Literacy Experiences for Children with Visual Impairments, Future Reflections - National Federation of the Blind
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr14/Issue1/f140120.html
Christopher Craig presents his research on emergent literacy in the home and offers specific suggestions for parents to provide literacy experiences.

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Web-Based Organizations and Internet Resources

Dots for Families: Ongoing Literacy for Families of Children with Visual Impairments, Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind
http://www.ed.arizona.edu/VILiteracy/
This web site is for family members, teachers, and "others interested in promoting literacy opportunities for young children with visual impairments."  It includes a who's who in braille, as well as sections on braille writing, lessons, technology, fun and games, and stories.

Parents' Guide to the Development of Preschool Children with Disabilities: Resources and Services, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/parents.html
"Parents of preschool children with visual or physical disabilities will find … a wide range of information to assist them in promoting their children's development from infancy to age five." The listing includes many publishers and producers of children's book in alternate formats.  

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