Week 3: June 29 - July 3

Cohorts and Events 2026 Hive Summer Cohort
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Instructions: After viewing the modules for the course Building Tactile Literacy Skills, participants are expected to respond to one of the questions posted in a manner that reflects an appropriate level of analysis and engagement in the discussion; applying the knowledge and insights from the readings to practical applications; drawing conclusions based on the content, raising new questions, presenting a counter argument, etc. Each response should include the question number, be stated in complete sentences, and apply the knowledge from the readings and sessions to practical applications.

In addition, each participant is expected to comment on at least two participants’ responses. The responses should be reflective and thoughtful, not simple short answers like “I agree” or “Me too.” A thoughtful response integrates readings, may provide examples, add new information, or present a counter argument.

The Development of Tactile Skills

  1. Reflect on how educational teams (teachers, families, specialists) collaborate to support tactile development. Where do breakdowns typically occur, and what could strengthen this collaboration?
  2. To what extent are current educational systems equipped to support the long-term development of tactile skills? What changes would you advocate for at the classroom or systems level?

Approaches to Tactile Instruction

  1. Reflect on your own use of touch when supporting students. In what ways might your approach unintentionally promote passive or controlling touch? How could you shift toward more active, non-controlling interactions, and what impact might that have on student learning?
  2. Evaluate the role of research versus practitioner experience in shaping tactile instruction practices. How should educators balance anecdotal evidence with emerging scientific findings when making instructional decisions?

The Early Tactile Learning Profile (ETLP)

  1. How might you apply the principles of the ETLP to better identify and support a student who shows uneven or “splintered” tactile skills? What would this look like in your current or future practice?
  2. The ETLP emphasizes that tactile skills are sequential, interdependent, and influenced by multiple developmental areas. How does this challenge or reshape your understanding of literacy development for tactile learners?
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Question 3: Thinking about how I have used touch with my students who are visually impaired, the questions usually come down to if I am helping them grow in their skills, or am I getting in the way and providing to much support? I have found myself slipping into hand-over-hand assistance without realizing it, especially when I want the student to understand a new contraction or use their braille device, or if I’m worried about my students struggling. Too much support using touch can take the experience away from the student entirely. It’s important for our hands not to always do the guiding, because then they do not have the opportunities to learn that they otherwise could have.

What the research points to from the assigned lesson is that controlling touch reduces a student’s active engagement. The idea is to let the student move through the lesson themselves. A different approach would be as simple as remembering in the moment to slide my hand under a student’s rather than over it. For example, even though we know not to do hand-over-hand with students, I am sure I have reverted to it without even realizing it. The reminders from the lesson are very pertinent. Waiting a few extra seconds before stepping in, even when that pause feels uncomfortable for me, is an example of something that could easily be overlooked when teaching a student who is struggling.. Another path would be using touch to offer information or signal a transition, not to take over. It means asking myself, before I reach out, whether there’s a clear reason for the touch or whether Im thinking more about the goal and gathering data instead of allowing time for learning to occur.

The shift matters more than it might seem on the surface. When students are trusted to lead their own exploration, they build confidence, develop real independence, and gain far richer access to the tactile information they depend on to understand the world around them. That’s the kind of learning I hope to instill the next school year, because, as the assigned reading points out, that actually lasts.

