November 2017
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We hope you enjoyed the EVS October Newsletter and had a chance to use the resources and suggestions that were included in the “what can I do at home” and the “what else can I do” sections of the newsletter.
Some of the information about the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is repeated in this issue because some parents/guardians will be receiving this newsletter for the first time this year and we wanted to include the ECC basics for them. The ECC focus for November is Sensory Efficiency. Please see page 2 for more information about that area of the ECC.
In an effort to keep your contact information updated and current please fill out the contact information sheet that is enclosed in the packet you received with this newsletter. If you’d prefer to submit the form electronically you may do so here:
https://goo.gl/forms/DdwbpbVZ8qDZc3Kf1
Along with that contact information sheet, you will also find a flyer about the Parents’ Meet-Up Lunch on November 4th on Staten Island.
Please take a look at the new EVS website that includes the Parent Corner just for you.
www.edvisionservices.org
The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC)
November Focus: Sensory Efficiency
What is the Expanded Core Curriculum?
The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is the body of knowledge and skills that are needed by students with visual impairments due to their unique disability-specific needs. Students with visual impairments need the expanded core curriculum in addition to the core academic curriculum of general education.
What are the 9 areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum?
1. compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes
2. orientation and mobility
3. social interaction skills
4. independent living skills
5. recreation and leisure skills
6. career education
7. use of assistive technology
8. sensory efficiency skills
9. self-determination
What are Sensory Efficiency Skills?
Think about taking a walk along the beach and looking out towards the horizon. Do you see any boats? As you lean down to touch the water, is it warm enough to go swimming? Listen to the seagulls as they fly overhead, do you think there are more than ten seagulls in that flock? As you take a sip of that icy cold lemonade, do you need to add more sugar, or is it just right? As you put on your sunscreen do you recognize your favorite sunscreen scent, or did you try a new brand?
We all use our senses every day without even thinking twice about it. Students who are blind and/or visually impaired use their sense of sight, if they have remaining vision, as well as their other senses of hearing, touch, taste, and smell to help support the intake, processing and understanding of the world around them. Turn to page 4 for more specific information about using all five senses and some fun activities to try with your child at home.
What Can I Do at Home?Recipes
No-Bake Play Dough (from the PBS Parents website www.pbs.org/parents )
Materials/Ingredients:
Large mixing bowl
1 cup water
4 cups flour (Gluten Free flour brands - Krusteaz, Betty Crocker, Bob’s Red Mill, and King Arthur flour)
2 to 4 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 ½ cups of salt
Food coloring
Instructions:
1. Pour water into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add food color and stir well.
3. Add the dry ingredients (flour and salt) and stir a little to begin blending the ingredients.
4. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of oil. You can add more oil later if the mix seems to dry.
5. Mix and knead all of the ingredients together until a soft dough is formed.
To store simply roll play dough into small balls and keep in plastic bags or plastic containers.
Knox Blocks (from Genius Kitchen www.geniuskitchen.com)
Materials/Ingredients:
Large mixing bowl
3 (3 ¼ ounce) packages Jell-O™ gelatin – any flavor
4 (1 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin – such as Knox™ gelatin
4 cups boiling water
Instructions:
1. Heat the four cups of water until boiling
2. Combine the Jell-O™ and gelatin together in a bowl
3. Pour in the water
4. Stir until completely dissolved
5. Pour into a glass dish or pan
6. Put in refrigerator about 2 hours to cool and set
7. Cut into squares – you could also use cookie cutters
*ALWAYS supervise and remain in the kitchen with your child when cooking and baking food.
Activities1. Play Dough Object Search – This activity encourages use of fine motor skills to strengthen muscles in the hands and fingers as well as developing object/texture/shape awareness.
Supervise your child to make sure the objects are not placed in mouth.
Place a tray or paper plate in front of child. For children who are blind or visually impaired boundaries such as the sides of a tray or a paper plate provide a safe space to explore and minimize searching, dropping objects, or having objects roll away during an activity. Take a ball of Play Dough and insert/hide objects such as buttons, beads, and plastic game chips into the Play Dough ball. Name the objects that the child is going to search for and then place the ball of Play Dough in front of child on the tray/plate. Have child search for objects and name them as the objects are found and placed on the tray or paper plate. Practice sequencing skills by asking which object your child found first, next and then last. Add more or less objects to increase or decrease the level of difficulty.
2. Play Dough and Cookie Cutters – This activity also encourages the use of fine motor skills. It is also a good activity to introduce the names of equipment used in the kitchen: tray, apron, rolling pin, spatula, etc.
If you Google “multi-size cookie cutters” you could find and use the different sized shapes to teach concepts of sorting as well as the concepts of bigger and smaller. Once again, use the tray, a plastic cutting board or a paper plate to provide spatial boundaries. Have your child roll out the Play Dough and then press the cookie cutters into the dough. Talk about the adjectives to describe the dough: sticky, cold, smooth, grainy. Use a spatula to lift the shapes and place on another plate to dry.
3. Auditory readiness skills – This activity encourages your child to listen, learn and then name the sounds associated with activities in the kitchen while making the Play Dough and the Knox Blocks.
See if your child can name the sounds while you are completing these activities in the kitchen:
· Opening/closing the cupboard door, refrigerator door, a drawer, or the dishwasher.
· Taking out objects and then placing them on the countertop such as mixing bowl, metal spoon, and plastic spoon, package of Jell-O™, flour, and gelatin.
· Telling the difference between pouring flour, water, Jell-O™, or gelatin into the bowl.
· Mixing ingredients in the bowl and scraping the sides of bowl with the spoon.
4. Tactual readiness – This activity encourages the use of systematic searching.
Use a tray and place a spoon in assorted locations on the tray (top, bottom, and middle, right side, left side, upper, lower, etc.) Teach your child to start searching for an object by placing hands on the top left hand corner of the tray. Then, move hands to the right side of tray in a straight line across the tray and then move hands to the right and down repeating until entire tray is searched and the object is found. Use your hands and voice to guide and support your child as needed until they can do it independently.
More Information and ResourcesWebinar for Parents:
Perkins School for the Blind - Learning with Blindness FREE Webinar-Using All the Senses to Explore. Wednesday November 15th 2017 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Click on the link below to register:
http://perkins.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/d/B86AA8BCB3790343/22BF0F2685B82A676A4D3D471B02C3D7
Links
Sensory Efficiency Activities and Suggestions
https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/sensory-efficiency.html
The Sense of Smell:
http://www.tsbvi.edu/203-resources/4364-the-sense-of-smell-a-powerful-sense
What is Active Learning? – Lilli Nielsen
http://www.tsbvi.edu/five-phases-of-educational-treatment-used-in-active-learning-based-on-excerpts-from-are-you-blind-by-dr-lilli-nielsen-2
Importance of Touch and Tactile Skills
http://www.tsbvi.edu/importance-of-touch-and-tactile-skills
Listening Skills Activities
https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/listening-skills-activities.html
Low Vision Device Activities
https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/low-vision-device-activities.html
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