envision ii manual elem final - aph · envision ii vision enhancement program using near...

Envision II

Vision Enhancement ProgramUsing Near Magnification Devices

Students 10 and Younger

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Elaine Kitchel, M.Ed.Project Director/Co-writer

Randall T. Jose, O.D.Optometric Low Vision Consultant

Paul Bither, O.D.Optometric Low Vision Consultant

Kristopher ScottProject Assistant

Bernadette S. MuddProduct Materials Designer/Illustrator

© 2002, American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.

2 Devices for Near Magnification: Students 10 and Younger

1839 Frankfort Avenue

P.O. Box 6085

Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085

502-895-2405

800-223-1839

Fax: 502-899-2274

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.aph.org

Table of Contents–3

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Preparation for Using ENVISION II . . . . . . . . . . 19

Magnification Power and Focal Distance . . . . . 30

Common Terms & Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Things You Should Know BeforeUsing ENVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Things To Do Before Using Envision . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Lesson 1.1Introductory Exercise Using aFixed-Distance, Dome Magnifier .......................... 46

Lesson 1.2Basic Use Exercise Using aFixed-Distance, Dome Magnifier .......................... 52

Lesson 1.3Enrichment Exercise Using aFixed-Distance, Dome Magnifier .......................... 57

Lesson 1.4Introductory Review Using aFixed-Distance, Dome Magnifier .......................... 60


Lesson 1.5Basic Use Review Using aFixed-Distance, Dome Magnifier .......................... 66

Lesson 1.6Enrichment Review Using aFixed-Distance, Dome Magnifier .......................... 71

Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Lesson 2.1Introductory Exercise Using aFixed-Distance, Stand Magnifier .......................... 78

Lesson 2.2Basic Use Exercise Using aFixed-Distance Stand Magnifier ........................... 85

Lesson 2.3Enrichment Exercise Using aFixed-Distance, Stand Magnifier .......................... 90

Lesson 2.4Introductory Review Using aFixed-Distance, Stand Magnifier .......................... 94

Lesson 2.5Basic Use Review Using aFixed-Distance, Stand Magnifier ........................ 101

Lesson 2.6Enrichment Review Using aFixed-Distance, Stand Magnifier ........................ 106

Table of Contents–5

Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Lesson 3.1Introductory Exercise Using a Variable-Distance,Hand-Held Magnifier ......................................... 112

Lesson 3.2Basic Use Exercise Using aVariable-Distance,Hand-Held Magnifier ............118

Lesson 3.3Enrichment Exercise Using aVariable-Distance, Hand-Held Magnifier ............ 126

Lesson 3.4Introductory Review Using aVariable-Distance, Hand-Held Magnifier ............ 131

Lesson 3.5Basic Use Review Using aVariable-Distance, Hand-Held Magnifier ............ 137

Lesson 3.6Enrichment Review Using aVariable-Distance, Hand-Held Magnifier ............ 143

Lesson 3.7 (Teacher Only)Reporting Back to the Clinician ......................... 147

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Introduction–7

Acknowledgements

Production Team: Frank Hayden

Darlene Donhoff

David Hines

Anna Fox

Phyllis Williams

Steve Paris

Lila Adkins

Rob Wise

David Manteuffel

Jane Peyton

Cary Crumpton

Betty Jean Reece

Pat Packer

Maxine Floden

Graphics and Artwork: Bernadette S. Mudd

Scott Blome

Elaine Kitchel

Editorial Assistance: Kristopher Scott

Will Armstrong

Monica Coffey

Keith Wicker

Sarah Ballard

Tristan Pierce

Introduction–9

Introduction

Produced by the American Printing House for theBlind, the ENVISION Program is an exciting array ofmaterials that will have a significant impact onencouraging the provision of interdisciplinary lowvision care for visually impaired children.

ENVISION is the first training program to address thecomplicated relationships between the assessment ofvision in the classroom and the clinical examination.Students are best served in a low vision program thatincludes the input of teachers, parents, primary careeye doctors, and the clinical low vision specialist. Asmight be expected, getting a coordinated input from allthese individuals/professionals is often a difficult task.This effort is made difficult because of the lack of anaccepted standard of care for students with low vision.The success of any vision care program is directlyrelated to the quality of the professionals providing theservices, and the low vision service is no different.Having a model or an accepted standard of care willmake it easier to develop this positive workingrelationship. Everyone involved will have a better ideaof what is expected professionally. The ENVISIONProgram can be a small but very significant part of this“envisioning” of a national model of low vision care forvisually impaired children and young adults.


Low vision must be seen as a continuum ofassessments from home to school to clinic. Afunctional assessment in the classroom, a mobilityassessment in the hallways of the new school, areport from parents about visual functioning at home,or a clinical examination in the doctor’s office are allimportant features of a low vision service. However,each represents only a piece of the program. Suchinformation will be much more effective in helping thechild if coordinated into one plan of vision care. Thisteam of people can be thought of as the “low visionspecialist,” not the individual experts who provide theindependent assessments.

The goal of the team is not to provide the studentwith devices that might aid in the performance oftasks such as reading small print, viewing movies,seeing writing on the chalkboard (dry erase board), orgetting around the school. Rather, the “team”concentrates on how effectively the student is usinghis vision. Individual providers often use theaccomplishment of a specific task as the hallmark of asuccessful educational intervention for a visuallyimpaired student and a milestone in the student’sroad to optimum visual performance. The team mustmeasure and measure again the student’s capabilitiesand then provide the resources (devices,prescriptions, training, materials, etc.) that will allowthat student to achieve clinically measured potentialsin vision.

Introduction–11

While clinical assessments are very important indetermining the child’s potential to perform tasksvisually, all those involved in the child’s care mustremember that all clinically measured visualpotentials cannot be achieved in the non-clinicalenvironment. Often, visually impaired children willachieve beyond those clinically measured visualpotentials. Thus, continuous dialogue among teammembers and ongoing assessments are key to thesuccessful low vision service.

The service actually begins in the pediatrician’s oroptometrist/ophthalmologist’s office when the child isan infant, when the eye problem is first noticed. Areferral to a pediatric ophthalmologist should result inappropriate medical care, which will help assure thatfuture loss of vision is prevented.

If the child’s vision meets the criteria, the pediatricophthalmologist must refer the child for specialservices for the visually impaired in the local schoolsystem. In addition, the parents should be advised tocontact a low vision clinician in the community orrequest this clinical assessment through the localschool system. Parents and teachers should be madeaware that there are two very different types ofclinical examinations and that the child will need to befollowed medically by an ophthalmologist and also bythe low vision team, who track changes and needs inhis vision. In this manner, the ophthalmologist


becomes a very important part of the low visionservice and an ongoing, active member of the team.

The teacher for the visually impaired (TVI) will havemany responsibilities to the child in developingappropriate and efficient educational programming.Participating in the low vision service team meansthe TVI will often be the person who initiates and/oradvocates for the clinical low vision assessment.

The TVI will prepare a low vision functionalassessment for the low vision clinician once theclinical evaluation has been arranged. This low visionfunctional assessment will be a compilation of thefunctional assessments already provided by the school(educational, mobility, social, psychological), as wellas the TVI’s own observations. The purpose of the lowvision functional assessment is to inform the lowvision optometrist of the types of problems thestudent is having in the classroom and with otheraspects of the educational program. The capabilitiesof the child to function visually and a list of tasks andactivities with which the student is having difficultymust be included in the low vision functionalassessment. The clinician will learn more about acuityfrom the listing of tasks the student can and cannotdo than from the information provided by a visualacuity chart. The teacher’s observation of the child’svisual performance is indispensable to the clinicalevaluation. The TVI reports information on visualfunctioning that cannot be measured in the clinical

Introduction–13

setting, again emphasizing the importance of theteam approach.

The low vision clinician is the next member of theteam to interact on behalf of the child. The clinicalevaluation is designed to provide insight into thechild’s visual capabilities as he works under idealconditions. The clinical data will describe whatcomponents of the child’s present environment (asdescribed in the TVI’s low vision functionalassessment) will enhance the visual potential andidentify which components will most adversely affectvisual performance. Based on the clinical data, thelow vision clinician makes prescriptiverecommendations as to optical interventions that mayallow the student to perform, or enhance efficiency in,various school tasks and activities.

The term “prescriptive recommendation” is anoutgrowth of the team approach. If the device orglasses are “prescribed,” there exists the assumptionthat a final decision has been made. This makes itdifficult to evaluate the use of the device for thespecified educational goals. “How do we tell theclinician this device doesn’t work?” can be a stressfulissue among team members. Fortunately,“prescriptive recommendation” implies that the devicebe evaluated in the classroom under real lifeconditions, stresses, and distractions. Since it is onlya recommendation, the potential for a relaxeddiscussion about its success or failure in the


classroom is enhanced. The team effort will be muchmore effective if the device is recommended and“becomes” a prescription based on the clinical dataand the functional information provided by the TVI.This evaluation of the prescriptive recommendationwill include classroom training, instruction, and taskexperiences.

The low vision clinician must prepare for the TVI aclinical low vision report that outlines the clinical dataobtained. The report will also suggest how muchtraining with the device will be needed beforeattempting to use it for specific tasks in theclassroom. The training can be:

■ Generic in nature with the goal of developingvisual skills with magnification.

■ Specific task-oriented training with theprescriptive recommendation.

With this additional training and experience in theclassroom comes the opportunity for the prescriptiverecommendation to be modified or even changed atsome future clinical assessment.

The ENVISION Program will make its greatestcontribution to the low vision service at this point.The clinician does not know enough about theclassroom and educational priorities to make effectivetraining recommendations for the teachers to followup. The TVI is not experienced enough with optics to

Introduction–15

be able to successfully integrate the prescriptiverecommendation/device into the daily classroomexperience for the child.

With the ENVISION training manual, the TVI (ororientation and mobility instructor, physical therapist,occupational therapist, or children’s rehab counselor)will now have a more structured program to helpinitiate classroom-oriented optical aid training.The low vision clinician will have specific trainingprotocols to recommend for the TVI to pursue atschool. The ENVISION training program allows forbetter communication (teamwork) between teacherand clinician.

The training can be focused on teaching the child tobetter utilize his present vision by using some of thebasic optical devices provided in the training program’soptical array. Further, the ENVISION Program can beused to introduce the student to the care and handlingof optical devices while waiting for his prescription.Students will sometimes need to be given experiencewith one of the basic optical devices provided in theENVISION Training Program so that a prescriptivedevice may be recommended at a later date.

All of these post-examination instructional goals canbe reached in a collaborative manner using theENVISION Training Program Using Distance and NearMagnification Optical Devices.


■ All levels of acuity can be involved in the trainingprograms by the manipulation of the trainingdevices and the print or object sizes.

■ The ENVISION Program is designed to providetraining materials that will provide experiencewith an actual optical system but not provide thestudent with a permanent optical device.

■ As the need for greater magnification is realizedfor a particular individual, the size of thematerials is modified rather than a strongeroptical system being prescribed.

■ For training purposes, the same magnified retinalimage will be utilized with either approach.

■ This material modification approach discouragesthe dispensing of optical systems out of theENVISION Training Program and encourages thelow vision service, team approach to visioncare for the visually impaired student.

■ The ENVISION Program also provides trainingmaterials and ideas for devices prescribed by thelow vision clinician after the initial classroomtraining / assessment activities. These trainingactivities, designed for use mainly after thedispensing of a specific device in the clinic, areusually directed at developing better visualefficiency with the optical system.

Introduction–17

■ This post-dispensing training gives the TVI andlow vision clinician an opportunity to discover andsolve additional problems that may requiremodifications to the prescribed device. Further,such training may identify tasks that cannot beaddressed with the new prescription, and whichwill require further evaluation of both task andprescription in the classroom and clinic.

As noted above, it is important for the Low VisionService Team to communicate easily with oneanother. This communication is made easier when allindividuals remain focused on the student beingserved, not on their individual contributions anddecisions. It should be obvious that in the mostsuccessful low vision service, the captain of the teamis the child being served.

Randall T. Jose, O.D.DirectorCenter for Sight EnhancementAssociate ProfessorCollege of OptometryUniversity of Houston

Introduction–19

Preparation for Using

ENVISION II

Access to information about the physical environmentis just asimportant to aperson with visualimpairments as itis to a person withnormal sight.Today, manystrategies exist forproviding access tothe environmentfor persons withvisual impairments.Most professionalsagree that the student is best served when a multi-disciplinary approach using the expertise from theophthalmologists, optometrists, educationprofessionals, and parents is used. This cooperationprovides the student with a better chance of receivingthe appropriate optical devices and the right trainingin the use of each.

Low vision devices such as variable-distance andfixed-distance magnifiers are the best recognizedtools used by persons with low vision who wish to


function expertly and confidently in an environmentwhere near distance vision is important. Becausemagnifiers are available in a range of styles andpowers, expert advice is needed to determine thecorrect magnifier for each student. The low visionclinician fills this need by administering a low visionexam to each student for whom it is appropriate.

Under the best of circumstances, the low vision examoccurs after the teacher of the visually impaired hasprovided the clinician with useful information in theform of a functional vision assessment. The clinicianmakes good use of information such as “How far fromhis face does the student hold his reading materials?”Basing her decision on the functional vision evaluationand the clinical exam, the clinician then prescribes,

according to need, one ormore magnifiers for thestudent, or she maydetermine no devicesare needed.

Whatever the outcome, itcannot be overemphasizedthat an examination by thelow vision clinician isnecessary BEFOREimplementation of

ENVISION curricula and associated materials. Oncethe teacher has the low vision clinician’srecommendation, she will find it easy to match the

“…an examination bythe low vision

clinician is necessaryBEFORE

implementation ofEnvision curricula andassociated materials.”

Introduction–21

student with the correct magnifier from the array. Thearray is provided for use during training if the studentdid not receive a magnifier immediately after hisexamination. The teacher must use the magnifierof the same power as the one recommended bythe clinician unless the clinician specifiesotherwise. In addition, the teacher should loan themagnifier to the student only for the duration of thetraining session. After thelesson, the device should bereturned to the case for useduring other trainingsessions and by other students.

Because acquiring a magnifier isonly the beginning of access tothe environment by the studentwith visual impairments, eachENVISION II curriculum is designedto help the vision teacher or otherpractitioner fill the training need. It is intended to beused immediately after the student receives aprescriptive recommendation for a near magnificationdevice, or immediately upon the student’s receipt ofthe device. This valuable time can be used to help thestudent become proficient in developing skillsnecessary for the use of his magnifier while he is stillenthusiastic about receiving the devices.

Once the student receives the recommendedmagnifier from his clinician, that device should be


“It is very important the studentbe trained in the efficient useof the prescribed devices inorder to achieve the bestoutcome and to assure his

continued use of the device.”

used for training, and the student should not bepermitted to use the other devices from the array unlessdirected to do so by the clinician. It is very importantthat the student be trained in the efficient use of theprescribed devices in order to achieve the best outcomeand to assure his continued use of the devices.