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I have found that even with best intentions the team almost always is faced with a breakdown to support tactile development. In my experience it occurs with the following:
A. When in general education, even with preview and intentional instruction from the TVI (I am with a student 2 hours per day, 4 days per week, and he has a Braille support specialist to reinforce all skills I have instructed), the student does not have time, within the construct of the lesson the teacher is providing to apply those tactile skills to what is presented. For example, I have a very sequential lesson on exploring tactile images, and objects. The students understands, and has engaged with the lesson with myself, and the specialist who reinforces. He is outstanding, and understands. Then, in class, the teacher is moving fast, and although he previewed it, vocabulary, kids asking supporting questions, etc, the information is misunderstood, and he is unable to appropriately use the skills he did so well prior. He was successful prior. In my case, each person on the team supporting him, is doing their best, but language is different, it becomes more chaotic, and even distracting which leads to a lack of confidence. .
B.To conteract this, each team member has been give a script of sorts, highlighting why a word is chosen, that would be important to use when working with this child. If everyone is saying something different, my learner has more trouble. A preview of information, time to explore, and language that is familiar that connects to the diagram or object is critical, especially when something new is introduced.
To improve on this, although I usually take the student out of the room initially to present a new skill, contraction, or concept, I have been providing the initial instruction in the room. He benefits, albeit many distractors, from hearing all of the kids and the noise. He benefits from hearing my initial presentation, and then benefits from collaboration with the teacher, while she is working with him in a small group. The teacher and staff, benefit equally and possibly more. This has helped. I still have the issue of when I leave, the skill of tactile learning is complicated by the fact that other staff have alot on their plate, and it often looks different to the student. Overall, I have been successful implementing developmental strategies to enhance his understanding of tactile information. Working with the student in the room (often, I am out for 20 minutes) and back for the rest of the 2 hour block) and this can be slower, but he really needs to be part of the class, to learn to block out extraneous noise, understand that two people can teach him something, and it may not sound the same but it is, which has lead to more understanding.
Although I answered this question, I feel it is important to also note that I have been using the ETLP for almost 8 years and I find it a fabulous place to begin, and is so useful with others on the team. This tool has helped me to demonstrate the need for an intentional, sequential approach to touch, and helps the team understand, that touching something for a blind student, cannot just happen one time. It is a tool I pull out regularly.

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Question 3: Reflect on your own use of touch when supporting students. In what ways might your approach unintentionally promote passive or controlling touch? How could you shift toward more active, non-controlling interactions, and what impact might that have on student learning?

I have created a variety of things for my student to use during Math class, including a coordinate plan, line graphs, bar graphs, and different shapes. I have found myself using hand over hand assistance without even realize I was doing so. I need to provide extra time for him to explore and have opportunities to learn. For example, I have shown him where the dot of the coordinate plane is. Instead, I need to pause and give him time to tactually explore it first. Not only does this not allow him opportunities to learn, it can also decrease self-esteem.

As a vision teacher, it is easy to use hand over hand without even realizing you are doing so while exploring new materials. It is crucial that the student becomes engaged in exploring materials and experiences. Using a more skillful use of touch helps to promote social, cognitive and academic development.

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Hi William!

I also found myself using hand-over-hand assistance without even realizing it. Understanding/ teaching a new contraction can be tricky. I like to find fun creative ways to use the contractions. My student loves to create pictures using a variety of contractions include heart, holiday theme, or even a birthday cake!

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Hi Julie!

Collaboration is so important! I have noticed that the content is a lot and very fast! I create a lot of different resources and find out that they don’t use them all because they didn’t have time. I explain the importance and just pausing for a moment because it is how he learns best! This is his first year in middle school so at times he feels very overwhelmed. Thank you for sharing such great points. I have created a powerpoint for teachers/ paraprofessionals and you had some great points I will be adding.

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  1. Reflect on how educational teams (teachers, families, specialists) collaborate to support tactile development. Where do breakdowns typically occur, and what could strengthen this collaboration?

Every day, I spend some time collaborating with teachers. We discuss upcoming assignments, projects, and assessments to deter what materials need to be made accessible for the student. We try to be about two weeks ahead of when the student is going to need the materials. A recurring problem we have is teachers requesting (demanding) whole books of braille texts when the student is not proficient in the use of braille. I feel that the breakdown typically occurs when teachers read the accommodations of a student’s IEP but do not know the student nor do they communicate with the student about what the student needs to access the materials. For the most part, the textbooks are digital and accessible with screen reader technology. Braille textbooks are not an efficient way to access the print. The student is trying to use multiple senses; tactile to read and follow along and hearing to follow along and listen to discussions. Auditory fatigue is real. Auditory descriptions of images or tactile representations are more appropriate for the amount of time being spent on the lesson.

