Vi student

[TheChosenTwo]

Just wondering if anyone has experience of teaching a VI student in mainstream and if so how you support their learning.
I’m a 1:1 LSA supporting a VI student and have worked with them for the past 3 years.
They’re now in year 5 and I’m finding it increasingly difficult keeping up with the workload, there’s so much more work in upper KS2 to reformat and it’s frustrating to think that lots of us are basically reinventing the wheel for every maths lesson (maths is what takes the most time to prepare for).
Lots of teachers I work with tell me they had a VI student in their class previously but none of them have ever shared any advice or time saving tips! I’m struggling to keep up with the workload and also accessing reading material for them. We have been advised by our local VI advisor (who has been some help but doesn’t seem to be overly useful in specific things I’ve asked her) that they need a ‘reading diet’ of audio books, physical books and ebooks, physical books are the hardest to source...
My student also doesn’t have any friends (reasons for this) and I have been thinking of games we could play at break times but lots of them aren’t suitable unless I make things.
But I don’t have time to make things as I’m so busy reformatting curriculum work...
A plea for help! Any wise words?
Tia!

As the parent (not a teacher, admittedly) of a child who is registered blind, you nearly lost me at your constantly ‘reinventing the wheel’ comments and your ‘there are reasons’ for your VI student not having any friends. Disabled children often struggle with friendships because other children - and their parents and teachers and schools - don’t REALLY want to make an effort to include them.

Honestly, if you were my child’s 1:1, I would be concerned that you were not the kind, tolerant, patient and understanding person to help them access the curriculum, as is their right enshrined in law. Mind you, I have to say that my child’s primary school was utterly crap and it is only at secondary that they are now accessing the support that was their right all along.

I honestly hope that your frustration is not directed at your student and is more because you are feeling overwhelmed and out of your depth?

Anyway, some suggestions: forget about writing, get your VI child on a laptop or iPad to complete all their work. Teach them to touch type or let them access voice-activated software. Find out the right fonts for reading books and the correct position they should be seated in class in order to access the white board. Find out more about your child’s visual impairment and how it affects how they experience the world.

Re: Maths - you can purchase suitable equipment such as large-print rulers and enlarged protractors via the RNIB website. Graphs are a nightmare for my child so her TA (not even 1:1) creates her own version of square paper by enhancing the fine lines with bold pen and then photocopying endlessly.

Your student will have 100 per cent extra time in exams like SATs and will have a choice of their preferred enlarged papers.

PLEASE check out the RNIB website snd give their educational experts a call. The RNIB also has a library of audio and large-print books for free loan.

Another great charity to help your student with their no-doubt very poor self-esteem is VICTA, which provides support to children and young people who are blind or visually impaired. Occasionally, they run a scheme in conjunction with the RNIB to provide free iPads for educational reasons.

I have my thinking cap on now!

Forgot to say, my child is at a super-selective grammar school, so it is totally possible for VI students to access the full curriculum and excel, given the right and consistent support.

With regards to sports and PE and playground games, please contact British Blind Sport; they can send you a games pack, including a fluorescent ball that is loaded with bells so a VI student can ‘see’ it coming towards them.

When you say Vi, this can cover a wide range. We have taught, in primary, a child with no sight at all and we used Braille, another child had a computer linked visualiser which enlarged all the learning material to a sufficient size for him to access. The RNIB were brilliant at providing books and other reading material in both Braille and enlarged print. The county SEST were also invaluable.

I have taught students with a range of VI. I've only taught in super selectives. Friendships hasn't been an issue. Where we've had a 1:1 LSA for the student they have always worked closely with the teaching staff and planned ahead. They also work with the wider VI team for support. The RNIB have some excellent resources and more is becoming available sooner. This year the Carnegie Book Award shortlist is going to be available in Braille and audiobook form for instance.
I don't mind the 'extra work' to keep students in a school where they feel safe, have friends and can access the curriculum. Very few specialist providers (if any) would offer some of our subjects. There are lots of resources out there. My starting point would be the RNIB.

@SmaugMum I have to say I’m quite offended at your insinuation that I may not be kind or patient with my student, they’re absolutely wonderful and I feel so lucky to have been chosen to support her over the huge wealth of choice they had in our school.
I work incredibly hard to recreate all resources for them, I just feel that there may be an easier way through it all. When I said about reinventing the wheel, I meant more like I feel that there should be a website, such as twinkl that has all these resources but editable - to edit things in Twinkl isn’t that easy (for the maths things I’ve looked at) and I’m never given work far enough in advance to sit and peruse various websites, I have to prepare the work for the same day.
The work for all lessons. The maths (often 3 sheets with 10 questions on each, fluency, reasoning and problem solving so not just calculations that can be typed up larger), the literacy, the guided reading (sometimes a whole chapter that needs typing up (I take my kindle into school and buy the books for her when they’re on kindle even if they’re just looking at a part of 1 chapter) - not all the topic books we use are available digitally and the scan reader technology is quite awkward in that it only lets you scan one page at a time so I couldn’t scan eg 7 pages and then let it read it all together out loud, I’d have to do one at a time... the history, the French, the SPAG, geography... and everything else.
The RNIB are stopping their book sharing soon so we will have lost that resource.
We have the maths equipment, ruler, protractors etc.
Of course I create my own graphs/number lines/maps etc and keep these saved or plenty of photocopies.
My frustration is totally aimed at myself feeling out of my depth and not at my student, what an awful thing to think about me!
Without wanting to go into to much detail about this student (for the frankly seemingly obvious reason that they aren’t my child),
They missed a lot of the first 2 years of education, didn’t make friends and settle in, is autistic, is out of school a lot with hospital appointments, the children who were previously very kind towards them and inclusive have gotten older and no longer want to play the same games with them, nor does the child feel comfortable playing outside together with them on a busy playground. Last year before the virus I asked to start a little break time club with them and a couple of other students, they did craft activities, developed a friendship but these 3 other children have all moved on now unfortunately and since the virus it’s been much harder to get anything like that going again. Can I just add to this for your benefit and to reassure you (I’m feeling defensive now) that this came out of my own break time, I didn’t take a break because I was so keen to facilitate helping them settle in with some friends. I bought lots of craft resources for them and they all really enjoyed it. One of many things I’ve done to be honest, so you can drop the notion that there’s any lack of effort.
I’m sorry your school was so poor supporting your child, that must be very frustrating but glad they’re now getting what they should be entitled to - a good varied education.
We have a bell ball for games, a contrasting tennis ball, fluorescent strips for beams and other indoor PE equipment.
They are learning braille (as am I, something I’m doing in my own time, obviously I’m not paid to do this but it’s something I was told by the VIA I needed to go to support the student but due to spending all my time creating resources I don’t have time to do this within school hours), touch typing is coming along slowly - again, they are out at many appointments at the moment so missing a lot of time in school, the maths and literacy I’m being told are a priority.
I was really just looking for some advice for where to find these resources to save me some time, I want the best for this student hence me posting for any advice.
Thanks.

