Phonics

Resources should have high contrast, such as black letters on a white background, in the recommended print size, and be free of clutter. if laminating resources, use matte laminate pouches to reduce glare. Ask your advisory teacher for advice.

Use multi-sensory techniques. Incorporate tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic learning methods. For example, use textured letters, sound recordings, and hand movements to represent different phonemes.

Use real objects to help children understand the sounds associated with different letters. This can make abstract concepts more concrete.

Create phonic picture books and boxes containing objects and cards that match sounds to objects. This helps in reinforcing the connection between sounds and their representations.

Engage children in hands-on activities such as tracing letters in sand, using magnetic letters, or modelling letters with clay. These activities can help in developing fine motor skills and letter recognition. It is important, however, that the resources have good contrast. Try a black tray with sand or shaving foam.

A quieter environment can greatly enhance phonics learning for children and young people with a vision impairment. It helps them concentrate better on the visual information being presented.

Ensure that the learning environment is filled with accessible literacy materials, such as braille books, large print texts, and audio books. Phonics sounds displayed around the classroom will need to be uncluttered with good contrast and in the preferred font size. They will need to be at the child or young person’s height for increased visual access.

Establish a consistent routine for phonics lessons. Predictability can help children feel more secure and focused during learning sessions.

Additional time may be necessary for processing visual information related to sounds, particularly when encountering new ones. Adjusting the pace or length of the session can help maintain maximum concentration. Sustained concentration can cause visual fatigue, so incorporating short breaks or more frequent, shorter phonics sessions can assist children and young people in accessing the learning material, mastering the sounds, and making progress.

Providing additional opportunities for exposure to sounds can greatly aid vision-impaired children and young people in learning and embedding new knowledge. This approach also boosts their confidence in applying their sound knowledge during phonics sessions. Incorporating pre- and post-teaching strategies allows for the necessary extra processing time.