To strengthen the collaboration, spend time at the beginning of the year meeting with the team of teachers, discussing the student’s overall individual needs. The accessible materials can be adjusted based on what the expected learning outcomes are. Set up a designated time in your schedule to check in with the teachers individually to continue collaborating. Some teachers “get it” right away; others continue to struggle through the school year. Encourage the teacher to communicate directly with the student, explain the unit/report/assignments and adjust your expectations based on accessibility, not learning outcomes.

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Hi Emily, I feel like we have such limited time with our students that it is also challenging for me to not control the interactions that students have with tactile materials. I feel like I use more verbal directions then physical touching; in the upper right corner, you will feel the (insert tactile image). In an effort to balance the students needs with the time we have, the student has control of tactile exploration but I have control of the time we are using.

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Emily. I so agree with you as well. There is so much that goes into a transtion like middle school. More teachers, following assignments multiplied by 6 or 7 teachers. Collaboration is so important, and although we think about this stuff all day long, the other gen ed teachers are not focusing on that…and why would they? It is hard to teach them how important all of this stuff is, but with effort, teams rise above!

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Hi Julie,

It seems like you have a system in place that works for the student! When we pull students from their classes to work on individual skills, they are missing so much more in the classroom! Pulling them out is inevitable for some things. I agree with you, learning is slower, the student needs to be part of the class, and learn to block distractions. Thank you for the reminder of the Early Tactile Learning Profile. This was a tool I used early in my years working in the field of VI and will be bringing it back into my toolbox!

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In my personal opinion and experience, I do not think that current educational systems are adequately equipped to support the long-term development of tactile skills. Too often, instruction emphasizes visual learning, while tactile exploration and concept development are viewed as isolated skills rather than foundational components of learning for students who are blind or visually impaired.

One challenge I have observed is that tactile skill development requires intentional instruction over time, yet many students receive limited opportunities to engage with tactile materials in meaningful and functional ways. Demands for academic progress, limited instructional time, and varying levels of teacher preparation can make it difficult to consistently prioritize these experiences. As a result, students may learn to identify specific tactile symbols or objects but have fewer opportunities to build broader tactile discrimination, exploration, and concept development skills that support lifelong learning.

Another area that I believe needs improvement is concept previewing. Students who rely on tactile learning often benefit from opportunities to explore objects, models, and vocabulary before encountering them in classroom lessons. However, these preview opportunities are not always built into instructional planning. Without prior experiences, students may be expected to understand concepts that have never been made tangible or meaningful through touch.

At the systems level, I believe there is a need for increased professional development and stronger collaboration among team members. Tactile skill development should not fall solely on the TVI. Classroom teachers, related service providers, paraprofessionals, and families all play important roles in providing consistent opportunities for tactile exploration and concept development. Intentional collaboration and shared planning can help ensure that concepts are previewed, materials are accessible, and tactile learning opportunities are incorporated across environments. Building these experiences into daily routines can help students develop the strong tactile foundations needed for literacy, independence, and lifelong access.

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William,

I appreciated your honest response to this question. I found the reading around touch and hand under hand very interesting and thought provoking. I have a colleague who is currently working with a kindergarten student who is blind. She needed to build his trust over this past year to explore his environment. Hand under hand allowed him to control each experiences. I like how you mentioned waiting, having paitence. Personally I need to remember that on some days success might be even a small ‘win’ for a student.

Thank you for your thoughtful response.

Patty

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Danielle,

I appreciated your response. I agree with you that general educaiton teachers don’t understand enough about the needs for students with visual impairments. In my experience, often teachers panic when they know that they will have a student who is blind or visually impaired. Continued collaboration, consultation, and the presence of a TVI in the classroom can help to calm these fears. Even with the beginning of the year consultative presentation, I feel that we need to continue to remind classroom teachers that the ‘vision’ part of a student falls on us intially. With continued success in the classroom, hopfully we can gain the team’s trust in us but, more importantly, in our student’s ability and right to engage in learning opportunities along side their typically sighted peers.

Patty

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How might you apply the principles of the ETLP to better identify and support a student who shows uneven or “splintered” tactile skills? What would this look like in your current or future practice?

