helping a low vision child do math in braille

Have you tried using an abacus for place value? This is a tactile tool which follows the written math and can be useful for people who are either tactile learners or who can’t see places in numbers.

For the multiplication tables you might try consulting with a school for the blind. Someone there may have what you need or be able to create it using a braille typewriter.

I had a blind student in my 8th grade science class several years ago. When we were collecting data to graph I gave his group wiki-stix to make the x- and y-axis and balls of clay for the points on the graph.

The low-vision specialist for our school district would put all of my notes, worksheets, reviews, and tests into braille. Maybe someone at your local school district could help. If not, call another district.

I got a multiplication table in Braille but I haven’t got a place value chart yet.

I’ve asked the question of the QIAT listserv (Quality ?? Assistive Technology — a very knowledgeable bunch of people). It is summer and slow, but we’ll see.

Couple of ideas, courtesy of Katherine Hastings:
1. You can use real objects such as ones cubes, ten sticks, and hundreds
sheets. APH has divided trays so that these objects can be placed in the
appropriate divider. (APH = American Printhing House for the Blind I assume)
2. You can use a Cranmer Abacus to represent place value.
3. Braille Dice available through such catalogues as Maxi-Aids and LSS also
can help teach place value.
4. A good reference that is availabel is Strategies for the Developing
Mathematics Skills in Students Who Use Braille.
Authors Gaylen Kapperman, Toni Heinze, and Jodi Sticken.
Research and Development Institure, Inc. 1732 Raintree Sycamore, IL. 60178.
5. The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has tons of
resources on their websites. ( http://www.tsbvi.edu/ )
6. Any chart or graph that can be produced in print can be produced in
Nemeth code. Usually each state has a center that produces materials in
Braille or Nemeth Code. They may produce it or explain how to make it.
7. Jane Humphries at the American Printing House for the Blind is an
excellent resource. Also, if you know a certified teacher of the visually
impaired in a particular school sytem he or she may be able to produce a
chart in house.

Let me know if this helps :)

I got a new 40-cell Braille slate that has the same spacing as on a braille writer. I am going to try to create a place value using that.

Good luck with it!!

Another thing: You might try to find a low vision board. Not that you aren’t welcome here. However, if you ask people who really do work with low vision people on a regular basis, you might get more ideas and support. (I know they are loose as can be with the term learning disabled, but it normally refers to someone with normal vision, not that you can’t be both.)

Not that I think the ideas suggested wouldn’t work. Another idea in fact:
I had a blind student, I used Elmers glue to do braille stuff, etc. The glue can come out in little beads and dries very nicely. They now have it in colors which could be useful to a low vision student and to you as well.

—des

Thanks Sue & Des for your ideas!