Unfortunately, some children will probably not receivea low vision evaluation from a clinic or qualified lowvision clinician by the time that they are referred fortraining. In those instances, the teacher of thevisually impaired can best serve the student by

insisting upon alow vision exam.If the schooldistrict refuses orif funding is abarrier, anevaluation canoften be arrangedusing resourcesoutside the school.

The Lions Club has provided low vision exams andneeded spectacles, telescopes, and magnifiers formany students across America. In some cities, theRotary Club is helpful. In other towns and villages,the Moose Lodge or the Optimists Club can help. Inalmost every community, the resources exist toprovide a low vision exam for a needy student.

Introduction–23

If success doesn’t occur right away, the teachershould continue to work toward obtaining anevaluation from a qualified low vision clinician. Oftenthe teacher of the visually impaired offers the bestobservation and recorded visual behaviors theclinician can obtain. If the teacher of the visuallyimpaired establishes a good working relationship withthe low visionclinician, obtaininga low vision examfor a needystudent is a littleeasier because adialogue with theclinician hasalready beenopened.Remember,ophthalmologists and optometrists are committed tohelping all people who need their services. Most ofthese fine professionals are willing to “worksomething out” if financing is an issue. Clinicians canoften point out resources in the community, and theteacher can often facilitate the arrangement.

Before introducing a magnifier to a student, it isimportant the teacher understand the child and theway his vision functions. The creators of ENVISION II:Vision Enhancement Program Using NearMagnification Devices have included a “StudentInformation Sheet,” which may be photocopied and

“Before introducing a magnifierto a student, it is important the

teacher understand the childand the way his vision

functions.”


completed with help from the student’s parents or thestudent himself. If used wisely, it will help the teacherask the student and parents the best questions forobtaining a basic understanding of how the studentuses his vision.

The best sources of more detailed information are theteacher’s functional vision assessment and the eyereport issued by the student’s low vision clinician. It iswise to request a copy of the eye report from thestudent’s parent or have the parent sign a releaseallowing the teacher to receive a copy directly fromthe low vision professional.

Though no single modelfor teaching the use ofmagnifiers can workequally well with every

child, ENVISION II:Vision EnhancementProgram UsingNear MagnificationDevices is astructured, skill

development andtraining program basedupon the widely

accepted theory thatsuch a program should include instructor-directedtasks and reinforcement procedures that are builtupon well-developed visual attending behaviors.

Introduction–25

Students without well-developed attending behaviorsmay need some remediation before the introductionof magnifiers. Additionally, skills learned through theuse of near magnification devices should reinforcevisual attending, visual examining, and visually-guided motor behaviors (Hall and Bailey, 1989).Therefore, these curricula include high-interestactivities and stories that help develop theaforementioned skills. The curricula also suggestmethods for reinforcement of skills as they develop.Furthermore,as stated in theintroduction,various levelsof acuity canbe involved inthe trainingprograms by the manipulation of the training devicesand the print or object sizes. However, in most caseswhen an individual exhibits the need for greatermagnification, the preferred solution is to manipulatethe size of materials being viewed. If you are unableto consistently manipulate the size of materials, youmight ultimately need to consult the low visionclinician about increasing the magnification power ofthe prescribed device.

It is essential that the lessons used in training thestudent be relevant to the student’s life andexperience. When such activities are applied, skillsare more likely to be exercised even after training is

“It is essential that the lessons usedin training the student be relevant

to the student’s life and experience.”


concluded (Corn, 1980). Every effort has been madeto provide basic skills training and to developenrichment exercises that are not only relevant butalso fun and interesting for the student. Theseexercises have taken into account psychosocial factorsrelated to the use of optical aids by young people.

The ENVISION II curricula includes two fixed-distance, dome magnifiers; two fixed-distance, standmagnifiers; and two variable-distance, hand-heldmagnifiers.

The fixed-distance, dome magnifiers are referred toas such because they lie flat on the page and arecurved along the top like a dome. Dome magnifiersare a favorite reading tool for many students becausethey are easy to use. Since the devices rest directlyon the page, students need not worry aboutmaintaining the correct focal distance, as is the casewith variable-distance, hand-held magnifiers.Moreover, because the devices are constructed almostentirely of glass, they concentrate available light,effectively illuminating the reading material. Similarto dome magnifiers are fixed-distance, standmagnifiers, which also are set directly upon thereading material.

APH has also included in ENVISION II variable-distance, hand-held magnifiers because there areseveral advantages to devices of this type. They arerelatively inexpensive and come in a variety of

Introduction–27

“Dome magnifiers are a favoritereading tool for many studentsbecause they are easy to use.”

strengths and styles. For the most part, they are easyto obtain and carry, may be used successfully withother corrective lenses, and can be used discreetly.Many of them are extremely durable; and becausethey aren’t placed directly on what is to be magnified,students can easily use them to magnify “fun” objectssuch as insects, flowers, fingers, animal fur, orwhatever objects students find interesting.

At first, students may struggle with a variable-distance, hand-held magnifier’s small field. Studentsmight also fatigue quickly as a result of laboring topreserve correct focal distance. An APH GrandStandor some other reading stand is especially beneficial toan untrained student because such a device helpsalleviate fatigue by enhancing postural comfort,therebymaking theproper focaldistanceeasier tomaintain.When a reading stand is used, it should be adjustedso the student can read from the top of the page tothe bottom without straining his back, neck, andarms. In some cases, a small cushion or gel wristsupport may also help prevent arm fatigue. Becauseeffective use of variable-distance, hand-heldmagnifiers requires a certain degree ofsynchronization among the eyes, hands, and head,they are not recommended for students with poor


eye-hand coordination. Regardless of what style ofmagnifier the student is using, if he complains offatigue, the teacher should be sensitive to his needsand allow his entire visual system to relax and feelrestored before continuing the exercises.

The importance of keeping magnifiers clean and freeof scratches cannot be overstated. Dirty or scuffedlenses can severely hinder a student’s view. Mostmagnifiers can be cleaned adequately by blowing offthe larger dust particles and wiping the lenses with aclean, soft cotton cloth or optical tissue. The teacherand student should avoid using paper towels orregular tissue, as they contain tiny wooden fibersthat can scratch the lens. On some magnifiers, mild,film-free soap and water may be used to removestubborn smudges. For best results, the teacher andstudent should always check the manufacturer’scleaning suggestions if such literature is includedwith the magnifier.

The importance of maintaining proper workingcondition of the magnifier is but one reason for thespecific instructions within the curricula regarding thesuggested steps a student should perform to find themost common starting point (usually the top left) ona page of reading material. The ENVISION II curriculadirect the student to place the magnifier near thebottom middle of the page and scan straight up to thetop of the page and then over to the top left corner.“Why not just have the student begin at the top left?”

Introduction–29

one might ask. First, the procedure described abovehelps protect the magnifier. If the studentsystematically scans from the bottom of the page tothe top left, the possibility of the magnifier beingdamaged is lessened because the magnifier remainsupon a smooth, safe reading surface during thesearch. Conversely, if an inexperienced student triesto find a starting point directly, without an orderlyapproach, he might repeatedly set the magnifier downand scoot it along, not upon the reading material, buton a desktop, floor, or some other surface capable ofdamaging the lens. Second, the suggested approachhelps orient the student to the height and width of thepage and provides an extra opportunity for thestudent to see what is on the page, even before hescans specifically for content orientation.


Magnification Power and

Focal Distance

■ The magnification power of a magnifier is usuallylabeled in “x” notations, e.g., 1.8x, 4x, 6x. Oneconvention used in arriving at this powerdesignation is to divide the dioptric power of thelens by the number 4. Using this convention, a32-diopter lens, for example, would be said tomagnify an object eight times (8x). However, notall manufacturers use the same labelingconvention, so a 4x magnifier from one companyis not necessarily the same as a 4x magnifierfrom a different manufacturer.

■ Another measurement worth noting is themagnifier’s focal distance, which is the distancebetween the magnifier’s lens and the object beingviewed, at the point where the object beingviewed is in focus. This is different than theworking distance, which, in this text, is defined asthe distance between the eye of the user and thelens of the magnifier. To use a variable-distance,hand-held magnifier effectively, the student musthold it at the correct focal distance.

■ It is also helpful to remember that as the workingdistance increases, the field of view through themagnifier decreases. Conversely, when the correctfocal distance is held constant and the workingdistance decreases, the field of view increases

Introduction–31

and distortion of the object being vieweddecreases. Thus, as the power of the magnifierincreases, the student will find it necessary tohold the magnifier closer to the eye in order tomaintain a workable field of view.

■ Procedures for finding and maintaining focaldistance will be introduced in the exercisesdesigned for use with variable-distance, hand-held magnifiers.

When introducing students to near magnificationdevices, the teacher must ensure that theenvironment be well-suited for reading. Eachstudent is unique and has preferences regardingillumination and reading position, though there issome general information that will makepreparing a suitable learning environment easier.

■ When possible, the blue-white or cool-whitefluorescent tubes commonly found in overheadfixtures should be replaced with pink or warmwhite fluorescent tubes. This reduces glare.

■ Any lamps should contain 75 to 100 watt softwhite, pink, or peach bulbs and be shaded todiffuse light and inhibit glare. Flexible-neck lampsare preferred, as are lamps controlled by dimmersor rheostats.

■ To ensure the light shines away from the student’seyes and onto the reading materials, the lightingsource should be positioned near the shoulder onthe same side of the body as the eye being used.


■ To avoid shadows during writing exercises, theteacher should position the light source to thefront of the writing materials, opposite thestudent’s writing hand.

■ For best results, the teacher should instructthe student to perform some short reading tasksunder various intensities of both incandescentand fluorescent light to determine under whichlight the student reads best and/or is mostcomfortable.

■ Chairs, tables, and reading stands should bepositioned so the student can bring the materialswithin focal distance and read comfortably,without straining his back, neck, and arms.

■ Items that might distract the visual attentionof the student should be kept to a minimum,and reading surfaces should be as glare-freeas possible.

■ Ultimately, all exercises should be positiveexperiences that build confidence and sustainmotivation.

Other concerns include psychosocial factors involvedin using any device that might cause the student to

Introduction–33

feel different from his peers. Even a well adjusted,confident student will probably suffer some teasing.Some students will become reluctant to use theirmagnifier after being teased. In such cases, theinstructor should allow her student to voice hisconcerns. Support from the teacher and otherprofessionals within the school system can beinvaluable to a student who is self-conscious aboutusing his magnifier. Including the student’sclassmates in activities and discussions that makeinstruction and activities in optics look attractive canalso help other students warm to a student who usesa magnifier. Such activities might include stamp andcoin collecting, the study of biology and chemistry,and discussions regarding professions in whichmagnification devices play an important role, such aswatchmaker, archeologist, and Indy car builder.

Ultimately, the teacher should enjoy her partnershipwith the student during the training experience.Seeing a student successfully tackle the academicdemands of school because he has access to neededvisual information is one of the most rewardingexperiences a teacher can have.


Common Terms & Definitions

1. Low Vision: Denotes a measure of functionalvision below 20/40 that cannot be fully rectifiedby ordinary corrective measures such aseyeglasses, contacts, or surgery.

2. Magnifier: An optical device that is usuallyprescribed by a low vision clinician and whichrelies on a lens or lenses to increase the clarityand size of an image.

3. Focal Distance: The distance between themagnifier’s lens and the object being viewed,at the point where the object being viewed isin focus.

4. Localization: A term often affiliated with thetraining of distance devices, it denotes the abilityto use an optical device to locate the position ofspecific object in real space.

5. Scanning: Represents thetechnique of following from leftto right a line of print; also usedto describe the process offamiliarizing oneself with thelayout of a page. Often scanningwill follow a bit of a zigzagpattern, as shown:

Introduction–35

6. Tracing: A term used to denote the followingof stationary lines in the environment. Thoughtracing is a term used primarily for training withdistance devices, it is an appropriate term fornear magnification devices when the task callsfor following lines that do not conform to theorderliness of straight, horizontal lines prevalentin text.

7. Visual Field (Field of Vision): Measured indegrees from the fixation point, it represents whata person sees centrally and peripherally whenlooking straight ahead.

8. Dominant Eye: The eyethat naturally sends themost visual informationto the brain. Often, but notalways, the dominant eyewill be located on thesame side of the body as thedominant hand. To find yourstudent’s dominant eye, cut a hole about thesize of a quarter in a piece of paper or an indexcard. Have your student look through the hole ata close target. Then have the student close oneeye and then the other. The eye that sees thetarget and not the index card when the other eyeis closed is your student’s dominant eye. In mostcases, your student will use his dominant eyewhen relying on near magnification devices.


However, it is best to check with the low visionclinician to confirm which eye should be usedwith a prescribed device.

9. Dominant Arm: The arm with which onenaturally performs most physical tasks. Unlessyour student’s dominant arm is nonfunctional,he should find it easiest to use the hand of hisdominant arm to manipulate the magnifier.

10. Scotoma: A “blind spot” in the visual field,frequently caused by damage to part of the retina.

11. Eccentric Viewing: A technique used wherebypart of the retina that is not usually used forsharp vision is utilized when a section of or all ofthe macula (the part of the retina that providesthe greatest visual clarity) has become non-operative.

Introduction–37

Skill Where Found

Basics:Cleaning Preparation;

Lessons 1.1, 1.4,2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.4

Storage Lessons 1.1, 2.1, 3.1

Retrieval Lessons 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2,2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1,3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6

Set-up:Materials position Preparation;

Lessons 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4,2.5, 2.6, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4,3.5, 3.6

Use of reading stand Preparation;Lessons 3.2, 3.5, 3.6

Task lighting Preparation

Selected visual field/eye Terms and Definitions

Hand selection Terms and Definitions

Grip Lessons 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2,2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1,3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6

ENVISION II

Skills and TopicsPresented in Envision II

Students 10 and Younger


Skill Where Found

Setup (continued):

Stabilization of handand materials Preparation;

Lesson 3.2

Reading Concepts

In focus Things To Do;Lesson 1.1

Focal distance Terms and Definitions;

Working distance Preparation

Localization Terms and Definitions;Lessons 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6, 3.2, 3.5,3.6

Scanning Terms and Definitions;Lessons 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6,3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6

Shifting to the next line Lessons 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.2, 2.5, 3.2, 3.5

Tracing Terms and Definitions;Lessons 2.6, 3.3, 3.6

Content InterpretationSymbols/signs Lesson 3.5

Illustrations Lessons 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.2,3.6

Maps Lessons 2.6, 3.3

Text Lessons 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 3.6

Introduction–39

Use a Magnifer For…

1. Exploring the environment

2. Reading educational and recreational materials

3. Reading letters from friends and family

4. Reading labels on medicine, food items,and machinery

5. Viewing menus

6. Reading train and bus schedules

7. Checking travel itineraries

8. Reading song lists on CDs and audiocassettes

9. Verifying television listings and movie times

10. Reading game instructions

11. Identifying currency denominations

12. Analyzing maps

13. Examining photographs


Things You Should Know

Before Using Envision

1. The eye for which the device was prescribed

2. Your student’s dominant hand

3. Your student’s tolerance for glare

4. What’s in your student’s eye report

5. What’s “in focus” and “out of focus” to yourstudent may not be exactly the same for you, butit should be close to the same “in focus” point

6. How to include near magnification device trainingin your student’s IEP

7. The power of the magnifier recommended by thelow vision clinician

8. The features and capabilities of the optical devicesyou will be using as tools

9. How the student performs without the device

10. If the student should be wearing prescriptionspectacles while using the device

11. The best lighting to use during training

Introduction–41

Things To Do Before

Using Envision

1. Ask the parents to sign a release form that allowsyou to talk freely with your student’s school staff,certified O & M specialist, and eye careprofessionals. Then, talk with them about how youmay help the student in his magnifier skills training.