This has been such a great resource to stumble upon. While teaching braille to two students with progressive vision loss, how to encourage them to develop tactile skills has been an ongoing journey for me. Having the ETLP to refer to for sequencial skills is definitely going to be added to my practice. I will look through the data I have collected this year to see what skills they have developed and in what order I should be teaching the missing skills.

I had learned that the brain uses the same part of the brain to read visually as it does to read braille. This is one of the reasons students with low vision (and TVIs) read braille with their eyes. With the vision fading, it is important that we help these students develop tactile skills. These will be needed.

I look forward to incoporating this profile with my studnet I have had since kindergarten. Now entering 4th grade in the Fall, I have a long list of splintered skill. The list of sequential tasks is exactly what I needed to know how to proceed.

Thanks Texas School for the B/VI for creating this!

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I absolutely agree. OTs have a wealth of knowledge in this area. I struggled to find a way to get them to cooperate and incorporate tactile components to their time with my low vision students. I had the pleasure of meeting a new OT that actually chose the field after visiting the state school for the blind to learn how she could better help her sister. This OT absolutely gets it! I have a complex student that she works with this year and the growth in tactile awareness has been ameazing! Now if only I could get her to share her strategies with my other OTs..She is new though and hesistant to step up now…I am looking forward to when she’s ready!

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I created a slilde show with basic information about visual impairment that I share with my teams. I use the simulation glasses so they can get an idea of what the student in their class can see. Some teachers are really interested and a pleasure to work with. I spend time teaching my students how to advocate. I think that’s really important because I am not there all day. Having visual access to the curriculum is critical and easier with some teams than others.

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This past year, I worked with two students, specifically, who were learning braille reading and tactile skills. One was a preschooler learning pre-emergent braille tactile discrimination skills (no tracking, minimal object exploration) and the other an 8th grader who could read braille (approximately half of the contractions, knew tracking just didn’t like to do it properly). With the preschooler, I needed to do a lot more hand-under-hand and some hand-over-hand modeling because her hands were so tiny she couldn’t feel what my fingers were doing very well. The older student, however, has an inappropriate physical reaction to any touch to his hands, so I needed to use a tool (I had a thin, smooth pen that didn’t provide any additional tactile stimulation) to guide his hands and use a lot more carefully-worded verbal descriptions, with the help of his 1-1 para. In general, I start with verbal description/instruction, then add modeling if it’s necessary and purposefully reduce it as they gain understanding. I continue practicing those concepts with students until and after they have showed true understanding and replication.

I’ve found it tricky to teach the classroom teachers and paras how and when to withdraw help and how to know when to give help.

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Partricia- you made some really insightful points in your post. I have also found carry over of tactile learning to be lacking. While I think technology is great for our VI learners in many ways, it is used so much in schools today. A hefty amount of schoolwork for my middle and high schoolers is through Google Classroom. Assignments involving maps and diagrams are often very challenging for our low vision students to access. I find often that this gets overlooked by gen ed teachers and staff. Many may assume that the student can enlarge using accessibility features, but what they might not understand is that the student in addition to magnification, might need color or raised lines to really interpret the assignment.

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I was so excited when this tool popped up! I will definitely refer to it when programming planning for a couple of my students next school year. I have two older teen students who have significant vision loss and other disabilities. Both students were new to their schools this past school year. Both are tactile defensive and while will touch items given, will do so quickly and hand right back or throw. Their tactile skills are quite splintered and the goals they came with seemed not appropriate. This tool will for sure help to guide me in developing more appropriate goals and implement better strategies and supports

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I am so glad I am not the only one who read this prompt/question and immediately said…WE AREN’T, the system isn’t equipped. There are so many points you bring up that I didn’t even think about. I love that you emphasize that it shouldn’t fall soley on the TVI and that collaboration is key and it must be intentional. My concern and my question is because it is not the “norm” how do we get “buy-in” for that support and collaboration, for that integration across environments and providers so that it isn’t falling on the TVI 100% of the time like it typically is now.