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Chapter 3: General guidelines for learning activities

First, try activities yourself

As you prepare to teach your child, try each activity yourself, thinking about each step. This will help you think of the best way to teach your child.

Work from behind your child

When you are showing your child how to do a new activity, like feeding or dressing himself, it may be easier for him to understand your movements if you are behind him. Sometimes it works well to put your hands over his. But be sure to ask him first if it is okay.

Try to teach a skill in the same way each time, using the same words and steps. You will need to do different kinds of activities because children do not stay interested in one thing for very long. But try not to change the way you talk about and teach each skill. It also helps to begin and end activities with the same words or actions. This way a child will know that the activity is changing.

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Allow your child enough time

A child who has difficulty seeing takes longer to do things, at least at first. He needs time to think about what you have asked him to do and about how he will respond. So be sure to give him enough time to be successful at what he does.

Let your child know how he is doing

A child who does not see well cannot see how close he is to completing a task, so he needs you to let him know. Otherwise he may get discouraged, not realizing how much he has already done. And be sure to tell him when he does something well. All children need praise.

Let your child know what is happening around him

A child who can see knows a lot about what is happening around him. He knows, for example, who is in the room, who is talking, what other people are doing, and where sounds come from. A blind child learns to use his senses to know many of these same things. You can help him learn about his surroundings by describing and showing him what is going on.

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