Children who have Difficulty Seeing

Detailed suggestions for Teachers

Children with difficulty seeing cannot know the people who are near them because they cannot see. They cannot see whom they have met. When you are with a child who cannot see, speak to him or her. Then the child will know that you are there. Tell the children in the school to do the same. Some children may have slight difficulty seeing. Others may have more serious problems, and some may not be able to see at all. Some children may not be able to see you or the classmates they meet at school.

When such a child comes for the first time, meet the child and the parents alone. Let the child know who you are by talking with the child and explaining what you are doing. Let the child touch you.

Next introduce the child to the classmates. Explain to all of them what is important to the child who has difficulty seeing. Explain that this child goes to school just like everybody else. Tell the children that the child will need some extra attention and ask them to give it when it is needed.

Introduce the classmates to the child. If the child cannot see them, tell the child the names of some of the children. Let the child speak with each one of them until the child remembers their voices and names. Let the child touch them. Then tell the child the names of the other children so the child with difficulty seeing will know all the children in the class.

Children with difficulty seeing cannot know the people who are near them because they cannot see. They cannot see whom they have met. When you are with a child who cannot see, speak to him or her. Then the child will know that you are there. Tell the children in the school to do the same.

The child with difficulty seeing often tries to learn about things by touching, listening, and smelling. He or she also learns about certain things by licking them. Let children use the different ways to learn. Be careful so the child does not touch something that might hurt or be dangerous to him or her.

Describe the classroom and the school. Take the child around the school and describe to him or her what you can see.

Arrange for children with difficulty seeing to sit at the front of the class. If there is a child who can see a little, encourage this child to use the sight he or she has. Make sure that the child has enough light for the work.

Write on the blackboard using big letters. Teach the other children also to write in this way.

Each child with difficulty seeing needs a "reader" to help him or her. The reader will read and explain books to the child and help the child to learn. Find a leader for each child. The reader can be a classmate, an older child, or a friend.

A child who can see a little may be able to learn to read and write in the same ways that other children learn. Teach the child first to write letters and numbers. You can start to teach the child to write with chalk on a slate. Fix pieces of string across the slate so that the child can touch and use the string as guidelines while writing.

When a child begins writing on paper, fix the strings in the same way on a piece of wood. Teach the child to place the paper under the strings.

Children who have difficulty hearing or speaking often do not communicate, or they communicate poorly. It is because we use various ways to communicate, but we use hearing and speaking most often. Some children who are born without hearing may not learn to speak. They should be taught other ways to express their thoughts, needs, and feelings.

Children who have difficulty hearing or speaking are sometimes irritable. They may not give their attention to one thing for a long time. Or they may not listen carefully to what is being said. Observe them carefully. If they do not pay enough attention, find ways to make them interested in what you are saying. Then they will want to listen to you.

Communicating with a child who has difficulty hearing

If there is a child in your class who cannot hear or speak, use different methods of communication with this child. Use speaking, or hand, face, and body movements, or writing. Teach the volunteer and the other children to use the different methods to communicate with the child.

Before you speak to the child, get the child's attention. Then the child will know that you are speaking to him or her.

Make sure that the child can see you and hear you when you speak. Stand in the light so that it falls on your face. Then the child can see you clearly.

Some children who have difficulty hearing can hear more clearly if others speak close to their year. Find out if this helps the child you teach. If so, speak close to the child's ear when you communicate with him or her. Tell other children to do the same. When you communicate with the child give him or her time to listen and to think. The child may respond by making sounds which are not proper words. Then repeat correctly the words the child tried to say. Make sure that the child can see your face as you say the words correctly.

When you speak you use movements of parts of your body to make what you say clearer to the person who is listening. You also use your hands when you speak. For example, You may use your hands to show the size of things. Sometimes you move your body when you speak.

Use movements and expressions as often as possible whenever you are with the child who has difficulty hearing or speaking. The child will then learn what these mean. Teach the other children to use expressions and movements to communicate with the child who has difficulty hearing.

Try to understand the different ways in which the child expresses himself or herself. Also go on using different methods of communication with the child to make him or her understand what you want.

Children who can hear some words should be taught to speak. Some children learn to speak clearly; others try to, but only succeed in making certain sounds which can often be understood.

Physical exercise helps all children to be healthy and keep fit. When you arrange exercise periods for your class, make sure that the children with disabilities join in as much as they can. Some children are not able to play very active games. Include games for them which can be played with less effort or which are played sitting down. To make it possible for children who cannot see to play ball games, put a bell inside the ball. Then the children can hear the ball as it moves.

Most children enjoy music, even if they cannot move or sing with it because of their disability. Children with difficulty learning enjoy music. Even children with difficulty hearing may enjoy music, especially if it has rhythm. You can do many activities to music with children.

One child closes his or her ears with the fingers. Another child tells a funny story to the group. Then one of the other children pretends to be the "teacher". The "teacher"asks each child to answer questions about the story. When the "teacher"has finished asking questions, he or she asks the child who had the ears closed to open them and listen. The "teacher" asks this child to tell the group what it felt like to not be able to hear the story very well. The child is asked to explain what he or she was able to understand from the faces and gestures of the teacher and the other children.

Each child should have the chance to have his or her ears closed. This will help the children to understand the problems of a child who has difficulty hearing. They will then be able to understand the child’s problem.

The child who can tell most of the story from reading the faces and gestures wins the game.

One child has his or her eyes covered and stands in the middle of a circle made by the other children. The children in the circle will now, one by one, go to the child with the covered eyes. This child will now touch the faces of each one of the others, trying to guess who it is. Only one minute is allowed to guess the name of each child.

The child with covered eyes guesses the name of each child he or she touches. Count how many guesses are correct.

Each child should have the chance to stand in the middle. The child with the most correct guesses wins.