Tactile learning

Since my students are visually impaired, they need as much tactile learning as possible.  I’ve never had to think about this before, but I am enjoying the challenge.

I went to a big stationery store last week here in Daejeon and found these colorful balls.  I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, but I knew I should get them.  So I did.

Several of my students are working on their letters, so I thought it would be fun to make the letters using the balls.  They really enjoyed it.

We watched our favorite ABC song from YouTube.  Here is the link again: A is for Apple ABC song

I paused the video at each letter and had the students make that letter.

They enjoy anything tactile and anything they can actually make or create.  I will definitely be doing this again.  I’m thinking of creating some ready-made letters for my lower students to fill in with the balls.

I have also been revamping my products in my Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) store.  These are two products I just finished and added.  I used “Say Something” pretty much every single day when I was teaching in Texas.  My students loved it, and it really did help them to have the thinking sentence stems.

I used “Say Something” in reading, writing, science, and social studies.  I used it in whole class lessons, small groups, and with partner and individual work.  There are so many possibilities.  I would always model it first, and then let them practice.  After several practice sessions, they became pros at it!

Say Something

Last year, I taught 5th grade math, and I used “Say Something” but made it a little bit different.  It really did help my students to understand and verbalize what they were learning and doing in math.  It’s so important for students to be able to explain it so that they internalize it.  It was invaluable in my classroom.

Say Something in Math