Abstract for the International Conference on Tactile Diagrams
Maps and Pictures 2002
Tactile Maps for Preschool Children: The Curriculum
Helinä Hirn
Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired, Finland
Through the tactile map the
blind child is able to learn and to understand her position in space, to assess
and to compare the relationships between the objects in space, to perceive the
space from different positions as well as to locate themselves and their toys
on the map. Map reading skills demand the blind child skills like spatial concepts,
adequate exploring techniques and basic elements of cognitive mapping, which all
are important prerequisites for effective and independent travel. This paper describes
how the tactile map program was used with four children with visual impairment
in the age of six years. During the program the children learned about spatial
concepts, dimensions, directions, systematic exploring techniques and map symbols.
They also learned to make judgements and to compare the characteristics of the
objects as well to convert the three dimensional model to two-dimensional tactile
map.
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