2. Obtain and read your student’s eye report.

3. Become familiar with near magnification devicesand their proper use and handling.

4. Become familiar with your student who has avisual impairment and his strengths, weaknesses,and needs.

5. If your student has no concept of “in focus,” youmay demonstrate the concept to him by putting abright picture of a familiar object on the overheadprojector (Cowan & Shepler, 2000, pp. 146-147).Allow your student to adjust the machine to bringthe image into focus. If clearer focus can beachieved after the student has tried, adjust it forhim so that he may see the object when it is “infocus.” If after several trials he still does not under-stand the concept, you may need to refer him backto the low vision optometrist for an explanation andrecognition of the concept and for pre-training.

6. Complete the informal Student Information Sheet.(See page 43.)

Introduction–43

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page 2

Chapter 1–45

Fixed-Distance,

Dome Magnifiers

■ Bright Field Paperweight

■ Light Gathering Magnifier

Chapter I

Note: Always begin the ENVISION II curricula withthe lesson specific to the magnifier prescribed to yourstudent by the low vision clinician. For example, ifyour student was prescribed a variable-distance,hand-held magnifier, ensure that the studentcompletes the chapter specific to magnifiers of thattype before working through the remaining chapters.


Lesson 1.1

Introductory Exercise Using a

Fixed-Distance, Dome Magnifier

Objective:Student will become familiar with the recommendedmagnifier and learn how to clean it. The instructorshould allow the student time to touch the magnifierand ask questions regarding its function, construction,etc.

Materials:■ Magnifier, as recommended by the

low vision clinician

■ Emmy puppet

■ Lens cleaning cloth

Exercise:

1. Prepare a clean, uncluttered workspace in whichthe student can investigate the magnifier andpractice cleaning it.

2. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand andintroduce Emmy to the student. Then use thepuppet to read Emmy’s adventure story entitled“Emmy and Her Spaceship” (page 49).

3. After reading the story, tell your student that youand Emmy are going to teach him how to use andclean his magnifier.

Chapter 1–47

4. Show your student how to remove the magnifierfrom its case. Explain that the magnifier should beplaced only on the reading materials and shouldnever be set upon rough and hard surfaces, whichcan scratch the lens. Return the magnifier to itscase and emphasize the importance of storing themagnifier in the case when not in use.

5. Allow the student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Show him how to handle the magnifierwithout touching and smudging the lens. Usually,a suitable method for handling a dome magnifieris to use the thumb and forefinger of thedominant hand to grip it along its sides.

6. Demonstrate to your student how he can use themagnifier to explore objects in his environment byholding the magnifier up to his eye with one handwhile using his other hand to bring objects suchas coins, CD cases, and maps into the focus of themagnifier. Explain that the object is “in focus”when it looks sharpest through the magnifier.If the student has not learned the concept of “infocus,” use the exercise from #5 in “Things To DoBefore Using ENVISION” (page 41).

7. Demonstrate how to clean the magnifier with thelens cleaning cloth by rubbing both sides of thelens. Explain to your student that he should useonly special lens cleaning tissue or lens cleaningcloth since regular tissue and paper towels canscratch the lens. Return the magnifier to the


student and let him practice using the lenscleaning cloth to rub both sides of the lens. As thestudent cleans, sing the following song or havethe puppet sing:

“Lens Cleaning Song”(to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

Rub, rub, rub your lensWith a cloth so soft.Every time you get a smudge,Clean your lenses off.

8. Allow the student to hold the magnifier and askquestions regarding its purpose or any otherquestions he has concerning the magnifier andcaring for it. This time allows the student tofamiliarize himself with the weight, size, and

shape of the device. Before movingto the next exercise, ensure thatthe student has had adequatetime to explore the look and feelof the magnifier.

Chapter 1–49

Emmy and Her Spaceship

by Kris Scott

Emmy awoke abruptly from her nap. Wow! she thought,what a terrific dream. While sleeping, Emmy dreamt thatshe had departed from earth in a spaceship on a quest tovisit the moon. Emmy was fascinated by the moon, whichlit the night sky above her desert home, and she oftenspent hours looking at it through the telescope she hadreceived for her birthday.

Emmy sat on the edge of her bed and smoothed the brightyellow feathers that decorated her head. Most emus haveblue feathers on their heads, and at one time Emmy hadbeen ashamed of her yellow feathers. But now she wasproud of her yellow feathers because they were bright,just like the moon.

“Hey Emmy,” called her older brothers, Ethan and Ernest,“we’ve got something for you.” Usually when her brotherssaid that, it meant that they had collected a bunch ofbugs from the front yard. Emmy walked into the kitchenand was surprised to find her brothers removing colorfulboxes from a bag. “Here,” Ethan said, handing Emmy oneof the boxes. “We’ve just been to the hobby store andthought you might like this.”

Emmy took the box and sat at the kitchen table. Sheremoved a magnifier from her pocket and used it toinvestigate the box. “Wow, it’s a spaceship model!” Emmy

ENVISION II


blurted. Emmy had never built a model, but she figuredthat if her brothers could do it, she could too.

Emmy heard her brothers rip the packaging from theirmodels and throw it in the trash. “Be careful, don’t throwaway the instructions,” Emmy warned. But her brotherswere already too busy putting their models together topay much attention to her or the instructions.

Emmy carefully opened the box to her spaceship andremoved the instruction booklet. Whoa! Emmy thought,this is going to take some reading. Emmy placed hermagnifier at the bottom of the page and scanned themagnifier straight up to the top of the page and then overto the left until she found the first word of the firstsentence. Emmy then used her magnifier to read the firstline of text. When she finished the first line, she scannedback to the left on the same line so she could easily findthe beginning word of the next line. Emmy continuedreading in this manner until she had read every word ofthe instruction booklet. She then turned back to the firstpage and began assembling her spaceship.

After Emmy finished connecting each section of hermodel, she used her magnifier to inspect her work. Notbad at all, she thought. She turned toward her brothers,who were complaining that their models didn’t lookanything like they were supposed to. Emmy examined their

Chapter 1–51

models through her magnifier. For once her brothers wereright. Ernest’s model looked more like a shoe than a boat;and Ethan’s model looked like a squashed bug instead of asports car. That’s what happens when you don’t read theinstructions, Emmy thought.

Emmy bit her tongue to prevent herself from laughing.She didn’t want to hurt her brothers’ feelings after theyhad been nice enough to buy a model for her, so shegrabbed her spaceship and headed toward her room,holding her model high in the air as if it were flyingtoward the moon.

Enhancement Opportunity: Have the Emmy puppetask the student to show her how to hold the magnifierand to identify the top, bottom, and sides of thedevice. Have the puppet tell the student that the word“magnify” means to “make appear larger.” Allow thestudent to look at his fingernails with the magnifier.Have Emmy ask if they look larger.

Allow the student make a puppet from a sock or othermaterial to be Emmy’s friend. Allow the student tocommunicate through the puppet those feelings hehas about using a magnifier.


Lesson 1.2

Basic Use Exercise Using a


Objective:Student will become familiar with basic localizing andscanning techniques.



■ Emmy puppet

■ Lesson 1.2 Basic Use Exercise Sheets

Exercise:1. Prepare a clean, uncluttered workspace in which

your student can undertake the followingexercise.

2. Place the Basic Use Exercise Sheets for Lesson1.2 in a position that will allow the student toscan them comfortably, without straining his back,neck, and arms.

3. Allow the student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is holding the magnifier ina manner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged. If he is not, demonstrate again how heshould do so by using the thumb and forefinger of

Chapter 1–53

his dominant hand to grip the magnifier along itssides. If the lens of the magnifier is dirty, instructthe student to clean the lens with a lens cleaningcloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and haveEmmy ask the student to look through the lens ofthe magnifier and locate the top left of the firstBasic Use Exercise Sheet for Lesson 1.2. Tell yourstudent that the technique of finding specificlocations on a page is called “localization.” If yourstudent has difficulty locating the top left of thepage, have Emmy show him how by using thefollowing effective technique:

■ Begin with the magnifier positioned near thebottom middle of the page.

■ Scan straight up from the bottom middle to thetop middle of the page.

■ Scan left from the top middle to the top leftcorner of the page.

5. When your student can locate the top left of thepage, have Emmy show him how to familiarizehimself with the layout of the page by lookingthrough the magnifier and using a left-to-rightand back-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the pagefrom top to bottom. Explain that this movement iscalled “scanning.”


6. After your student has familiarized himself withthe layout of the page, have Emmy ask him tolocate the first image of the first row on the pageand begin scanning from left to right the first rowof objects on the page. As your student scans,have Emmy encourage him to describe what hesees so you can verify his responses.

7. When your student has completed scanning thefirst row of objects, use Emmy to show him howto scan back to the left on the same row beforedescending to the next row to be scanned. Ifneeded, use hand-over-hand assistance todemonstrate.

8. Encourage your student to continue scanning therows of images, describing aloud what he seesthrough the magnifier. Don’t forget to verify hisdescriptions and confirm that he is scanning backto the left on the same row before descending tothe next row. If needed, offer hand-over-handassistance. Note: As your student looks throughthe magnifier, he might complain ofsimultaneously seeing two or three rows ofimages. The ENVISION II curricula werepurposely designed to achieve this effect in orderto train the student in maintaining concentrationon the appropriate row, which should remain inthe center of the magnification field.

9. As your student progresses, he will encounterdrawings in which several details are exhibited.

Chapter 1–55

Have Emmy tell him to examine the image byusing the same technique he used to orienthimself with the contents of the entire page, i.e.,beginning at the top of the depiction and scanningfrom left to right and back to the left until thebottom of the image is in view. When yourstudent begins scanning the more detailedimages, prompt him to describe some of theparticulars he sees. For example, if the imagedepicts Emmy smiling, and your student tells youhe just sees Emmy’s head, you might ask him tolook at Emmy again and tell you what action(s)Emmy is performing. Ideally, after a few prompts,your student should begin to describe such detailson his own.

10. Have Emmy encourage the student to continueexploring the objects on the page. Observewhether there is an increase, decrease, or nochange in the pace at which the student is able toidentify the images. Generally, the student mayrequire more time to identify the words andimages toward the end of the page, as they aresmaller or more detailed. Further, as the studentbegins reading words, pay particular attention towhat types of reading errors are made soappropriate adjustments can be arranged. If thestudent is failing to read parts of words, he mayhave a field loss. To deal with this possibility,make sure that the student continues scanningwith the magnifier across the entire line of text


and into the margin. This ensures that thestudent has scanned all text, and isn’t justguessing at the ends of words. If “skipping”continues to be a problem, refer the studentback to the low vision clinician.

11. Should your student be unable to identify thecontents of a particular row, ask him to trylooking at the contents of the next two rows. If heis still unable to identify the images andcomplains that they are too small or blurry, thestudent may have reached his print size limit, orhe may be fatigued. Repeat the exercise the nextday. If the same results emerge, make a note ofthe problem and postpone the remainder of theexercise until you can speak to the student’s lowvision clinician about the difficulties he isexperiencing.

12. When your student completes the exercise,congratulate him. If necessary, you may haveEmmy ask the student to repeat the exercise.However, if the student seems fatigued oragitated, take a short break before trying again.Remember, such a learning process should not berushed. Moreover, each lesson should end on apositive note, with the student feeling encouragedabout his progress.

Chapter 1–57

Lesson 1.3

Enrichment Exercise Using a Fixed-

Distance, Dome Magnifier

Objective:Student will continue to develop basic localizing andscanning techniques.



■ Emmy puppet

■ Lesson 1.3 Enrichment Exercise Sheets

Exercise:1. Ask the student to prepare a clean, uncluttered

workspace in which to undertake the followingexercise.

2. Place the Enrichment Exercise Sheets for Lesson1.3 in a position that will allow the student toscan them comfortably, without straining his back,neck, and arms.

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is holding the magnifier ina manner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged. If he is not, demonstrate again how heshould do so by using the thumb and forefinger ofhis dominant hand to grip the magnifier along its


sides. If the lens of the magnifier is dirty, instructthe student to clean the lens with a lens cleaningcloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and instructyour student to look through the magnifier andlocate the top left of the first Enrichment ExerciseSheet for Lesson 1.3. Tell your student that thetechnique for finding specific locations on a pageis called “localization.” If your student hasdifficulty locating the top left of the page,demonstrate again how to find the top left of thepage by using the following effective technique:


■ Scan straight up from the bottom middle tothe top middle of the page.


5. When your student can locate the top left of thepage without assistance, have Emmy show himhow to familiarize himself with the layout of thepage by looking through the magnifier and usinga left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern toscan the page from top to bottom.

6. After your student has familiarized himself withthe layout of the page, have Emmy ask him tolocate the first row of images on the page and

Chapter 1–59

investigate the images using the same techniquehe used to orient himself with the layout of thepage, i.e., beginning at the top of the depictionand scanning from left to right and back to theleft until the bottom of the image is in view. Askyour student to describe what he sees whenobserving the images.

7. As the student scans, verify his responses andobserve his technique, affirming that he is usingthe technique above to view the images. Further,ensure that he scans the same row of imagesback to the left before descending to the nextrow. If necessary, you may use hand-over-handassistance to help reinforce proper localizing andscanning techniques.

8. After your student completes his investigation ofthe images, you might have Emmy ask him toreexamine any images he found difficult tointerpret. However, if your student seems fatiguedor agitated, take a short break before asking himto try again. The process of learning to use amagnifier should not be rushed. Moreover, eachlesson should end on a positive note, with thestudent feeling encouraged about his progress.

Note: Always encourage the child to communicatehis feelings about using the magnifier. The puppet isan excellent vehicle for this kind of communication.


Lesson 1.4

Introductory Review Using a


Objective: Student will review proper handling andcleaning techniques for the recommended magnifier.Again, allow your student ample time to ask anyquestions concerning the magnifier and its usefulness.



■ Emmy puppet


Review:1. Ask the student to prepare a clean, uncluttered

workspace in which to practice cleaning andhandling the magnifier.

2. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and readEmmy’s adventure story entitled “Emmy ReadsOut Loud” (page 63).

3. After reading the story, tell your student that youand Emmy would like to watch him clean hismagnifier.

4. Ask your student to remove the magnifier from itscase. Notice the way your student handles themagnifier. Is he holding the magnifier in a manner

Chapter 1–61

that will prevent the lens from being smudged? Ifhe is not, gently remind him that the best way toavoid smudging the lens is to use the thumb andforefinger of his dominant hand to grip themagnifier along its sides.

5. Tell your student to set down the magnifier.Notice whether he remembers to place hismagnifier on the reading material. If your studenthas forgotten the importance of keeping themagnifier away from rough surfaces, remind himthat rough surfaces could harm his magnifier andthat he should place his magnifier only on thereading material.

6. Ask your student to show you how to clean themagnifier. Your student should clean the magnifierby rubbing the lens with a lens cleaning cloth orlens cleaning tissue. Ask your student why heshould use only lens cleaning cloth or special lenscleaning tissue to clean the magnifier. If yourstudent fails to tell you that the reason he shoulduse special lens cleaning cloth or lens cleaningtissue is because other materials might scratchthe lens, you should emphasize again thatmaterials not specifically designed to clean lensescan damage them. If your student has forgottenhow to clean the magnifier, take the device fromthe student and show him how to clean it byrubbing the lens with a lens cleaning cloth. Whenyou are finished, return the magnifier to thestudent and let him practice using the lens


cleaning cloth to rub both sides of the lens. As thestudent cleans, sing the following song or havethe puppet sing:



7. Finally, allow the student to hold the magnifierand ask any questions that may have occurredto him during the review.

Note: If, when you and your student beginworking within the two other chapters of thiscurriculum, you wish to skip the IntroductoryExercise Lessons, which deal with the cleaningof the magnifier, do so only if your student hasmastered the proper techniques for handling andcleaning the magnifier. Otherwise, work with yourstudent through the lessons, continuing to use themagnifier prescribed by the low vision clinician.

Chapter 1–63

Emmy Reads Out Loud

by Kris Scott

“Now that we are all here, we will freshen our knowledgeof animal science by reading aloud,” said Emmy’s teacher,Ms. Rufflewing. Animal science is the study of livingcreatures and life processes. Most of the class, includingEmmy, groaned at Ms. Rufflewing’s request. It wasn’t thatEmmy disliked reading or was a poor reader. She was agood reader, especially since she had been practicing withher magnifier, but she was still shy about reading in frontof others. Emmy wished she could just read silently andlook at the cool pictures in her book.

As Ms. Rufflewing instructed, Emmy opened her book tothe first page. She was a little disappointed that therewere no pictures on the page, so she did what all curiouslittle emus do. She quickly sneaked a peek at the next fewpages. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed. There were cool-lookingpictures and diagrams on pages five and six. Gosh, shethought, it sure seemed like a lot of reading to getthrough before she could look at the pictures.

“Maggie, will you read the first page?” asked Ms.Rufflewing. Emmy looked over at Maggie, curious abouthow Maggie would read. Maggie sat up, straightened herlong neck, and began reading. Maggie was a good reader,but she almost hit the student in front of her with her

ENVISION II


beak every time she read a word. Emmy nearly laughed outloud when she saw that but caught herself before she letout one of her high-pitched emu giggles.

“Very good reading, Maggie,” expressed Ms. Rufflewing.

“Oh boy,” thought Emmy, “I wouldn’t want to have tofollow that performance.”

Ms. Rufflewing looked around the room for the nextreader, and Emmy ducked her head. “All right, Bobby, whydon’t you try reading a page.”

Bobby was a very tall emu who spoke with a deep voice andread with a magnifier like Emmy’s. Without delay, Bobbyleaned over his book and focused on the words with hismagnifier. Emmy had to admit that she was a bit surprisedat how well Bobby read. He didn’t miss one word, eventhough he read at a good speed. And he didn’t have toperform any of that wild head bobbing like Maggie did toread well! Watching Bobby read so well with his magnifiermade Emmy feel a little better about having to use hermagnifier in front of her classmates.

Emmy looked down at her book and realized that therewas just one more page to go before she could explore thepictures on the next few pages. Because of her growingimpatience, and without even realizing it, Emmy began tobob and weave her head. Thinking that Emmy was excitedabout the opportunity to read aloud in class, Ms.Rufflewing said, “OK, Emmy, because you’re so eager toread, go on and read the last page.”

Chapter 1–65

“GULP” was the sound that came from Emmy’s mouth. Shelooked around nervously at all the little black emu eyesstaring back at her. Emmy knew there was no escape. Self-consciously, she gripped her magnifier and bent over thepage, allowing the words to focus within the field of themagnifier’s lens. Emmy began reading, slowly at first, butshe sped up after the first couple of sentences. As sheconcentrated on her reading, she forgot about herclassmates, who were listening carefully. She found thepassage interesting, as it explained how a tadpole was ableto change into a big green frog.

Before she knew it, Emmy had read the whole pagewithout making a single mistake. That wasn’t so bad, shethought. She stopped and looked around. The rest of thestudents were all looking at their own books; they weren’tstaring at her like she thought they might be. None ofthem cared if Emmy used a magnifier! This helped putEmmy at ease.

In fact, Emmy was so excited about having read aloud,that she forgot all about the pictures in the book. “Goodreading, Emmy,” said Ms. Rufflewing. Emmy smiled andturned her attention back to her book. Emmy figured thatshe was going to like animal science a lot, and she wasalready looking forward to reading the rest of the chapterwhen she got home.


Lesson 1.5

Basic Use Review Using a


Objective:Student will review basic localizing and scanningtechniques.

Materials:■ Magnifier, as recommended by the low vision

clinician

■ Emmy puppet

■ Lesson 1.5 Basic Use Review Sheets


workspace in which to undertake the followingreview.

2. Instruct the student to place the Basic Use ReviewSheets for Lesson 1.5 in a position that will allowhim to scan them comfortably, without straininghis back, neck, and arms.

3. Allow the student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Is he holding the magnifier in a mannerthat prevents the lens from being smudged? If heis not, demonstrate again how he should do so byusing the thumb and forefinger of his dominant

Chapter 1–67

hand to grip the magnifier along its sides. If thelens is dirty, instruct the student to clean itwith a lens cleaning cloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and haveEmmy ask the student to look through the lens ofthe magnifier and locate the top left of the firstBasic Use Review Sheet for Lesson 1.5. Remindyour student that the technique of finding specificlocations on a page is called “localization.” If yourstudent has difficulty locating the top left of thepage, have Emmy show him how by using thefollowing effective technique:




5. When your student demonstrates the ability tolocate the top left of the page, have Emmy askhim to show you the correct technique fordiscovering the layout of the page. If he fails toscan the page from top to bottom using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern, review thismethod with him.

6. Now tell your student that you want him to beginscanning from left to right the first row of imageson the page. As your student investigates the


images, have Emmy ask him to describe what hesees. Verify your student’s answers.

7. After your student successfully scans anddescribes the first row of items, instruct him toscan the rest of the rows on the page, describingaloud what he sees through the magnifier. Verifyyour student’s descriptions and notice whether hescans back to the left on the same row beforedescending to the next row to be scanned. If hefails to do this, remind him of the technique, andif needed, use hand-over-hand to demonstrate. Ifyour student complains of simultaneously seeingtwo or three rows of images through hismagnifier, remind him that the ENVISION IIcurricula were purposely designed to achieve thiseffect in order to help him practice maintainingfocus on the appropriate line, which should alwaysremain in the center of the magnification field.

8. When your student encounters images in whichseveral details are exhibited, notice whether heremembers to orient himself with their contentsby using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzagpattern to scan the images from top to bottom. Ifhe forgot the technique, allow him to review itand try scanning the images again.

9. On the third Basic Use Review Sheet for Lesson1.5, your student will encounter text and images ofvarious content, shape, and size. Notice whether

Chapter 1–69

he remembers to orient himself with the contentsof the page. If needed, review step #5 with him.

10. When your student comprehends the layout of thepage, prompt him to read the passages aloud. Asyour student reads, ensure that he remembers toscan back to the left on the same line of textbefore descending to the next line to be read.When your student examines the accompanyingimages, notice whether he remembers to orienthimself with their contents by using a left-to-rightand back-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the imagesfrom top to bottom.

11. As your student reads the text and examines theimages, ensure that he maintains his dominanteye directly over the magnifier’s lens, moving hishead and magnifier hand together instead oftrying to follow the magnifier by simply turninghis head. Note: If your student can read thelarger print but is unable to read one or both ofthe smaller font sizes, then this may be anindicator that the student may have reached hisprint size limit, or he may be fatigued. Repeat theexercise the next day. If the same results emerge,you may need to explain the situation to the lowvision clinician and talk about the possibility ofincreasing the magnification power of theprescribed device.


12. When your student completes the review,congratulate him and, if needed, take a breakbefore beginning the next review.

Enrichment Opportunity: With the student, take afew minutes to look at the Emmy the Emu characteron the Lesson 1.5 Basic Use Review Sheets. Allowyour student to use the magnifier to examine closelythe pictures of Emmy. After the student hasinvestigated the images, ask him questions aboutEmmy such as:

1. What color is Emmy?

2. What kind of character is she?

3. Does she seem busy or lazy?

4. What kinds of activities does she like to do?

Engage the Emmy puppet in looking at the sameimages through the magnifier. Briefly discuss the factthat Emmy has low vision too and is learning to usethe magnifier just as the student is. Reinforce that thestudent and Emmy will learn together.

Chapter 1–71

Lesson 1.6

Enrichment Review Using a





■ Emmy puppet

■ Lesson 1.6 Enrichment Review Sheet

■ Washable crayon

Review:In this exercise, the instructor will use Emmy to read“hints” describing objects Emmy must find. Afterreading each hint, the instructor should ask thestudent to use the recommended magnifier to helpEmmy find the item depicted on the EnrichmentReview Sheet. When the student finds the correctitem, he is to place a mark beside it with thewashable crayon.


1. Instruct the student to prepare a clean,uncluttered workspace in which to undertake thefollowing review.

2. Ask the student to place the Review Sheet forLesson 1.6 in a position that will allow him to scanit comfortably, without straining his back, neck,and arms.

3. Allow the student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is handling the magnifierin a manner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged. If he is not, demonstrate how he shoulddo so by using the thumb and forefinger of hisdominant hand to grip the magnifier along itssides. If the lens is dirty, instruct the student toclean it with a lens cleaning cloth or lens cleaningtissue.

4. Tell your student to orient himself with the imageon the Enrichment Review Sheet. Your studentshould remember how to orient himself with thelayout of the page by looking through themagnifier and using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the pages from top tobottom. If your student failed to remember thistechnique, gently remind him how to perform it.

5. Instruct your student to set the magnifier down.Notice whether he remembers to place themagnifier on the reading material. If he does not,gently remind him of the importance in keeping

Chapter 1–73

the magnifier on the reading materials and awayfrom surfaces that can damage the device.

6. Put the Emmy puppet on your hand, and allowEmmy to act as you read the following setting toyour student. Then read the following bulletedhints one at a time. Allow the student enoughtime to scan the page, locate, and mark thecorrect item with a washable crayon before youread the next hint.

It is Saturday, and Emmy is glad to be free fromher school duties. But she still has a lot to do.Besides cleaning up from a party she hostedFriday evening, she must find some objects thatshe plans to use the rest of the weekend. BecauseEmmy is so busy and weekends are so short, sheneeds your help in finding a few things.

■ Kris can’t find his lucky baseball cap. Hethinks he left it at Emmy’s, but he’s not sure.He’s been known to forget that it’s on hishead. Please help Emmy find it.

■ Cleaning makes Emmy tired, but hamburgersalways energize her. Find a hamburgerfor Emmy!

■ Emmy’s irresponsible brothers, Ernest andEthan, lost their pet frog. Emmy doesn’t thinkthe frog has gone too far. What do you think?

■ Emmy wanted to read during the weekend.Ms. Rufflewing allowed Emmy to borrow some


wonderful books about trees. Emmy believesshe left the books someplace in the livingroom. Help her find them!

■ Sarah intends to let Emmy borrow somebasketball shoes. Emmy found one but can’tfind the other. Help her out!

■ Emmy’s hula-hoop is missing. Where do youthink it is?

■ Ernest loves his skateboard, but he usuallyleaves it in an inconvenient spot. Help Emmyfind theskateboardbeforesomebody tripsover it!

■ Ethan needs hisfootball for aweekend game.Have you seenhis football?

■ A kangaroo hasbeen seenhopping aroundEmmy’s house.Emmy would love to talk to a kangaroo, butshe hasn’t seen it yet. Have you seen thiskangaroo?

Chapter 1–75

7. After your student locates and marks all of theobjects on the Enrichment Review Sheet,congratulate him and talk to him about theexperience. Questions like “Do you feel okayabout using the magnifier?” or “What was hard oreasy about finding the objects?” can initiate avaluable dialogue in which you can deduce morespecifics about the student’s visual acuity. If itmakes the student more comfortable, allow himto talk to the puppet. Makesure the puppet appears to belistening by nodding, pursingits beak, and answeringappropriately.

Chapter 2–77

Fixed-Distance,

Stand Magnifiers

■ Precision Linen Tester

■ Illuminated StandMagnifier

Chapter II

Note: Always begin the ENVISION II curricula with thelesson specific to the magnifier prescribed to thestudent by the low vision clinician. For example, if yourstudent was prescribed a fixed-distance, domemagnifier, ensure that the student completes thechapter specific to magnifiers of that type beforeworking through the remaining chapters.


Lesson 2.1


Fixed-Distance, Stand Magnifier

Objective:Student will become familiar with the recommendedmagnifier and learn how to clean it. The instructorshould allow the student time to touch the magnifierand ask questions regarding its function,construction, etc.



■ Emmy puppet



the student can investigate the magnifier andpractice cleaning it.

2. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and introduceEmmy to the student if you haven’t done so already.Then use Emmy to read Emmy’s third adventurestory entitled “Emmy’s Froggy Recess” (page 81).

3. After reading the story, tell your student that youand Emmy are going to teach him how to use andclean his magnifier.

Chapter 2–79

4. Show your student how to remove the magnifierfrom the case. Explain that the magnifier shouldbe placed only on reading materials and shouldnever be set upon rough and hard surfaces, whichcan scratch the lens. Return the magnifier to itscase and emphasize the importance of storing themagnifier in the case when not in use.

5. Allow the student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Show your student how to handle themagnifier without touching and smudging thelens. Usually, a suitable method for handling astand magnifier is to use the thumb and forefingerof the dominant hand to grip it by its frame.

