TO BUILDING EARLY

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RECREATIONAL APPROACHES
TO BUILDING EARLY TACTILE SKILLS
APH 2005 ANNUAL MEETINGTraining Session October
14 15, 2005 Karen J. Poppe Tactile Graphics
Project Leader
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EARLY TACTILE SKILLS
Texture Discrimination
Systematic Searching Skills
Shape Identification
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EARLY TACTILE SKILLS
Tracking Various Line Paths
Understanding Symbolic Representation
Understanding Spatial Concepts
Understanding Perspective
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Importance of Play
Play is the work of children. Play offers
children an opportunity to explore, and
therefore, to learn. Any range of activities can
be play, and any play can offer multiple
opportunities to learn and practice new skills.
Just as your child grows, these skills buildone
on top of the othera foundation for the tasks we
do in school and as grown-ups. --Excerpt from
www.zerotothree.org
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SQUID
Tactile Activities Magazine
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Which of my arms has the most suckers?
SQUID
How many six-legged critters are there?
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How many triangles can you find in the stained
glass window?
SQUID
Without flipping or rotating the shapes, which
two shapes, put together, make the first shape in
each row?
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SQUID
Find the differences between Crown A and Crown B.
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SQUID
Use the key below to break the code.
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Pretend Play
Setting the Stage for Tactile Understanding
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Pretend Play
Pretend play develops the child's ability to hold
and manipulate ideasin other words, to think!
Pretend play is the child's way of remembering
and thinking about his/her own life, and what
he/she has experienced.
Source Learning to Play by Carol Castellano
quoting Dr. Lorraine McCune, Director of the
Infant/Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Studies
Program at Rutgers University. www.blindchidren.or
g/textonly/to_edu_dev/3_2_1.html
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Activities from Setting the Stage for Tactile
Understanding that encourage tactile awareness
through play My HouseWhat is my own house
like? Create a House DrawingThe child is the
creator of the graphic. Pretend Play by using
the house in combination with other models to
construct make-believe situations. Use the
created tactile scenery to intentionally teach
concepts (e.g., size and scale). For example Is
a car ever as long as the side of a house?
Pretend Play
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Pretend Play
Children typically learn how to pretend by
watching others, but children who are blind are
not able to observe how others carry out pretend
play-themes.
Source The Canadian National Institute for the
Blind Article The Impact of Vision Loss on the
Development of Children from Birth to 12 Years A
Literature Review http//cnib.ca/eng/fps/vision_l
oss/index.htm
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Web Chase

• is an APH designed board game that is intended
  to develop important tactile skills within a fun,
  recreational context. As players navigate their
  hungry spiders through an insect-laden web, they
  learn to do the following

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Web Chase

• Trace various raised lines (that make up the web)
  
• Identify point symbols (on the spider tokens)
• Discriminate textures and shapes (of various
  prey)

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Web Chase
Good Side-Effects or benefits and values of
the board game are
Interaction
Literacy Skills
Patience and Understanding
Counting Skills
Cooperation
Classification Skills
Spatial Knowledge
Mind Stimulation
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Importance of Play
Games don't need to be overtly academic to be
educationalJust by virtue of playing them, board
games can teach important social skills, such as
communicating verbally, sharing, waiting, taking
turns, and enjoying interaction with others.
Board games can foster the ability to focus, and
lengthen your child's attention span by
encouraging the completion of an exciting,
enjoyable game. --Source Alvin Rosenfeld,
M.D., Child Psychiatrist, Parent and Child
Magazine http//www.hyper-parenting.com/scholastic
.htm
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Scattered Crowns
A Tactile Attribute Game
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Scattered Crowns

• General Design Goals
• A game that is tailored to a wide range of ages
  and skill levels
• A game that is inviting and entertaining to all,
  regardless of visual acuity
• A game platform that can accommodate
  teacher/parent adaptations
• A game format that is multi-sensory and
  interactive

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Scattered Crowns
Your Suggestions and Ideas
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Field Test Opportunities
If you are interested in field testing Scattered
Crowns or other tactile recreational products,
please contact Karen J. Poppe Tactile Graphics
Project Leader American Printing House for the
Blind 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY
40206 [phone], ext. 322 kpoppe_at_aph.org
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Not the only game in town...
Additional Sources of Games
for Tactile Readers
Cabin Fever Games http//www.cabinfever.org/games_
blind.html Independent Living Aids http//www.ind
ependentliving.com LSS http//www.lssproducts.co
m
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Not the only game in town...
Additional Sources of Games
for Tactile Readers
(continued)
MaxiAids Products for Independent
Living http//www.maxiaids.com Abilitations
(Special Needs) http//www.abilitations.com Ameri
can Foundation for the Blind Guide to Toys
2005 http//www.afb.org
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Adaptations of Your Own
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Other Needed Games

and Recreational Materials