How do I plan for a visually impaired student?

Ms. Dorothy,
What do I need to know about working with a visually impaired student? This guy starts in my class next week and I'm a little nervous that I won't know what to do to support him.  I'm sure he has an IEP, but I was hoping you'd have some suggestions of places to start.
- 1st grade teacher

Well, there are some modifications you can make right off the bat, but you will need to know exactly what his visual challenges are, and what recommendations are on his IEP. 

Preferential seating is something you can expect is on his plan. 

Make sure that he is seated close to where you are writing or presenting, and that there are students near him that you expect to follow directions exactly. This is often the first, best option for students with hearing or vision impairments so that they may see and hear your instructions, and then have other students to observe and mimic.

Another consideration might be the size of the text he is expected to work with. Books, worksheets, directions etc. can all be enlarged to make them easier to see and read.

He is a first grader, so you don't need to be nervous. When it comes to this age group, you know what you are doing.  Just get this guy's Educational Plan in your hands as quickly as possible to be sure you are meeting his specific needs.

What tricks help readers with tracking?

Ms. Dorothy,
______ is struggling with his reading, especially when he is reading out loud.  He has a hard time keeping track of the line he is reading when he goes down to the next line.  I've tried using a book mark or a piece of paper under the line, but it almost seems to slow him down even more.  Are there other tricks that can help him?
- 3rd grade Mom

Reading is much less about translating a word at a time, and much more about making sense of phrases and sentences and ideas in chunks.  It may be that he is self-conscious about the accuracy of his word call when reading aloud, and questioning himself is what slows him down.

It is important that he be able to see the words in the lines following what he is reading because the information we gather by scanning ahead is more helpful for fluent reading than anything else. 

If you are going to cover lines to help him track, try covering the line above what he is reading rather than below.

Some people find reading black letters on white pages is difficult because there is too much dramatic contrast.  Try experimenting with pieces of colored cellophane to find a color that feels comfortable to his eyes.

My final suggestion would be to be sure he has a thorough eye exam to rule out any physical problems that may be interfering with his reading.

How do I know if my child needs special help?

Ms. Dorothy -

I have a child that struggles from day to day with literacy. Some days he writes great big letters and fidgets, moving the book close and then far away from his face. Then other days he writes between the lines nearly perfectly and reads with ease. On the days he struggles, he retains nothing and always feels down about it. Have you any advice or insight as to what the problem may be? Does he need special help? What solutions would you suggest?

- Mom of a 3rd grader

What a challenge it must be for him to face days like that! Feeling down seems like a very appropriate response to that kind of struggle.

I wonder if there is anything else consistent about the days he cannot focus. Sometimes changes in routines can have an impact on the ability to concentrate. Being aware of his sleeping, eating and other daily routines might give you some insight into his difficulty retaining what he is supposed to be learning in school.

Any kind of dramatic change in his life, or reasons he may be depressed should be considered as well. Be sure to check with his teachers and have him monitored in case something is happening at school that is leading to his struggles.

Those concerns aside, it might be a good idea just to have his eyes checked. It is rare that a child makes it all the way to 3rd grade without a vision screening catching something, but it happens. I would recommend taking him to an eye doctor for a full eye exam.

It would be a shame to have him waste any more learning time in discouragement if what he needs is a pair of glasses!