6. If the magnifier contains a source of illumination,show your student how to activate the light.Show your student how he can use the magnifierto explore objects in his environment by holdingthe magnifier up to his eye with one hand whileusing his other hand to bring objects such ascoins, CD cases, and maps into the focus of themagnifier. Explain that the object is “in focus”when it looks sharpest through the magnifier. Ifthe student has not learned the concept of “infocus,” use the exercise from #5 in “Things To DoBefore Using ENVISION” (page 41).

7. If the magnifier requires batteries, explain this tothe student. You may opt to show your studenthow to change the batteries or explain that if thelight fails to work, he should ask an adult to checkthe batteries and replace them if needed.


8. Demonstrate how to clean the magnifier with thelens cleaning cloth by rubbing both sides of thelens. Explain to your student that he should useonly special lens cleaning tissue or lens cleaningcloth since regular tissue and paper towels canscratch the lens. Return the magnifier to thestudent and let him practice using the lenscleaning cloth to rub both sides of the lens. Asthe student cleans, sing the following songor have the puppet sing:


Rub, rub, rub your lensWith a cloth so soft.

Every time you get a smudge,Clean your lenses off.

9. Allow the student to hold the magnifier and askquestions regarding its purpose or any otherquestions he has concerning the magnifier andcaring for it. This time allows the student tofamiliarize himself with the weight, size, andshape of the device. Before moving to the nextexercise, ensure that the student has hadadequate time to explore the look and feel ofthe magnifier.

Chapter 2–81

Emmy’s Froggy Recess

by Kris Scott

Emmy was amazed at the quickness with which her schooldays were passing. This morning, she had been busyreading a history lesson and winning third place in theschool spelling bee. It was already time for lunch, and thatmeant recess was also getting close.

Emmy gobbled down her lunch so she could get to theplayground in a hurry. When she arrived at the playgroundthere were already some emus there. She recognizedseveral from her classes. “Hey, Emmy,” some of themyelled, “come over here and play kickball with us!” Emmywas very happy about the invitation, but she had otherplans for recess. “I can’t today, but I promise I’ll playtomorrow,” Emmy yelled back. With that, Emmy skippedover to a quieter section of the playground and pulled outher magnifier.

Since she had seen how clear and close the magnifier couldmake the words in her books look, she had been wonderingif other things might look bigger through her magnifier.Emmy bent down and gathered a few grains of sand.“Wow!” she exclaimed as she focused on the sand. Shecould hardly believe how beautiful each grain of sand was.Some grains were dark brown with small dots on them,while others were tan with tiny black stripes. A few evenresembled tiny blocks of glass. The range of shapes and

ENVISION II


textures also surprised Emmy, who had assumed grains ofsand to be perfectly round. Some, she saw now, weresquare, while others were shaped like triangles.

Beside herself with excitement, Emmy searched for otheritems to look at. To her left she saw some grass andpicked a couple of blades from the batch. Under hermagnifier the blades of grass looked unbelievably complex.The edges of the grass looked rough and sharp, as if linedwith hundreds of tiny teeth. In the middle of the bladesshe could see tiny veins that ran the length of the grass.These veins must be the way water is sent from theground to the grass, she marveled. What a wondrousdiscovery! Even something as seemingly plain as a blade ofgrass was a fairly complicated living thing.

To her right, Emmy detected a slight movement andkneeled to investigate. Through the lens of her magnifiershe could clearly see the colorful markings of a frog. “Ah,what glorious colors,” she said, referring to the stripesand dots of green, yellow, and brown that decorated theanimal. Carefully, Emmy picked up the frog and laughedwhen she focused her magnifier on its funny little legs andfeet, which wiggled in the air. Emmy put the frog back onthe ground and followed its movements with her magnifierfor a couple of minutes.

Chapter 2–83

Emmy sat down and thought about what she had seen. Shejust couldn’t believe things looked so different from whatshe imagined. Then, she got a terrific idea. She had alwaysknown her feathers were bright and colorful, but she hadnever been able to look really closely at them. But with hermagnifier it would be possible, so she pulled out a green, ablue, and a yellow feather. She had always thought herfeathers were just strands of colorful puff. She had noidea of the complex structures that combined to make afeather. Slowly, she observed how each feather was reallymade up of hundreds of tiny fibers. How cool!

Emmy was realizing she had much to learn about her world.But instead of feeling overwhelmed, she felt energizedand curious. She knew that with the help of her magnifiershe could learn about so many things. She also realizedthat learning could be fun. When the bell rang to signifythe end of recess, Emmy got up and walked toward theclassrooms. She wasn’t sad about going back to class.After all, she could learn as easily as the next emu, andnow she was determined to show everyone how smart shereally was.


Enrichment Opportunity:

1. Allow the student to look at a real feather throughthe magnifier. Let him tell Emmy what he sees.

2. Allow the student to clean the lens of themagnifier. Show the student how the structure ofthe fixed-distance, stand magnifier differs fromthat of the fixed-distance, dome magnifiers andvariable-distance, hand-held magnifiers.

Chapter 2–85

Lesson 2.2

Basic Use Exercise Using a

Fixed-Distance Stand Magnifier

Objective:Student will become familiar with basic localizing andscanning techniques.



■ Emmy puppet



the student can undertake the following exercise.

2. Place the Basic Use Exercise Sheets for Lesson2.2 in a position that will allow the student toscan them comfortably, without straining his back,neck, and arms.

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is holding the magnifier ina manner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged. If he is not, demonstrate again how heshould do so by using the thumb and forefinger ofhis dominant hand to grip the magnifier by itsframe. If the lens of the magnifier is dirty, instruct


the student to clean the lens with a lens cleaningcloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. Should the magnifier contain a source ofillumination, instruct the student to activate thelight. If your student’s magnifier is illuminated,there exists the possibility that the light maycontribute to a minimal amount of glare on someof the ENVISION II Exercise Sheets. If necessary,work with your student to situate the pages sothat glare is reduced.

5. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and haveEmmy ask the student to look through the lens ofthe magnifier and locate the top left of the firstBasic Use Exercise Sheet for Lesson 2.2. Tell yourstudent that the technique of finding specificlocations on a page is called “localization.” If yourstudent has difficulty locating the top left of thepage, have Emmy show him how by using thefollowing effective technique:




6. After your student can locate the top left of thepage, have Emmy show him how to familiarizehimself with the layout of the page by looking

Chapter 2–87

through the lens of the magnifier and using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern to scanthe page from top to bottom. Explain that thismovement is called “scanning.”


8. When your student has successfully scanned anddescribed the first row of objects, use Emmy toshow him how to scan back to the left on thesame row before descending to the next row to bescanned. If needed, use hand-over-handassistance.

9. Encourage your student to continue scanning theimages and describing aloud what he seesthrough the magnifier. Don’t forget to verify hisdescriptions. Note: As your student scans, hemight complain of simultaneously seeing two orthree rows of images through his magnifier. TheENVISION II curricula were purposely designed toachieve this effect in order to train the student inmaintaining concentration on the appropriate row,which should remain in the center of themagnification field.


10. As your student progresses, he will encounterdrawings in which several details are exhibited.Have Emmy tell your student to examine the imageby using the same technique he used to orienthimself with the contents of the entire page, i.e.,beginning at the top of the depiction and scanningfrom left to right and back to the left until thebottom of the image is in view. When your studentbegins scanning the more detailed images, prompthim to describe some of the particulars he sees. Forexample, if the image depicts Emmy smiling, andyour student tells you he just sees Emmy’s face,you might ask him to look at Emmy again and tellyou what action(s) Emmy is performing. Ideally,after a few prompts, your student should begin todescribe such details on his own.

11. Have Emmy encourage your student to continuescanning the objects on the page. Observe whetherthere is an increase, decrease, or no change in thepace at which the student is able to identify theimages. Generally, the student may require moretime to identify the words and images toward theend of the page, as they are smaller or moredetailed. Further, as the student begins readingwords, pay particular attention to what types ofreading errors are made so appropriate adjustmentscan be arranged. If the student is failing to readparts of words, he may have a field loss. To dealwith this possibility, make sure that the studentcontinues scanning with the magnifier across the

Chapter 2–89

entire line of text and into the margin. This ensuresthat the student has scanned all text, and isn’t justguessing at the ends of words. If “skipping”continues to be a problem, refer the student back tothe low vision clinician.

12. Should your student be unable to identify thecontents of a particular row, ask him to try lookingat the content of the next two rows. If he is stillunable to identify the images and complains thatthey are too small or blurry, the student may havereached his print size limit, or he may be fatigued.Repeat the exercise the next day. If the sameresults emerge, make a note of the problem andpostpone the remainder of the exercise until youcan speak to the student’s low vision clinicianabout the difficulties he is experiencing.

13. When your student completes the exercise,congratulate him. If necessary, you may haveEmmy ask the student to repeat the exercise.However, if the student seems fatigued oragitated, take a short break before trying again.During the break, you might also ask your studentwhat other objects he would like to view throughthe magnifier. The designs of several fixed-distance, stand magnifiers allow for fairly easyviewing of “neat stuff” that your student mightenjoy investigating. Such objects might beinsects, the grooves on a fingertip, bottle caps,and buttons.


Lesson 2.3

Enrichment Exercise Using a


Objective:Student will continue to develop basic localizing andscanning techniques.



■ Emmy puppet

■ Lesson 2.3 Enrichment Exercise Sheet



2. Have the student place the Enrichment ExerciseSheet for Lesson 2.3 in a position that will allowhim to scan it comfortably, without straining hisback, neck, or arms.

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is holding the magnifier ina manner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged. If he is not, demonstrate again how heshould do so by using the thumb and forefinger ofhis dominant hand to grip the magnifier by its

Chapter 2–91

frame. If the lens of the magnifier is dirty, instructthe student to clean the lens with a lens cleaningcloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. If your student’s stand magnifier contains asource of illumination, ensure that your studenthas turned the light on. If your student’smagnifier is illuminated, there exists thepossibility that the light may contribute to aminimal amount of glare on some of theENVISION II Exercise Sheets. If necessary, workwith your student to situate the page so that glareis reduced.

5. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and haveEmmy tell your student that he is going to learnabout the life cycle of a frog.

6. Ask your student to look through the lens of themagnifier and orient himself with the layout of theLesson 2.3 Enrichment Exercise Sheet by lookingthrough the magnifier and using a left-to-rightand back-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the pagefrom top to bottom. Your student shouldremember how to locate the top of the page byusing the following effective technique:





7. When your student is ready to continue, tell himthat Emmy will ask him a few questions for whichhe will have to search the Enrichment ExerciseSheet for the correct answer.

8. Ask your student the bulleted questions below oneat a time, allowing him enough time to find thecorrect answer and respond verbally before youread the next question:

■ What is Stage 1 of the frog’s life cycle called?(Spawn, also Egg Cluster)

■ When a frog is a tadpole, it is at what stage ofits life cycle? (Stage 3)

■ What might one find at Stage 5? (Froglet)

■ The animal at Stage 4 is called what? (Tadpolewith legs)

■ What is Stage 2 of the frog’s life cycle called?(Egg)

■ At what stage does the organism grow itsfour legs? (Stage 4)

■ At what stage of the frog’s life cycle is a frogactually considered a frog? (Stage 6)

Chapter 2–93

9. As your student scans the page for the answers,observe his technique. He should continue to usethe left-to-right and back-to-left scanning methoddescribed in step #6.

10. After your student answers the questionscorrectly, congratulate him and take a break.During the break, talk to your student about someof the other objects he might enjoy investigatingwith his magnifier. For a fun extracurricularactivity, you might set aside some time for thestudent to use the magnifier outside to exploreplants, leaves, soil, roots, insects, etc.

Enrichment Opportunity:For a fun diversion, allow the student to refer to theLesson 2.3 Enrichment Exercise Sheet while he makeseggs, tadpoles, froglets, and adult frogs out of clay,paper mache, or other media. Then cut lily pads outof green paper to use as platforms to display the items.


Lesson 2.4



Objective:Student will review proper handling and cleaningtechniques for the recommended magnifier. Allowyour student ample time to ask questions concerningthe magnifier and its usefulness.



■ Emmy puppet




2. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and readEmmy’s adventure story entitled “Emmy and theMysterious Map” (page 97).

3. After reading the story, tell your student that youand Emmy would like to watch him clean hismagnifier.

4. Ask your student to remove the magnifier from itscase. Notice the way your student handles the

Chapter 2–95

magnifier. Is he holding the magnifier in a mannerthat will prevent the lens from being smudged? Ifhe is not, gently remind him that the best way toavoid smudging the lens is to use the thumb andforefinger of his dominant hand to grip themagnifier by its frame.

5. Tell your student that you want him to set downthe magnifier. Notice whether he remembers toplace the device on the reading material. If yourstudent has forgotten the importance of keepingthe magnifier away from rough surfaces, remindhim that rough surfaces could damage hismagnifier and that he should place his magnifieronly on the reading material.

6. Ask your student to show you and Emmy how toclean the magnifier. Your student should clean themagnifier by rubbing the lens with a lens cleaningcloth or lens cleaning tissue. Ask your studentwhy he should use only lens cleaning cloth orspecial lens cleaning tissue to clean the magnifier.If your student fails to tell you that the reason heshould use special lens cleaning cloth or tissue isbecause other materials might scratch the lens,you should emphasize again that materials notspecifically designed to clean lenses can damagethem. If your student has forgotten how to cleanthe magnifier, take the device from the studentand show him how to clean it by rubbing the lenswith a lens cleaning cloth. When you are finished,return the magnifier to the student and let him


practice using the lens cleaning cloth to rub bothsides of the lens. As the student cleans, sing thefollowing song or have the puppet sing:



7. If the magnifier contains a source of illumination,ask the student if he remembers how to turn thelight on. If he has forgotten, demonstrate how toactivate the light.

8. Finally, allow the student to hold the magnifierand ask any questions that may have occurred tohim during the review.

Note: If, when you and your student begin workingwithin the two other chapters of this curriculum, youwish to skip the Introductory Exercise Lessons, whichdeal with the cleaning of the magnifier, do so only ifyour student has mastered the proper techniques forhandling and cleaning the magnifier. Otherwise, workwith your student through the lessons, continuing touse the magnifier prescribed by the low vision clinician.

Chapter 2–97

Emmy and theMysterious Map

by Kris Scott

Emmy was very happy today. She’d had a good day atschool, and it was Friday, which meant she could play allevening. Emmy and her new friends, Kris and Sarah, wereplanning to play soccer for a few hours before going toSarah’s house, where they would make cookies and spendthe rest of the evening watching movies.

As the three fun-loving emus walked toward theirneighborhood, Kris raised his head high into the air. “Heyyou two,” he said, “what’s that noise?” Emmy and Sarahstopped walking and listened. At first Emmy heard nothingexcept the desert wind. She was about to tell Kris he hada few screws loose, but then she heard it, too. The noisewas faint but quickly getting closer and louder, a strangehooting and hollering that seemed oddly familiar.

