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NewT: New Tools to Accompany the Functional Vision and Learning Media Assessment (FV/LMA) for Students Who are Pre-Academic or Academic and Visually Impaired in Grades K-12

Nigel Newt's Goodies

Includes: Word Charts, Nigel Newt's Pertpetual Puzzles, Developmental Inventory of Visual Efficiency, and Print Size Reading Sheet

Copyright, 2015 all rights reserved.
American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
Catalog Number: 61-357-097

Picture of a newt on a rock in a stream


Classroom at

Visual Fields

(Take care not to shine light into the student's eyes.)

  1. Stand a helper with a penlight or small flashlight behind the student.
  2. Direct him/her to point the light onto each individual square. Starting with the upper left square, move across the line, then drop down to the next line; just like reading. The movement should be slow and methodical.
  3. Instruct the student to follow the light with his eyes. First cover one eye, then the other, then do again with both eyes.
  4. From your position in front of the student, watch the student's eyes to see if they follow the movement of the penlight from one square to another. Make notes of what you observe.
  5. After the three of you have completed horizontal movements, do vertical movements, starting with the upper, left-hand corner and moving down one square at a time. Make notes of what you observe.
  6. Next move horizontally again, skipping the squares in the middle column. Carefully watch the student's response to see if he can cross midline. Take notes.
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Word Charts


A Note About Print Size

In the Nigel Newt's Portfolio and Word Charts there are variations of font size and font face. Some samples are written in one font and one print size, others are written in several fonts and several print sizes. You may find it necessary to determine the print size of specific words in either the Nigel Newt's Portfolio or Nigel Newt's Word Charts. For this purpose an E scale ruler is included in the kit of materials. On the ruler you will see upper case Es in all sizes. To determine print size of a piece of text, simply overlay one of the Es from the ruler on top of an uppercase A, D, E, T, or W from the text sample. You can also use a lower case "t". When the E on the ruler and the letter underneath are exactly the same height, look on the same line on the ruler to determine the print size. Make a note of the sizes in the documentation you prepare.




18 pt. Verdana (ideal text size)
FV/LMA Protocol: Learning Media Assessment – Current Print Functioning

Ask the student to read all the words that are appropriate for his language and grade level.

mop ice cow sun sat
rain buds toes lake moon
fish chat what milk fill
chair goats frilly wheat grass
flakes pickle rowing blouse walnut



16 pt. Verdana
FV/LMA Protocol: Learning Media Assessment – Current Print Functioning

Ask the student to read all the words that are appropriate for his language and grade level.

big tab sea say log
ring dues spot glad play
plant quiet clown vents words
print violet rolled dwell frown
peeling wiggle domino fisher blended



14 pt. Verdana
FV/LMA Protocol: Learning Media Assessment – Current Print Functioning

Ask the student to read all the words that are appropriate for his language and grade level.

two bee rag red fly
frog rush blue rose good
white candy clear whose frame
noodle bright mother orange lights
restroom rainbow balloon slightly dolphin



12 pt. Verdana
FV/LMA Protocol: Learning Media Assessment – Current Print Functioning

Ask the student to read all the words that are appropriate for his language and grade level.

run sew bad him bat
nail don't blog ever gone
snows dryer cliff rain house
cavern horses purple kitten quest
flamingo vanilla shepherd football grandpa



Five words each in different sizes in bold and italic. Compare reading ability to previous four exercises.
FV/LMA Protocol: Learning Media Assessment – Current Print Functioning

Ask the student to read all the words that are appropriate for his language and grade level. Note sizes and styles that are difficult for the student.

bread seventy draw feathers cranberry
seventy cranberry bread draw feathers
draw bread seventy feathers cranberry
cranberry draw feathers bread seventy
feathers bread cranberry seventy draw



12 to 18 pt. fonts of different styles
FV/LMA Protocol: Learning Media Assessment – Current Print Functioning

Ask the student to read all the words that are appropriate for his language and grade level. Note sizes and styles that are difficult for the student.

12
points
14
points
16
points
18
points
20
points
Mars rose eggs bird hem
Venus daisy toast cages zipper
Saturn violet waffle flyers sewing
Jupiter grasses sausage slightly velvet
galaxy sunflower biscuits newspaper scissors

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Nigel Newt's Perceptual Puzzles


How to Use the Perceptual Puzzles

The Perceptual Puzzles are designed to reveal what kind of perceptual skills a student has. They can also be used to teach the student and to develop visual skills as he uses the puzzle. The skills involved in each puzzle will be listed on the Teachers' Instruction pages.

Like the Student Portfolios, the Perceptual Puzzles are designed to fit into the easel-style binder, or in a separate three ring binder. The same easel-style formatting is used. If after using the Perceptual Puzzles, you find more are needed, there are lots of them in the ENVISION, ToAD, and TADPOLE materials.

If after using all the puzzles, you desire a new set for NewT, please contact APH at (800) 223-1839; ask for Elaine Kitchel or Customer Service. We want to know if additional materials are needed for NewT.




