Reading Environment at Home and at School of Swedish Students with Visual Impairments

This study of the reading performance of 9-year-old sighted and visually impaired readers in Sweden revealed that the two groups of students were in a more equivalent environment in school than at home. The greatest differences between the two groups were found in their statements about their interactions with family members at home, particularly for readers with specific reading media, such as braille and closed-circuit televisions. In addition, readers with severe low vision had less knowledge about letters and words when they started school and were an at-risk group among young readers with visual impairments.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Need for and Competency in Transcribing Braille Materials in the Nemeth Code

This study reports the results of a survey of teachers of visually impaired students in Illinois and Massachusetts that asked the teachers to rate their perceived competency in transcribing math materials into the Nemeth code and their need to do so. Results indicated a significant difference between mean ratings on competency and need by respondents for 23 of the 55 math skills on the survey.

Literacy in Early Intervention for Children with Visual Impairments: Insights from Individual Cases

A qualitative case study design was used to investigate the ways in which two early interventionists supported emergent literacy development for infants and toddlers with visual impairment. Three themes are addressed: (1) the importance of a family-centered approach in addressing emergent literacy in early intervention; (2) the role of the early interventionist in language and concept development; and (3) the need to focus on the senses as they relate to literacy. The findings provide practical insights into the role of the early interventionist in supporting early literacy development.

Parents’ Perceptions of Professional Support for the Emergent Literacy of Young Children with Visual Impairments

This survey explored the emergent literacy experiences that parents provided for their children with visual impairments, aged 1–8, as well as the parents’ perceptions of the professional support that they received to facilitate these activities. The results indicated that the parents and children engaged in reading, singing songs, and writing or scribbling most frequently.

Expanding Understanding of Emergent Literacy: Empirical Support for a New Framework

Emergent literacy in young children with visual impairments is examined using a conceptual framework proposed by Sénéchal, LeFevre, Smith-Chant, and Colton (2001). The utility of this framework for young children with visual impairments is illustrated using data from a field study of preschool classes for children with visual impairments.

Dots for Tots: Emergent Literacy and Braille Reading

This Paper examines traditional theory and practice associated with the concept of pre-reading for potential Braille users and explores the relevance of these to current literacy skills teaching in the Australian context.

The Effect of the Home Environment on the Reading Achievement of Children with Low Vision

This study examined the reading achievement of 49 children with low vision and the contribution of the home environment to their reading. It found that the children with no books at home read less well than those who had books at home and that no other home variables were related to reading achievement. Despite the lack of evidence of a relationship between the home environment and reading achievement, observations indicated that practices in most homes supported the acquisition of literacy.