The resources and products on this page can assist professionals and parents of students who are Blind/Visually Impaired (BVI) as they navigate early childhood.
Resources
MDE-LIO does not endorse the purchase or use of any non-State Board of Education-adopted commercial products. Products and services noted below are included for information only and their inclusion should not be interpreted as a recommendation of MDE-LIO.
Tactile Skills Matrix
This resource can be used to locate American Printing House for the Blind (APH) products that support the development of skills and concepts that contribute to students’ tactile literacy.
On the Way to Literacy Handbook, 2nd Edition
This handbook guides teachers and parents in supporting a young child’s first steps towards literacy.
Tactile Book Builder Kit
The Tactile Book Builder Kit contains a wide selection of materials for quickly creating books of many kinds—firsthand experience storybooks, concept books, simple texture books, informational books, alphabet books, adaptations of print books, and more!
Rolling Into Place
This unique interactive storybook teaches and reinforces important hand skills and basic directional concepts.
Setting the Stage for Tactile Understanding Kit: Making Tactile Pictures Make Sense
Setting the Stage is a set of tangible items and activities that helps young tactile readers transition from exploring real objects to interpreting two-dimensional representations, both in thermoformed formats and simple raised-line illustrations.
Building on Patterns: Primary Braille Literacy Program: Kindergarten Student Kit – UEB
Building on Patterns (BOP) is a complete primary literacy program designed to teach beginning braille users all language arts—reading, writing, and spelling.
Building on Patterns: Prekindergarten: Student Kit
The Building on Patterns (BOP) pre-kindergarten curriculum reflects best practices in braille literacy instruction, with lessons designed to build literacy skills related to listening, speaking, reading, and writing in preparation for kindergarten. It may be used as a stand-alone program, or can also supplement regular preschool curricula.
BrailleBuzz
BrailleBuzz is an instructional toy for young braille learners ages two to five. It encourages practice with braille characters and phonics, similar to a variety of audio-based toys that teach print writing.