Summer Program Report
Functional Summer Enrichment
Summer 2009
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
All individuals learn best when they have the opportunity to practice and apply what they are learning
in real life situations. Because students with visual impairments may be less able to pick up
information and related concepts that sighted children see as they casually go through their day, they
have an even greater need for real life learning experiences. The Functional Summer Enrichment
(FSE) program is designed to provide students with opportunities to practice skills within real,
everyday, functional activities.
Students tend to learn best when they are feeling comfortable and having a good time. Therefore, a
primary goal of this program is to ensure that learning takes place within enjoyable activities. Another
important goal of this program is to support social, recreational and interpersonal growth. A
congenial and supportive atmosphere is important when teaching social skills.
Many meaningful skills can be taught within everyday activities. In addition to practicing academic
skills like math (e.g., making a budget) and literacy (e.g., writing a thank you letter), Students
participated in recreational and domestic activities such as community outings, physical activities,
meal planning, cooking, and grocery shopping. Some examples of skills that we teach within
ordinary daily activities are: functional literacy, applied math concepts, communication, planning,
organizing, sequencing, giving and following directions, spatial skills, social skills, self-advocacy, and
traveling in the community.
CLASSROOM DESCRIPTION
Classroom Theme: Where Things Come From
Our Classroom theme this summer involved having direct, hands-on experiences with the creation of
everyday items that students had formerly experienced only as a finished product. Children who have
vision learn concepts through direct experience with objects and people, by observing others
interacting with objects and people, and by viewing pictures and videos of objects, actions, and
events. For a child with a visual impairment these opportunities may be limited or entirely unavailable.
To build concepts and attach meaning to words, children with visual impairments must have direct,
hands-on experiences with objects in their natural contexts, how they function, and ways to activate
and use them. Learning skills and concepts in their natural context attaches more meaning to the
content of what is learned, and helps the learner retain skills and concepts. It also helps individuals
learn that they can be active participants in their world. During the program, instructors stressed that
the students should be active participants in all of the group adventures: a "doer," not a "done-to-er."
During concept development, it is important for the student to go to the world, and not always to have
the world brought to him or her. This is important for true learning to take place. The following
domains were targeted, based on the Expanded Core Curriculum for Students Who are Blind or
Visually Impaired.
Literacy
Each student kept a personal journal/scrapbook of her summer experience at TSBVI. The journals
were created in the student’s personal literacy medium (e.g., Braille, large print). The students also
wrote "thank you" letters to the various community members who hosted us. Interview questions for our
hosts were drafted, and the answers recorded. Weekly grocery shopping lists were written by each
student, and used within our shopping program. Recipes and cooking directions were read within our
cooking program, many for the preparation of everyday items the students experienced making, such
as bread and ice cream. The students also created a song list for their yoga class, and authored a
creative story about Yogini, a dinosaur who couldn’t calm down.
Math
The students each paid for grocery items we purchased, using the concept of "one more dollar." Using
this method, students are taught that whenever the cost of an item contains a certain number of dollars
and a certain number of cents, they should just pay the next higher dollar and receive the change (e.g.,
if the cost is $7.54, pay $8.00). This is a good method to use for students who have difficulty
understanding how to pay the cents to the right of the decimal point. Money folding techniques and
money identification were explored.
Social Skills/Self Advocacy
Skills such as proper greetings, interactions with strangers, requesting assistance, waiting, sharing, and
how to conduct oneself in a variety of public places were discussed and practiced.
Daily Living Skills
The students worked on greater independence in all aspects of their daily routines. They prepared
their own breakfasts in the morning, as well as their lunch four times a week. We discussed elements
of a healthy diet. Each student created a shopping list and navigated the grocery store to find their
items. Students accessed public transportation, and learned how to ask the driver if it was the correct
bus and when to get off. Students went out to eat at a restaurant twice during the session. They
worked on budgeting skills, practiced interacting with restaurant staff, and learned appropriate
restaurant etiquette.
Career Readiness
Students were exposed to many career paths that they had previously not known existed. Soap
making, coffee roasting, guitar making, and perfume making were explored and discussed as potential
careers.