“Hey, let’s hide and see who or what it is,” Emmy said,scampering behind a nearby rock. Her friends followed,and there they all sat, waiting for the source of the soundto appear. As the sound got closer, Kris gulped and said,“What if it’s Mean Gene and Chainsaw?” Sarah lookedworried too, but Emmy remained calm. Mean Gene was abig, grumpy koala bear, and Chainsaw, his dog, was knownfor his bad breath. Though Mean Gene and Chainsaw wererumored to be horribly wicked, Emmy had experiencedplenty of run-ins with them and had managed to outwitthem every time.

ENVISION II


As the three emus waited, the noises got closer and closeruntil the source of the whooping and hollering came to arest on the other side of the rock behind which they werehiding. The three little emus listened carefully. “Can youbelieve we found it?” came a voice from the other side ofthe rock. “Yeah,” another voice added, “it could make usrich; don’t lose it.”

Emmy’s suspicions were correct. The two voices on theother side of the rock belonged to her two older brothers,Ethan and Ernest. She motioned for her two friends tostay quiet. Emmy hoped her brothers would continue theirdiscussion; she wanted to know what they were up to.

“Well, let’s go home and eat a snack; then we’ll look,”said Ernest.

“Good idea,” replied Ethan. On the other side of the rock,Emmy wondered what her brothers were looking for.

After Emmy heard her brothers peddle away on their bikes,she motioned for her friends to follow her around to theother side of the rock where her brothers had been.

“Hey, look,” Kris said, picking up a piece of paper. Emmyproduced her magnifier and looked over the paper inKris’s hand.

“Wow!” gasped Emmy when she recognized the paper as atreasure map.

“Your brothers must have dropped that, Emmy,” Sarah said.

Chapter 2–99

“Well, what are we waiting for,” Emmy exclaimed. “Let’s gofind the treasure.”

Emmy used her magnifier to orient herself with the layoutof the page. She found the top of the page and scannedfrom left to right, top to bottom. Then she found a pathon the map and followed the path, keeping it within thecenter of the magnification field, until she found the “X”that marked the treasure spot.

It wasn’t long before they found the real path thatmatched the one drawn on the map. The three walkedalong the path for a short while before Kris stoppedabruptly and pointed to a large mound that glinted in thesunlight.

“Look, it’s our treasure,” declared Kris.

Emmy looked down at the map again. “Yup, it sure is,”she confirmed.

The three emus ran to the mound and were astounded byall the cool stuff they found. From her readings, Emmyrecognized the place as a “junk pile,” a place wherefarmers often discarded their worn-out machines andequipment. Sarah was overjoyed at the basketball hoopshe found; Kris had discovered a sprocket for his bike andwheels for his scooter. Emmy found a slightly used pogostick and a box of interesting detective books.

Happy with their discoveries, the three emus helped eachother carry their newly found treasures home. Emmy


looked forward to using her pogo stick, but she wasespecially excited about her new books. Emmy whistled asshe walked and set her thoughts on trying to decide whichbook she should read first.

Enrichment Opportunity:

Help your student locate encyclopedias and naturebooks that contain photos or pictures of Australianwildlife, including emus and koalas. Allow the studentto use the magnifier to study pictures and captionswithin the book. Have a conversation about theanimals, their habitats, and their characteristics.Ask questions such as:

1. How is an emu different from an ostrich?

2. How is an emu different from a goose?

3. How is a koala different from a bear?

4. Is a koala really a bear?

5. What other animals live in Australia?

Chapter 2–101

Lesson 2.5




Materials:■ Magnifier, as recommended by the low vision

clinician

■ Emmy puppet


Review:1. Instruct the student to prepare a clean,

uncluttered workspace in which to undertake thefollowing review.

2. Have the student place the Basic Use ReviewSheets for Lesson 2.5 in a position that will allowhim to scan them comfortably, without straininghis back, neck, and arms.

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Is he holding the magnifier in a mannerthat prevents the lens from being smudged? If heis not, demonstrate again how he should do so byusing the thumb and forefinger of his dominanthand to grip the magnifier by its frame. If the lens


is dirty, instruct the student to clean the lens witha lens cleaning cloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. Should your student’s stand magnifier contain asource of illumination, notice whether yourstudent remembers to turn on the light. If heforgot, prompt him to activate the light. If yourstudent’s magnifier is illuminated, there exists thepossibility that the light may contribute to aminimal amount of glare on some of theENVISION II Review Sheets. If necessary, workwith your student to situate the pages so thatglare is reduced. Instruct your student not totouch the light source.

5. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and haveEmmy ask the student to look through the lens ofthe magnifier and locate the top left of the firstBasic Use Review Sheet for Lesson 2.5. Remindyour student that the technique of finding specificlocations on a page is called “localization.” If yourstudent has forgotten how to find the top left ofthe page, have Emmy show him how by using thefollowing effective technique:




Chapter 2–103

6. When your student demonstrates the ability tolocate the top left of the page, have Emmy askhim to show you the correct technique fordiscovering the layout of the page. If he fails toscan the page from top to bottom using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern, review thismethod with him.

7. Now tell your student that you want him to beginscanning from left to right the first row of imageson the page. As your student scans, have Emmyencourage him to describe what he sees. Verifyyour student’s answer.

8. After your student successfully scans anddescribes the first row of items, instruct him toscan the rest of the rows on the page, describingaloud what he sees through the magnifier. Verifyyour student’s descriptions and take notice ofwhether he scans back to the left on the samerow before descending to the next row to bescanned. If he fails to do this, remind him of thetechnique, and if needed, use hand-over-handto demonstrate.

9. When your student encounters images in whichseveral details are exhibited, notice whether heremembers to orient himself with their contentsby using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzagpattern to scan the images from top to bottom.If he forgot the technique, allow him to review itand try scanning the images again.


10. On the third Basic Use Review Sheet for Lesson2.5, your student will encounter text and imagesof various content, shape, and size. Noticewhether he remembers to orient himself with thecontents of the page. If needed, review step #6with him.

11. When your student comprehends the layout of thepage, prompt him to read the passages aloud. Asyour student reads, ensure that he remembers toscan back to the left on the same line of textbefore descending to the next line to be read.When your student examines the accompanyingimages, notice whether he remembers to orienthimself with their contents by using a left-to-rightand back-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the imagesfrom top to bottom.

12. As your student reads the textand examines the images,ensure that he maintains hisdominant eye directly over themagnifier’s lens, moving hishead and magnifier handtogether instead of trying tofollow the magnifier by simply turning his head.

Chapter 2–105

Note: If your student can read the larger print butis unable to read one or both of the smaller fontsizes, then this may be an indicator that thestudent may have reached his print size limit, orhe may be fatigued. Repeat the exercise the nextday. If the same results emerge, you may need toexplain the situation to the low vision clinician andtalk about the possibility of increasing themagnification power of the prescribed device.



Lesson 2.6



Objective:Student will learn the concept of tracing whilereviewing basic localizing and scanning techniques.Note: “Tracing” is a term used to denote the visualfollowing of stationary lines in the environment.Though tracing is a term used primarily for trainingwith distance devices, it seems an appropriate termfor near magnification devices when the task calls forfollowing lines that are not related to text.



■ Emmy puppet

■ Lesson 2.6 Enrichment Review Sheet


uncluttered workspace in which to undertakethe following review.

2. Ask the student to place the Enrichment ReviewSheet for Lesson 2.6 in a position that will allowhim to scan it comfortably, without straining hisback, neck, and arms.

Chapter 2–107

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Is he handling the magnifier in a mannerthat prevents the lens from being smudged? If heis not, demonstrate again how he should do so byusing the thumb and forefinger of his dominanthand to grip the magnifier by its frame. If the lensis dirty, instruct the student to clean the lens witha lens cleaning cloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. If the magnifier contains a source of illumination,notice whether your student remembers to turnon the light. If he forgot, prompt him to activatethe light. If your student’s magnifier isilluminated, there exists the possibility that thelight may contribute to a minimal amount of glareon some of the ENVISION II Review Sheets. Ifnecessary, work with your student to situate thepage so that glare is reduced.

5. Use Emmy to explain that the Enrichment ReviewSheet contains some items that Emmy foundduring a recent walk along a dirt path. Tell yourstudent that these items can be identified by thenumber that has been placed on or next to them.

6. Instruct your student to use his magnifier toorient himself with the design of the page. Yourstudent should remember how to orient himselfwith the layout of the page by looking through themagnifier and using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the page from top tobottom. If your student did not remember this


technique, gently remind him how to perform it.If your student has forgotten the technique forfinding the top left of the page, have Emmyremind him how by using the following effectivetechnique:


■ Scan straight up from thebottom middle to the topmiddle of the page.

■ Scan left from the top middleto the top left corner of thepage.

7. After your student has orientedhimself with the design of the page, ask him tolocate the beginning of the dirt path. Remind yourstudent that the technique of finding specificlocations on a page is called “localization.”

8. When your student demonstrates the ability tolocate the beginning of the dirt path, have Emmyinstruct your student to use his magnifier to tracethe path, naming and describing only those itemsthat are identified by numbers.

9. As your student traces the path, confirm his

Chapter 2–109

findings and check his technique. Initially, thisreview might seem tricky for him, so if he becomesfrustrated or fatigued, take a short break andencourage him to try again after a few minutes.

10. When your student has found all of the correctitems, you might encourage him to read theanswer sheet so that he may confirm for himselfthe correct answers.

Answers:

1. soccer ball 4. water cooler

2. cat 5. basketball shoe

3. spark plug 6. watering can

11. For reinforcement, have the student repeat theexercise, starting at the end point and tracingback to the beginning. Reversing the exerciseshould help develop skills needed for tracing inseveral planes.

Chapter 3–111

Variable-Distance,

Hand-Held Magnifiers

LED Illuminated Hand Magnifiers

Chapter III

Note: Always begin the ENVISION II curricula withthe lesson specific to the magnifier prescribed to yourstudent by the low vision clinician. For example, ifyour student was prescribed a fixed-distance, standmagnifier, ensure that the student completes thechapter specific to magnifiers of that type beforeworking through the remaining chapters.


Lesson 3.1


Variable-Distance, Hand-Held

Magnifier

Objective:Student will become familiar with the recommendedmagnifier and learn how to clean it. The instructorshould allow the student time to touch the magnifierand ask questions regarding its function,construction, etc.



■ Emmy puppet



the student can investigate the magnifier andpractice cleaning it.

2. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand andintroduce Emmy to the student. Then use thepuppet to read Emmy’s adventure story entitled“Emmy’s Search and Rescue” (p. 115).

3. After reading the story, tell your student that youand Emmy are going to teach him how to use andclean the magnifier.

Chapter 3–113

4. Show your student how to remove the magnifierfrom the case. Explain that the magnifier shouldbe placed only on the reading materials andshould never be set upon rough or hard surfaces,which can scratch the lens. Return the magnifierto its case and emphasize the importance ofstoring the magnifier in the case when not in use.

5. Allow the student to remove the magnifier from itscase. Show him how to hold the magnifier withouttouching and smudging the lens. Usually a suitablemethod for holding a variable-distance, hand-heldmagnifier is to use the thumb and forefinger of thedominant hand to grip it by its handle.

6. If the magnifier contains a source of illumination,show your student how to activate the light.Instruct him not to touch the light source. Youmight also show your student how he can exploreobjects in his environment by holding themagnifier up to his eye with his dominant handwhile using his other hand to bring objects suchas coins, CD cases, and maps into the focus of themagnifier. Explain to your student that the objectis “in focus” when it looks sharpest through themagnifier. If the student has not learned theconcept of “in focus,” use the exercise from #5 in“Things To Do Before Using ENVISION” (p. 41).

7. If the magnifier requires batteries, explain this tothe student. You may opt to show your studenthow to change the batteries or explain that if the


light fails to work, he should ask an adult to checkthe batteries and replace them if needed.

8. Demonstrate how to clean the magnifier with thelens cleaning cloth by rubbing both sides of thelens. Explain to your student that he should useonly special lens cleaning tissue or lens cleaningcloth since regular tissue and paper towels canscratch the lens. Return the magnifier to thestudent and let him practice using the lenscleaning cloth to rub both sides of the lens. As thestudent cleans, sing the following song or havethe puppet sing:



9. Allow the student to hold the magnifier and askquestions regarding its purpose or any otherquestions he has concerning the magnifier andcaring for it. This time allows the student tofamiliarize himself with the weight, size, andshape of the device. Before moving to the nextexercise, ensure that the student has hadadequate time to explore the look and feel of themagnifier.

Chapter 3–115

Emmy’s Search andRescue

by Kris Scott

Emmy closed her book and looked toward her window,where sunlight was shining into her room. A good day for awalk, she thought, getting up from her table andstretching. Emmy put a couple of magnifiers in herbackpack, threw the pack over her shoulder and walkedout the front door. The sun warmed her face, and thesweet smell from her mother’s flowers filled her nostrils.

Emmy walked until she approached the outskirts of hertown, Emuville. There, she stopped and used her magnifierto inspect a lizard sunning itself on a rock. Emmy wasthinking about how weird the lizard looked when she hearda terrible roaring sound coming straight toward her.

Before she could run, her path of escape was blocked by abig truck. “Now I’ve got ya, you silly ostrich,” said a gruffvoice from inside the truck. Emmy knew at once the voicewas that of Mean Gene, the cantankerous koala bear. Hisevil canine companion, Chainsaw, was already out of thetruck and barking at Emmy. Most emus were terrified ofMean Gene and Chainsaw, but right now, Emmy was furious.She had never been called an ostrich; she was an emu.Couldn’t Mean Gene see the difference?

“OK, ostrich, hand over that magnifier,” commanded MeanGene as he held a large sack in front of Emmy. Emmy

ENVISION II


looked around for her two brothers, Ethan and Ernest, butof course, they were nowhere to be found. Reluctantly,Emmy dropped her magnifier in the sack. Mean Gene andChainsaw laughed, jumped back in the truck and roaredaway, leaving her standing in a cloud of dust.

Now Emmy was an emu, but she wasn’t dumb, and she hadonly given Mean Gene one of her magnifiers. Quickly Emmyfetched her backpack and pulled another magnifier fromit. She wasn’t going to let some koala bear push heraround, so she bent down and used her other magnifier tofollow the tracks the truck had left behind.

Emmy had been following the tracks for about an hour andwas in such a state of concentration that she bumped herhead on something hard. “Hey watch it,” she heard a voicecall out. Emmy jumped in surprise then focused hermagnifier on a turtle. “My name is Fred,” stated theturtle. “What’s that you’re looking through?” “I’m Emmy,and this is my magnifier,” the emu replied. “It helps meread and see lots of other neat stuff. Here, take a look.”Fred took the magnifier and looked through it. “Wow, thisis great. With this I could find all the worms I could eat,”exclaimed the turtle. “I love to eat worms…and bananapeels too.”