It sounds to me that one of your main issues is that you don't have the time to prepare the resources for the child. Is this because the classroom teacher doesn't get them to you far enough in advance? Ask for them on a Thursday or Friday in preparation for the following week. If they can't do that, involve the SENCO.

I don't have any advice on specific resources. The 2 VI students I teach both have the equipment they require in my secondary school. I used to have to remember to enlarge copies for one student but now they all have their own devices, she simply enlarges the screen.

They aren’t ready in advance, no. It’s a big school, 4 form entry so the work is coming from 6 different teachers (a couple of classes are job shares) and it trickles in from different directions and usually isn’t ready until the day before at the earliest.
The SENDCO is well aware and has had words with the year leader about making sure everything is ready but it just never is.
I think I’m looking for something that isn’t there really. I’m worried about what’s going to happen next year in year 6 when the volume of work increases yet again which is why I am so keen to find resources that will cut down the time spent on making them from scratch every day.
We use a visualiser in class so they can see what’s on the board but again, only if it’s been typed in the correct font size and colour to begin with. I’ve shared this request across the year group and everyone is aware and still it doesn’t always happen.

There's your problem. They need to accommodate the student. It's not all on you. Give them clear deadlines for when resources are to get to you so you can adapt them. We had an issue with a text book not being available in Braille so I planned ahead with the TA and planned where we would be and when so the textbook could be transferred to Braille. The class teacher also has responsibilities here.

Absolutely agree with this, but after 3 years it is still all on me really. It’s been raised time and time again, by both myself and the SENDCO but I still don’t get things in time and I always manage to prepare something but it’s not always the best and I hate feeling like what I’m doing isn’t good enough for them but it’s true.
I try my best, I work desperately hard and yet it’s just not good enough.
It really frustrates me. At the moment, because they are off school at one point most weeks it enables me to sort of get ahead with things like typing up chapters of books or adapting things to make them suitable, but that will stop at some point, they will be back full time and I’ll be really chasing my tail.

This is too much for just one person, my Vi student (in secondary) has a whole team around them. And the teachers need to get their act together and provide you with the work well in advance.

I would have a chat with their line managers and point out that they are actively discriminating against the Vi student.

Re. reinventing the wheel: I know what you mean! Can your local Vi team put you in touch with other TAs and teachers so that you can share resources? Are there no relevant Facebook groups or people on Twitter who you can follow?

@PenOrPencil thank you for understanding.
At the moment we aren’t allowing visitors in school and we have a new VIA who has taken the place of our last one. I’ve met her once via a Teams call but haven’t heard anything from her.
The previous lady who used to come in just used to highlight the need for work to come to me sooner etc, this was all fed back to the relevant people and nothing ever happened. This conversation happened every time, it wasn’t just a one off.
Today I spent the best part of an hour and a half making maths resources for a 50 minute lesson this afternoon. Which meant I lost a lot of my lunch break because I obviously had to prepare the mornings resources too. Luckily there was nothing too big or complicated but that’s all it is, luck. It’s just untenable long term as the workload increases the older they get and the further up the school they go, the demands just get bigger.
I’m struggling to keep up although I am doing it, it just seems insane that there aren’t any central resources such as Twinkl - I keep thinking I’m just missing it as it must exist.
I’m normal times we get a visit once per half termish from another VI 1:1 who comes and sits with my student so I can have an hour to prepare resources but it’s a drop in the ocean - although I’m hugely grateful! She doesn’t seem to to be able to just signpost me to one place where I can either order books from, find resources etc... there can’t be this many people struggling, I refuse to believe that there are people like me starting from scratch every single day, it’s ridiculous!

I'm a maths teacher with a VI student at secondary. I'll be honest, preparing more than a day or two in advance never happens. I need to see how they were in the previous lesson to feed forward to the next one.

What do you end up doing prep wise? I have to print everything in bit specific large font but this is my job as the teacher.

Sorry I can't help with resources, do the RNIB have any information?

Can't you just convert Pdfs to Word to edit them? And use OCR to scan books and turn them into text at the same time (though they'd need a read through)?