ACTIVITIES AND PLACES VISITED
 Chinatown Center - Students explored a Chinese grocery store, investigating all of the
interesting and exotic foods that were available and, if possible, finding out where they came
from. They purchased some novel foods to try, and then lunched at the Chinese restaurant
next door.
 Central Market Tour - Students toured Central Market, a natural foods grocery. They
experienced different culinary choices including vegan, wheat free, and kosher, and learned
the meaning of these concepts.
 Garden of the Ancients - Students visited a natural garden and had a lesson on creating
essential oils from herbs. They then experimented with different oils to create their own
signature perfume.
 Erlewine Guitars - Mark Erlewine is a famous guitar maker who has created instruments for
such musicians as Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, and ZZ Top. He graciously invited us to come
to his shop, where he explained the steps of making a guitar, complete with hands-on
examples of each stage of the process.
 Northcross Mall - Students explored the instruments in a music store, such as electric and
acoustic guitars, drums, bells, tambourines, chimes, and other percussion instruments.
 Austin Natural Soap - Students had a tour of a local soap factory where they learned the
soap-making process. They then had the opportunity to create and decorate their own bar of
soap and were able to bring their finished product home to share with family.
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Texas Coffee Traders- Students were exposed to the coffee-making process, starting with
100-lb bags of green coffee beans and where they came from, through the roasting, grinding,
and brewing process, to the end result, which included drinking coffee and making different
coffee drinks.
City Bus Trip to Waterloo Records and Whole Foods - Students navigated public
transportation to visit a record store, and then explored exotic foods at the natural food store.
Classroom Activities - Students participated in various classroom activities that involved
creating everyday items. They made paper, bread, ice cream, and jewelry, starting with
material collection and ending in a finished product.
OTHER CLASSES, GROUPS AND SERVICES
Art (Instructor: Denise Elliott-Jones)
Students with visual impairments often benefit from specific assistance in developing leisure skills they
can use as teenagers and adults. Art can provide an excellent outlet for leisure activities at all ages.
This summer the students practiced using a variety of art materials, which helped them to understand
and develop new skills. Nature and the environment were stressed and applied to lessons such as
creating a bird feeder, wind chimes, or a textured mirror. Visual and tactual discrimination helped
students become more aware of their abilities and what can be achieved through art.
Art activities included:
 Exploring texture as art
 Creating tactual and visual pattern with nature
 Experiencing and using a variety of art materials
 Experiencing art as a leisure activity
 Experimenting with color and creating new colors
Infused skills included:
 Organizing a personal workspace
 Making choices
 Gathering needed materials
 Cleaning up and putting away
 Teamwork
 Communication and social skills
 Following instructions and giving directions
 Requesting and providing assistance
 Self advocacy
Yoga (Instructor: Christi Pegues)
In our busy society, everyone needs a way to unwind after a hectic day. Exercise is a great way to
release stress and relax. Relaxation techniques help individuals to center and balance internal
energies. Yoga incorporates both exercise and relaxation techniques to relieve stress, release excess
energy and ultimately improve mental and physical health. Learning yoga may help people become
happier and more pleasant. It is a fun activity that only requires the most simple materials (e.g., a
mat). Students with visual impairments often have difficulty finding recreation and leisure activities
that they enjoy and can participate in, and yoga is highly accessible and available to all. Participating
in these physical movements also helps students learn more about their body in space, which is often
challenging for students who are visually impaired.
This summer, we explored a variety of yoga techniques in order to introduce ways that yoga can be
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used for both exercise and relaxation. These techniques included visualization, breath work,
movement, and held postures. Yogic concepts that were covered included the importance of personal
cleanliness, and order and respect for self and others. The students were expected to respect their
space and that of others. The students retrieved their own mats, wiped them down after use, and
returned mats to their storage area after class.
Skills infused into yoga lessons included:
 Spatial skills
 Personal cleanliness
 Body awareness
 Respect for others and their personal space
 Organization (materials, time, space)
 Self control and responsibility
 Communicating feelings
 Awareness of personal growth
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