BAR1141: Basic Braille Literacy and Numeracy

This topic presents various tactile materials that can be appreciated using one’s sense of touch, as well as some equipment and materials used to make them. Educators use tactile materials to teach people with visual difficulties. Tactile materials vary from natural to synthetic and many can be found locally.

5.1.1 Making tactile equipment

There are various ways of making tactile displays easier to interpret (Braward and Johnson, 2016):

• Making textures, shapes, lines, and symbols or items distinctly different from one another.
• Simplify many lines or elements in an illustration. Leave out unnecessary details and lines. A tactile illustration should show only a few of an object's most important features,
• Identifying tactile details, such as the stem on an apple to distinguish it from an orange.
• To avoid clutter place items no closer than ¼ inch apart; lines closer than ⅛ inch apart are not felt as being separate.
• Avoid many intersecting lines. Lines that do meet and cross over one another should be tactually distinct from one another (e.g. dotted versus solid).
• Shapes should be at least ½ inch on a side, no smaller, if they are to be recognized.
• Fill large outlined shapes or areas with a "fill pattern" (areal pattern) or texture to help the child tell what is inside and what is outside the shape.

Equipment and materials for making tactile drawings

Equipment and materials used in making tactile drawings are different tools that are used to make tactile drawings. They are mainly categorized into two groups: those which are natural and those which are manufactured. Below is a list of different tools used in making tactile drawings and their importance in making tactile materials (Spence and Osterhaus, 1997).   

5.1.2      Manufactured equipment and materials

5.1.3     Natural equipment and materials

1. Food

Different food items are inexpensive tactile materials that can be found around the house and home. Cooked pasta in different shapes, dry beans, rice and nuts, allow young children practice their fine-motor skills and pincer grasping. Since these materials can also help in developing fine-motor skills, they are helpful for learning to draw and later write.

2. Sand 

Wet and dry sand have different properties, and children can experiment with them through play. Wet sand can be mounded into shapes and moulded into containers. Sticks, rakes and other objects can be used to draw lines in wet sand, and other toys can leave imprints in it. Dry sand runs easily through a child's hands and sieves. Marks can be made in dry sand, and funnels are a way to feel the flow of this tactile material.

        3.  Play Dough

	Playdough is a fun project to make and for children to play with. Young children can use it to make a wide range of objects or just push it through their fingers. Play dough can be made with easy homemade recipes or it can be purchased cheaply from toy stores. Like wet sand, it can be moulded and remain in specific shapes. When dry, play dough will harden and retain its shape.

Plastic beads are easy to touch and hold, and teaching children to lace beads builds fine-motor skills which are useful for writing. Using fingers to pincer grasp the small beads is a popular kindergarten activity. Just like beans, beads are an exciting way to teach children. For example, lacing necklaces with beads builds concentration and patience

               5. White glue

Tracing lines and images with white glue is a fast and easy way to create a tactile image. Also, white glue is almost invisible, which is an advantage when it is important to use color.

              6. Glitter glue

Glitter glue is used when one needs something with a higher contrast and a sandy texture. Glitter glue can also be shaken over white glue and let it dry.

            7. Foam stickers

	A fun way to display information is by using foam letters and shapes on paper. They are especially liked because they have a smooth, soft texture compared to most other available options.