Emmy told Fred about Mean Gene taking one of hermagnifiers and asked the turtle if he had seen the koaladrive by. “Sure have,” confirmed Fred. “I’ll take you rightto him.” Fred gave a sharp whistle, and two other turtlesappeared. “Meet Debbie and Larry,” Fred said, motioning

Chapter 3–117

to the other turtles, “but you can just call us the TurtleTriplets. Now, follow us.”

Emmy and the turtles soon arrived at the edge of MeanGene’s lawn. She looked around with her monocular and sawno sign of Mean Gene, but she did notice Chainsaw asleepby the front porch. “All right, troops,” commanded Fred,“remember the plan. Emmy, you run into Gene’s house whenwe make a bunch of noise across the yard. Let’s go!”

Emmy waited as Debbie and Larry crept toward Chainsaw.Meanwhile, Fred positioned himself right outside Gene’sfront door.

Emmy couldn’t believe how fast it all happened. Shewatched Larry chomp down on Chainsaw’s tail while Debbiesnapped at his nose. Hearing Chainsaw’s yelp, Gene ran outthe front door and fell over Fred, who had planted his shellright in Gene’s path. Seeing Gene fall in a mud pit, Emmybolted into his house, grabbed her magnifier from thekitchen table, and ran away from the house with Fred rightbehind her. When they saw that the mission had beenaccomplished, Debbie and Larry released their grip onChainsaw, who darted into the house like a scared puppy.

Safely away from Mean Gene’s house, Emmy thanked theTurtle Triplets for their help and then began her journeyhome. She was tired, but she also felt happy about foolingMean Gene, though she knew that stubborn koala wouldsoon be back, causing more problems for the town ofEmuville.


Lesson 3.2

Basic Use Exercise Using a Variable-

Distance, Hand-Held Magnifier

Objective:Student will become familiar with basic localizing,focal, and scanning techniques.



■ Emmy puppet



the student can undertake the following exercise.

2. Place the Basic Use Exercise Sheets for Lesson3.2 in a position that will allow the student toscan them comfortably, without straining his back,neck, and arms. Posture is particularly importantwhen using a variable-distance, hand-heldmagnifier since the student must maintain focaldistance to improve visual acuity. An APHGrandStand or other similar reading easel mayhelp to increase your student’s reading stamina.

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is holding the magnifier in

Chapter 3–119

a manner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged. If he is not, demonstrate again howhe should do so by using the thumb andforefinger of his dominant hand to grip themagnifier by its handle.

4. Should the magnifier contain a source ofillumination, instruct the student to activate thelight. If your student’s magnifier is illuminated,there exists the possibility that the light maycontribute to a minimal amount of glare on someof the ENVISION II Exercise Sheets. If necessary,work with your student to situate the pages sothat glare is reduced.

5. Use the first few images on the first Basic UseExercise Sheet for Lesson 3.2 to show the studenthow to find the correct focal distance with avariable-distance, hand-held magnifier by usingthe following effective method:

■ Locate with your finger the image to be seen.

■ Lay the magnifier near your finger and flat onthe page.

■ Position the dominant eye directly over themagnifier’s lens.

■ Slowly lift the magnifier away from the pageuntil focus is achieved.

■ Move eye toward or away from the lens toincrease or decrease the field of view. (This ishow one finds the “working distance.”)


■ Emphasize the importance of holding the lensparallel to the page. Then inform the studentthat the lens should also be parallel to the eyeso the user’s line of sight is perpendicular tothe lens. Demonstrate this on yourself or withthe puppet.

■ Demonstrate how, in order to maintain aperpendicular line of sight, the student mustalways position his dominant eye directlyabove the lens. That is, the student shouldnot try to read by simply turning his head tofollow the magnifier, as this common butincorrect technique is often the cause ofstudents’ inability to maintain focus.

6. Give your student the magnifier and ask him tofind the focal distance. If he appears to bestruggling, use hand-over-hand assistance. Beforecontinuing, make sure he understands theconcept of focal distance and knows how to find iton his own. If needed, continue to practice findingthe focal distance. You might also allow thestudent to review the focus exercise from #5 in“Things To Do Before Using ENVISION” (p. 41).

7. If your student is able to find the focal distance onhis own, allow Emmy to instruct him in lookingthrough the lens of magnifier and finding the topleft of the first Lesson 3.2 Basic Use ExerciseSheet by using the following effective technique:


Chapter 3–121



Remind your student that the technique of findingspecific locations on a page is called “localization.”

8. After your student can locate the top left of thepage, have Emmy show him how to familiarizehimself with the layout of the page by lookingthrough the magnifier and using a left-to-rightand back-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the pagefrom top to bottom. Explain that this movement iscalled “scanning.”


10. When your student has successfully scannedand identified the first row of images, use Emmyto show him how to scan back to the left on thesame row before descending to the next row.If needed, use hand-over-hand assistance.

11. Encourage your student to continue scanning therows of images while describing what he sees.Don’t forget to verify his descriptions. Note: As


your student scans, he might complain ofsimultaneously seeing two or three rows of imagesthrough his magnifier. The ENVISION II curriculawere purposely designed to achieve this effect inorder to train the student in maintainingconcentration on the appropriate line, which shouldremain in the center of the magnification field.

12. As your student progresses, he will encounterdrawings in which several details are exhibited.Have Emmy tell your student to examine theimages using the same technique he used toorient himself with the contents of the entirepage, i.e., beginning at the top of the depictionand scanning from left to right and back to theleft until the bottom of the image is in view. Whenyour student begins scanning the more detailedimages, prompt him to describe some of theparticulars he sees. For example, if the imagedepicts Emmy smiling, and your student tells youhe just sees Emmy’s head, you might ask him tolook at Emmy again and tell you what action(s)Emmy is performing. Ideally, after a few prompts,your student should begin to describe such detailson his own.

13. As your student scans, observe his technique anddetermine whether he is having difficulty. If he isstruggling, be sure to ask him what is wrong. Ifhis answer lacks specificity, guide him withquestions such as “Are the images too blurry?” or“Are you getting tired?” Difficulty in reading with

Chapter 3–123

the magnifier may be the result of several factors.If he complains of blurriness, he may be havingtrouble maintaining focal distance. To determinewhether this is the case, you might try thefollowing exercise:

■ Use hand-over-hand to help him find thecorrect focal distance;

■ Help him maintain focal distance by continuinghand-over-hand while he reads or scans;

■ As he reads, ask him whether your hand beingover his helps to make the words less blurry.

If he affirms that hand-over-hand helps alleviateblurriness, then fatigue might be inhibiting himfrom maintaining correct focal distance whilereading alone. If fatigue seems to be a problem,try bracing his arms or wrists or add supportunder his arms with a gel wrist support, cushion,or other appropriate device. A reading stand mayalso help reduce fatigue.

If your student complains of distortion, make surehe is holding the magnifier parallel to the readingmaterial, that he is looking through the center ofthe magnifier, and that his head and arm aremoving as one while he reads. Again, it isimportant that he look straight down through thelens of the magnifier. If he continues to complainof distortion, show him how to decrease theworking distance by moving his eye closer tothe magnifier.


14. If your student seems to be grasping thetechniques needed for reading with the variable-distance, hand-held magnifier, have Emmyencourage him to continue scanning the page.Observe whether there is an increase, decrease,or no change in the pace at which your student isable to identify the images on the page.Generally, the student may require more time toidentify the words and images toward the end ofthe page, as they are smaller or more detailed. Beaware of any shapes, words, or numbers thatconsistently cause difficulty for him, as they mayhelp indicate specific types of visual impairmentsfor which there may be particular correctivetechniques. If the student is failing to read partsof words, he may have a field loss. To deal withthis possibility, make sure that the studentcontinues scanning with the magnifier across theentire line of text and into the margin. Thisensures that the student has scanned all text, andisn’t just guessing at the ends of words. If“skipping” continues to be a problem, refer thestudent back to the low vision clinician.

15. Should your student be unable to identify thecontents of a particular row, ask him to tryscanning the next two rows. If he is still unable toidentify the images and complains that they aretoo small or blurry, the student may have reachedhis print size limit, or he may be fatigued. Repeat

Chapter 3–125

the exercise the next day. If the same resultsemerge, make a note of the problem andpostpone the exercise until you can speak to thestudent’s low vision clinician about the difficultieshe is experiencing.

16. When your student completes the exercise,congratulate him. If necessary, you may haveEmmy ask the student to repeat the exercise.However, if the student seems fatigued oragitated, take a short break before trying again.During the break, you might also ask your studentwhat other objects he would like to view throughthe magnifier. The designs of variable-distance,hand-held magnifiers allow for fairly easy viewingof “cool stuff” your student might enjoyinvestigating. Such objects might be insects, thegrooves on a fingertip, stamps, and coins.

Enrichment Opportunity:Collect an assortment of stamps, coins, buttons, bottlecaps, leaves, or other small, interesting items. Allow thestudent to examine the items. Then ask the student touse the magnifier to sort the items. For example, askhim to put all stamps with flags in one area of his deskand those with faces in another. Be sure to give himverbal feedback on this exercise. You may also want toreward your student with a stamp or coin.


Lesson 3.3

Enrichment Exercise Using a Variable-

Distance, Hand-Held Magnifier

Objective:Student will reinforce basic localizing, focal, scanning,and tracing techniques. Note: “Tracing” is a term usedto denote the visual following of stationary lines in theenvironment. Though tracing is a term used primarilyfor training with distance devices, it seems an appro-priate term for near magnification devices when thetask calls for following lines that are not related to text.



■ Emmy puppet

■ Lesson 3.3 Enrichment Exercise Sheet

■ Washable crayon



2. Instruct the student to place the EnrichmentExercise Sheet for Lesson 3.3 in a position thatwill allow him to scan and trace it comfortably,without straining his back, neck, and arms.

Chapter 3–127

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is holding the magnifier ina manner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged. If he is not, demonstrate again how heshould do so by using the thumb and forefinger ofhis dominant hand to grip the magnifier by itshandle. If the lens of the magnifier is dirty,instruct the student to clean the lens with a lenscleaning cloth or lens cleaning tissue.

4. Should the magnifier contain a source ofillumination, instruct the student to activate thelight. If your student’s magnifier is illuminated,there exists the possibility that the light maycontribute to a minimal amount of glare on someof the ENVISION II Exercise Sheets. If necessary,work with your student to situate the page so thatglare is reduced.

5. Explain to your student that he will be asked touse his magnifier to locate specific items on themap and that he is to mark those items with thewashable crayon.

6. Ask your student to use his magnifier to orienthimself to the design of the page by beginning atthe top left of the page and scanning in a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern until hereaches the bottom of the page.

7. Set the Emmy puppet on your hand, and read thefollowing setting (p. 128) to your student. Thenread the bulleted hints one at a time. Allow the


student enough time to find and mark the correctitem before you read the next hint.

8. As your student searches for the appropriatelocations, observe his technique, ensuring that heuses the systematic left-to-right and back-to-leftscanning technique to successfully navigate themap. Your student may also practice his tracingtechniques by following the streets to differentparts of the map.

9. If your student is having difficulty finding theappropriate locations, use hand-over-hand to helphim scan and trace for a few of the objectives.Remember, the activity should ultimately beenjoyable for your student, so if he becomesfatigued or agitated, take a short break. Further, ifyour student finds it difficult to consistentlymaintain focal distance, allow him to practicefinding the focal distance by using other Basic UseExercise Sheets or by looking at interesting itemssuch as coins, stamps, and photographs.

Read: Emmy needs to warn all the emus in townthat Mean Gene is on the loose. She needs to findthe most popular places in town so she canquickly warn all emus to hide their magnifiers incase Mean Gene decides to visit Emuville.

■ Emmy will visit this place first. Her mom, dad,and brothers are here, as are her toys andher cozy bed. Hint: Emmy’s house is the onlyone with a yellow chimney.

Chapter 3–129

■ This is where Emmy’s mom would take herand her brothers if they ever became verysick. [Emu County General Hospital]

■ Emmy and the rest of the emus love visitingthis place because inside are great-tastingsweets and sodas. [Aunt Eleanor’s candy shop]

■ Emmy needs to warn all the other emustudents, who, like Emmy, spend most of theirday learning to read and write in these twoplaces. [Emu Elementary and Emu Middle andHigh School]

■ Emmy decides she must warn all the animals,so she must stop by this place, where severaldifferent kinds of animals can be seensleeping, eating, and playing. [Emuville Zoo]

■ Emus love to watch the game played on thisfield, so this is a crowded spot Emmy needs tovisit. Hint: Emmy’s brother Ethan usuallyplays goalie when he is here. [soccer field]

■ This spot is the favorite for many emusduring the hot summers, when nothing feelsbetter than a dip in a pool of cool water.[swimming pool]

■ This place is located in the center of town,and is a meeting place for emus who wantto propose laws and town policies. [EmuvilleCity Hall]


■ Emus love to travel by train, so Emmy needsto visit this place next. [Emunion Station]

■ Several emus call this place their favoritespot. Here emus can read all day andcheck out books and magazines. [EmuvillePublic Library]

10. After your student locates and marks all of theappropriate objects on the Enrichment ExerciseSheet, congratulate him. Talk to him about otherplaces that might be popular spots for emus. Talkto your student about popular spots he likes tovisit. Ask him how he liked using the variable-distance, hand-held magnifier. (Do not be alarmedif your student cannot see all of the details withinthe map. Remember, the map was created for abroad range of students who use a wide range ofmagnifying lenses.)

Note: Should you need to create large print maps oratlases for your student who has low vision, youmight obtain a copy of ArcView GIS. Produced byESRI, ArcView GIS is a popular and powerful mappingand geographic software application that allows usersto create high quality maps that can be modified toserve a student’s visual needs. To find out if youqualify for educational or federal governmentdiscounts on ArcView GIS, contact ESRI Telebusinessat 1-800-447-9778. You may also visit ESRI on theWeb at www.esri.com.

Chapter 3–131

Lesson 3.4


Variable-Distance, Hand-Held Magnifier

Objective:Student will review proper handling and cleaningtechniques for the recommended magnifier. Allowyour student ample time to ask questions concerningthe magnifier and its usefulness.

Materials:

■ Magnifier, as recommended by thelow vision clinician

■ Emmy puppet




2. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and readEmmy’s adventure story entitled “Emmy theComic Maker” (p. 134).

3. After reading the story, tell your student thatyou and Emmy would like to watch him cleanhis magnifier.


4. Ask your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Notice the way your student handles themagnifier. Is he holding the magnifier in a mannerthat will prevent the lens from being smudged? Ifhe is not, gently remind him that the best way toavoid smudging the lens is to use the thumb andforefinger of his dominant hand to grip themagnifier by its handle.

5. Instruct your student to set down the magnifier.Notice whether he remembers to place the deviceon the reading material. If your student hasforgotten the importance of keeping the magnifieraway from rough surfaces, remind him that roughsurfaces could harm his magnifier and that heshould place his magnifier only on the readingmaterial.

