Teaching students who are blind or visually impaired to identify common objects and body parts

By Activity Bank on Aug 19, 2013

This activity has been revised and was originally created by Charlotte Cushman and published in the Perkins Activity and Resource Guide (1st edition, 1992). The second edition is available for purchase.

This lively activity helps students to identify the function of common objects while reinforcing body part identification. It also helps to reinforce daily living skills. Lessons include English Language Arts and Independent Living.

Materials

Sheet music or digital copy of the tune “Put Your Finger in the Air”
Clothing large enough to fit over students’ own clothes, including a hat, shoes, boots, pants, mittens and shirt

Procedure

Take turns having each student choose one item from a central clothing box. After the student has named the article of clothing, ask her where she wears that clothing item.
Help her to perform the actions and to sing to the tune of “Put Your Finger in the Air.”
“Put the _____on your____, on your____?”
- shoe foot foot
- hat head head
- pants legs legs
- shirt arms arms
- mitten hand hand
- sock foot foot
Leave out the last word in each line for the student to fill in. Try leaving out other words as students become more familiar with the activity.
Give each student a turn to select an item from the box.

Variations

Do this activity with other objects from the students’ daily experience. Sing a verse about the function of each named object to the tune of “Put Your Finger in the Air.” Help students to perform the action for each verse.

Wash your hands with the soap…
Dry your hands with the towel…
Drink from the cup…
Scoop with the spoon…
Ring, ring the bell…
Brush your teeth with the toothbrush…
Wipe the table with the sponge…
Open the door with the key…

If you try this variation, you will need an object box containing familiar objects from daily experience, such as soap, towel, cup, spoon, bell, toothbrush, sponge and key.

Throughout the day, talk with students about the functions of the various objects. Ask them where they put different clothing items. For example, when it’s time to go outside in cold weather, ask them what they need to put on their heads.

Hint: Be sure to clean items after use. Provide students with their own set of objects when hygiene is a concern – individual cups, spoons and toothbrushes.