6. Ask your student to show you and Emmy how toclean the magnifier. Your student should clean themagnifier by rubbing the viewing areas with alens cleaning cloth or lens cleaning tissue. Askyour student why he should use only lens cleaningcloth or special lens cleaning tissue to clean themagnifier. If your student fails to tell you that thereason he should use special lens cleaning clothor tissue is because other materials might scratchthe lens, you should emphasize again thatmaterials not specifically designed to clean lensescan damage them. If your student has forgottenhow to clean the magnifier, take the device fromthe student and show him how to clean it by

Chapter 3–133

rubbing the lens with a lens cleaning cloth. Whenyou are finished, return the magnifier to thestudent and let him practice using the lenscleaning cloth to rub both sides of the lens. As thestudent cleans, sing the following song or havethe puppet sing:



7. Finally allow the student to hold the magnifierand ask any questions that may have occurredto him during the review. Moreover, if themagnifier contains a source of illumination, askthe student if he remembers how to turn the lighton. If he has forgotten, demonstrate how toactivate the light.

Note: If, when you and your student beginworking within the two other chapters of thiscurriculum, you wish to skip the IntroductoryExercise Lessons, which deal with the cleaning ofthe magnifier, do so only if your student hasmastered the proper techniques for handling andcleaning the magnifier. Otherwise, work with yourstudent through the lessons, continuing to use themagnifier prescribed by the low vision clinician.


ENVISION II Emmy the Comic Maker

by Kris Scott

Emmy smiled when she noticed that her English teacher,Mr. Beaker, was about to begin class. Mr. Beaker was agood teacher, and he always assigned projects that keptthe emus interested.

“Well class,” Mr. Beaker announced, “I think it’s time webegan a school newspaper.” All the little emus aroundEmmy began whispering in excitement, and Emmy sat up inher chair, very interested in this idea of a schoolnewspaper. “Each of you,” continued Mr. Beaker, “will havea special job related to the creation of this paper.”

Mr. Beaker then began assigning all the students theirtasks for creating the first ever Emu Elementary Journal.As the emus around her were picked for the jobs ofreporters, printers, artists, and editors, Emmy wonderedanxiously what her job would be. “And, Emmy, you will bethe writer and artist for the newspaper’s comic strip,”declared Mr. Beaker. The bottom of Emmy’s beak droppedso far it almost hit the top of her desk.

Wow, Emmy thought. Creating a comic strip sounded like alot of fun, but she didn’t know the first thing aboutcomics. She thought she better learn fast, for she wantedto maintain her good grade in Mr. Beaker’s class.

Chapter 3–135

When class ended that day, Emmy rushed to the schoollibrary and found some books about newspapers andanimations. Emmy pulled her magnifier from her satcheland began scanning the books for helpful information.

“Hey, Emmy,” called Emmy’s best friend, Sarah, who satbeside Emmy. “I hear you’ll be making a comic for theschool newspaper.” “That’s right,” Emmy agreed. “But Ihave no idea how to make a comic strip. I never readcomics. My brothers Ernest and Ethan ought to be theones doing this; they read comics all the time.”

Emmy looked back down at her book for a second beforeshe got an idea. “Sarah, that’s it!” she exclaimed. “Mybrothers have lots of comic books lying around; I’ll gohome and study some of them.”

When Emmy arrived home, she and Sarah borrowedseveral comic books from Ethan and Ernest. Emmygrabbed her magnifier and began studying the dialogue,colors, characters, and the layout of the page. At eachsection of the comic, Emmy found the top of the drawingand scanned from left to right and back to the left untilshe reached the bottom of the image. Emmy was carefulto scan in a systematic manner so she would not overlookany words or important details.

After an hour, Emmy stopped reading. “Well, Sarah, Ithink I understand enough about this comic strip stuff tostart making my own. I’m just not sure about the types ofcharacters I should draw and write about.” Emmy and


Sarah sat quietly, thinking hard about the kinds ofcharacters Emmy could include in her comic. Finally, Emmyjumped from her seat. “I’ve got it,” she yelled. “I’ll make acomic strip about that cantankerous koala bear Mean Gene,and how he tries to fool us emus with all kinds of trickery.”

Emmy arrived early at school the next day to begindrawing her comic strip. She unpacked her magnifier,several comics, and her coloring pencils. Then she placedsome paper in the tray of a closed-circuit television, anelectronic device that could magnify and display on a littletelevision screen words and pictures that Emmy wrote anddrew on her paper. Emmy began drawing, slowly at first, butthe more she drew the faster she became until it seemedlike the characters created themselves. When Emmyfinished the first few sections of the comic, she removedthe paper from the device and used her magnifier toinspect her work more closely. Emmy was happy with whatshe had done, so she continued unveiling a story in whichshe and her friends would get the best of Mean Gene.

When Mr. Beaker looked over the first draft of theschool newspaper, he was delighted with the results,especially Emmy’s comic strip. The students, too, seemedto enjoy Emmy’s work. She had already heard from severalstudents who were eager to read the comic that wouldappear in the next issue. Emmy was also looking forward toproducing her next comic, in which she would play a part insaving Emuville from Mean Gene’s trickery. Emmy’simagination was moving at 80 miles per hour. I’ve got thebest newspaper job of all, she decided.

Chapter 3–137

Lesson 3.5



Objective:Student will review basic localizing, focal, andscanning techniques.



■ Emmy puppet




2. Have the student place the Basic Use ReviewSheets for Lesson 3.5 in a position that will allowhim to scan them comfortably, without straininghis back, neck, and arms. Again, because postureis particularly important when using a variable-distance, hand-held magnifier, you might wishto use an APH GrandStand or other similarreading easel to help increase your student’sreading stamina.

3. Ask your student to remove the magnifier from


its case. Is he is holding the magnifier in amanner that prevents the lens from beingsmudged? If he is not, demonstrate again how heshould do so by using the thumb and forefinger ofhis dominant hand to grip the magnifier by itshandle. If the lens is dirty, instruct the student toclean the lens with a lens cleaning cloth or lenscleaning tissue.

4. Should the magnifier contain a source ofillumination, notice whether your studentremembers to turn the light on. If he forgot, showhim again how to activate the light. If yourstudent’s magnifier is illuminated, there exists thepossibility that the light may contribute to aminimal amount of glare on some of theENVISION II Review Sheets. If necessary, workwith your student to situate the pages so thatglare is reduced.

5. Instruct your student to look through the lens ofthe magnifier and find the first image in the firstrow and use this image to demonstrate the properprocedure for finding the focal distance. Remindyour student that the technique of finding specificlocations on a page is called “localization.” Yourstudent should be able to find the first image ofthe first row by using the following effectivetechnique:

Chapter 3–139




If your student forgot the technique above, reviewit with him until he demonstrates the ability tolocate the top left of the page.

6. When your student has located the first item inthe first row, ensure that he finds the focaldistance by:

■ Locating with his finger the image to be seen.

■ Laying the magnifier near his finger and flaton the page.

■ Positioning his dominant eye directly over themagnifier’s lens.

■ Slowly lifting the magnifier away from thepage until focus is achieved.

■ Moving eye toward or away from the lens toincrease or decrease the field of view. (This ishow one finds the “working distance.”)

If needed, review any of the above steps withyour student.

7. After your student can locate the top left of thepage and has demonstrated his ability to find the


focal distance, have Emmy ask him todemonstrate the technique for familiarizinghimself with the layout of the page. Does yourstudent look through the magnifier and scan thepage from top to bottom using a left-to-right andback-to-left zigzag pattern? If he fails to displaythis method, review it with him.

8. When your student has familiarized himself withthe layout of the page, have Emmy ask him tolocate again the first image of the first row on thepage and begin scanning the contents of the firstrow. As your student scans, ask him to describewhat he sees so you can verify his responses.

9. When your student has successfully scanned anddescribed the first row of images, instruct him toscan the rest of the rows on the page, describingaloud what he sees through the magnifier. As yourstudent scans, verify his descriptions and noticewhether he scans back to the left on the samerow before descending to the next row to bescanned. Ensure that he continues to use thistechnique when he reads the contents of Row 4. Ifhe fails to do this, remind him of the technique,and if needed, use hand-over-hand todemonstrate. Before moving to the second BasicUse Review Sheet for Lesson 3.5, talk to yourstudent about what concepts the images on thepage represent.

Chapter 3–141

10. On the second Basic Use Review Sheet for Lesson3.5, your student will encounter written passagesand images of various content, shape, and size.Notice whether he remembers to orient himselfwith the contents of the page. If needed, reviewstep #7 with him.

11. After your student comprehends the layout of thepage, prompt him to read the passages aloud. Asyour student reads, ensure that he remembers toscan the same line of text back to the left beforedescending to the next line to be read. When yourstudent examines the accompanying images,notice whether he remembers to orient himselfwith their contents by using a left-to-right andback-to-left zigzag pattern to scan the imagesfrom top to bottom. If he forgot the technique,allow him to review it and try scanning theimages again.

12. As your student reads the text and examines theimages, ensure that he is holding the magnifierparallel to the page and that his dominant eyeremains directly above the lens of the magnifier.If needed, demonstrate how, in order to maintaina perpendicular line of sight when scanning, hemust always keep his dominant eye directly overthe magnifier’s lens, moving his head andmagnifier hand together instead of trying to followthe magnifier by simply turning his head. Note: Ifyour student can read the larger print but is


unable to read one or both of the smaller fontsizes, then this may be an indicator that thestudent may have reached his print size limit, orhe may be fatigued. Repeat the exercise the nextday. If the same results emerge, you may need toexplain the situation to the low vision clinician andtalk about the possibility of increasing themagnification power of the prescribed device.


Chapter 3–143

Lesson 3.6



Objective:Student will review basic localizing, focal, andscanning techniques.



■ Emmy comic book



2. Have the student place the Emmy comic book in aposition that will allow him to scan its pagescomfortably, without straining his back, neck, andarms. Again, because posture is particularlyimportant when using a variable-distance, hand-held magnifier, you might wish to use an APHGrandStand or other similar reading easel to helpincrease your student’s reading stamina.

3. Allow your student to remove the magnifier fromits case. Ensure that he is holding the magnifier ina manner that prevents the lens from being


smudged. If he is not, demonstrate again howhe should do so by using the thumb andforefinger of his dominant hand to grip themagnifier by its handle.

4. Should the magnifier contain a source ofillumination, notice whether your studentremembers to turn the light on. If he forgot, showhim again how to activate the magnifier’s light. Ifyour student’s magnifier is illuminated, there existsthe possibility that the light may contribute to aminimal amount of glare on some of the comicbook’s pages. If necessary, work with your studentto situate the comic book so that glare is reduced.

5. Place the Emmy puppet on your hand and haveEmmy ask the student to open the comic bookand locate the top left of the first page. Remindyour student that the technique of finding specificlocations on a page is called “localization.” Yourstudent should be able to find the first image ofthe first row by using the following effectivetechnique:




Chapter 3–145

If your student forgot the technique above, reviewit with him until he demonstrates the ability tolocate the top left of the page.

6. When your student demonstrates the ability tolocate the top left of the first page, have Emmyask him to show you the correct technique fordiscovering the layout of the page. If he fails toscan the page from top to bottom using a left-to-right and back-to-left zigzag pattern, review thismethod with him. To perform this methodsuccessfully while using a variable-distance, hand-held magnifier, your student must also be capableof finding and maintaining the correct focaldistance. If your student does not remember howto find the correct focal distance, review thefollowing procedure with him:

■ Locate with a finger the image to be seen.

■ Lay the magnifier near the finger and flat onthe page.

■ Position the dominant eye directly over themagnifier’s lens.

■ Slowly lift the magnifier away from the pageuntil focus is achieved.

■ Move the eye toward or away from the lens toincrease or decrease the field of view. (This ishow one finds the “working distance.”)


7. After your student is familiar with the design ofthe page, ask him to find the first action/dialoguebox of the comic strip and describe aloud thecontents of the box, as well as read aloud anywords contained within the box.

8. Monitor your student closely, confirming theobjects and words your student sees through themagnifier. Encourage your student to continuescanning the contents of the action/dialogueboxes, using the same scanning techniquesdescribed in the preceding lessons, but using suchtechniques within each frame of the comic book.Inspect your student’s ability to maintain correctfocal distance. If needed you may use hand-over-hand to reinforce the concept of focal distance.

10. If your student exhibits good stamina, encouragehim to continue scanning until he completes thecomic book. However, if your student displayssigns of fatigue, allow him to take a break whenneeded. If your student is unable to work throughthe entire comic book in one setting, set smallergoals for him, e.g., one or two pages per setting.Don’t forget to congratulate your student when heachieves the goal. Ask him to tell you about hisfavorite comic book characters.

Chapter 3–147

Lesson 3.7 (Teacher Only)

Reporting Back to the Clinician

Objective:To provide the clinician with the results of thestudent’s near magnification device training.

Materials:Form “Using Prescriptively RecommendedOptical Devices”

The clinician who provided the prescriptiverecommendation of the optical devices for yourstudent is very interested in knowing the results ofthe training you have provided. Only by having accessto feedback from you will she be able to make aninformed final prescription.

The form, “Using Prescriptively Recommended OpticalDevices,” (page 149) is provided so that you mayhave a quick and handy way to report back to theclinician the proficiency your student has achieved asa result of training. For best results, fill out the formand send it in to the clinician with as muchinformation as you can provide. Be sure to includeinformation not asked for on the form if you think itimportant to the clinician’s final recommendation.Extra forms are provided in the Materials Packet.


Upon receipt of the form, the clinician will make afinal prescription using the information you haveprovided. For this reason, your information must beclear, concise, and accurate. The student will be thebeneficiary of your accuracy by having the best nearmagnification devices possible for his access to visualinformation in his world.

The American Printing House for the Blind thanks youfor your devotion to your student by providing excellenttraining and for using ENVISION II: Vision EnhancementProgram Using Near Magnification Devices.

Chapter 3–149

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Chapter 3–151

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page 3

References–153

References


Corn, A. L. (1980). Development and assessment ofan in-service training program for teachers ofthe visually handicapped: Optical aids in theclassroom. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,Teachers College, Columbia University.

Corn, A. L., & Koenig, A. J. (Eds.). (1996).Foundations of low vision: Clinical andfunctional perspectives. New York: AFB Press.

Cowan, C., & Shepler, R. (2000). Activities and gamesfor teaching children to use magnifiers. InD’Andrea, F. M., & Farrenkopf, C. (Eds.),Looking to learn: Promoting literacy forstudents with low vision (pp. 167-188).New York: AFB Press.

Freeman, P. B., & Jose, R. T. (1997). The art andpractice of low vision. (2nd ed.). Newton, MA:Butterworth-Heinemann.

Hall, A., & Bailey, I. L. (1989). A model for trainingvision functioning. Journal of VisualImpairment & Blindness, 83, 390-396.

Jose, R. T. (Ed.). (1983). Understanding low vision.New York: AFB Press.

Notes–155

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