There is a drawing of a big white spoon on a red background. The bowl of the spoon is on the left. Below on the red background are four very small white spoons, each with the bowl of the spoon in a different position. From left to right: first item, bowl points up; second item, bowl points right; third item, bowl points down; fourth item bowl points left.

Teacher Instructions:

Matching and Directionality

Ask the student to find the little spoon that is exactly the same as the big spoon.

  1. Talk about why the other little spoons do not match the big spoon.
  2. Use a real spoon to imitate the directions shown on the puzzle.
  3. Get a spoon for both you and your student. Observe if the student can imitate you when you turn your spoon to point in a certain direction.


There is a black background and five objects on that black field. Upper left, a yellow banana; upper right, red toothbrush; center, white spoon; lower left, blue cup; lower right, yellow banana exactly like the banana in the upper left.

Teacher Instructions:

Matching, Grouping, Identification, Directionality

Ask the student the following questions:

  1. Which two items are the same? (bananas)
  2. Which two items are needed to prepare tea? (cup and spoon)
  3. Which two items are needed to keep your teeth clean? (toothbrush and cup)
  4. Which three items are needed to make banana pudding? (2 bananas and spoon)


There is a white background with thin, green, diagonal lines approximately three inches apart. On this background there are five blue cups with yellow interiors. Some of the handles on the cups are on the left, some are on the right. The cups are small, medium, and large sizes. Upper left, medium cup with handle on left; upper right, large cup with handle on the left; center, medium cup with handle on the right; lower left, small cup with handle on the right; lower right, medium cup with handle on the left.

Teacher Instructions:

Matching, Recognition with Visual Noise

  1. Study the cups on this page. Now point to the large cup. (upper right)
  2. Now point to the small cup. (lower left)
  3. Now point to all the medium-sized cups. (Three cups diagonally from upper left to center, to lower right)
  4. Now point to the small cup. (lower left) Find the cup that has a handle that is on the same side as the handle of the small cup. (center cup)
  5. Now point to the large cup. Find the cups that have handles that are on the same side as the handle of the big cup. (upper left and lower right)


There are three rows of drawings. First row shows a white telephone on a blue field, a red and white yield sign, a no smoking sign, a mens' and womens' bathroom sign. (Both sexes are shown on the same sign.) Second row shows first, a large red apple; second, the same apple a little bit farther away positioned on a green bird wing; third, Emmy the Emu juggling the apple and a spoon and a spark plug. Third row shows first, a close-up of part of a maple leaf showing veins; second, shows a whole maple leaf; third, shows a twig with three leaves on it; the fourth shows some bare branches of a tree; the fifth shows a whole tree without any leaves.

Teacher Instructions:

Row 1 – Recognition

As he moves from left to right across the page, ask the student to identify the signs in the row.

Row 2 – Sequence Recognition

As he moves from left to right across the page, ask the student to identify what activity takes place in each frame.

Row 3 – Complex Sequence Recognition and Parts of a Whole

As he moves from left to right across the page, ask the student to identify what is in each frame and how each frame is related to the others. Talk about the concept of how things happen in a sequence.



This is a puzzle for which your student will most likely need sighted help. Emmy (human) is positioned in the upper left hand corner of a square maze. She is to travel the maze until she reaches her moped in the lower right hand corner.

Teacher Instructions:

Directionality, Spatial Orientation, and Visual Closure

Tell the student that Emmy needs to get to the moped because she must return a book to the library which is 4 miles away. Ask the student to use his finger as a marker to go through the maze and reach the moped, without bumping into any walls. Allow repeated attempts until the student finds success.



There are three rows of pictures. They either go from a very small part of a scene, or gradually add more depth and detail to the scene, or they go from a complete scene and focus on smaller and smaller parts of the scene. Going from a full scene to a fine detail is called “macro to micro” and the opposite is called micro to macro. First row: 1st frame shows the head of a purple toothbrush; 2nd frame shows a toothbrush and toothpaste hovering over a sink; 3rd frame shows a corner of a bathroom showing the left hand side of the sink, then a view of the entire bathroom. Second row: 1st frame shows four geese flying across the sky; 2nd frame shows the head and upper body of one goose in a flying position; 3rd frame shows three small black feathers; fourth frame depicts a close-up of a feather including blue spots. Third row: 1st frame shows a background of yellow kitchen cabinets; 2nd frame shows a woman’s waistline with her hand holding a spoon with sugar or salt in it; 3rd frame shows the bowl of a spoon with a heaping mound of sugar or salt in it, 4th frame shows a close-up of the mound of sugar or salt showing some individual crystals; 5th frame shows a close-up of two individual crystals of salt or sugar.

Teacher Instructions:

Sequencing – Macro to Micro and Micro to Macro

Explain to the student the difference between micro and macro. Make sure she can tell the difference. Block all rows except the first one with a piece of paper. With the student, go row by row to examine the pictures. Continue to block the rows not in use. Ask the student to identify each frame. Then ask the student whether the sequence is going from macro to micro, or micro to macro.

Micro – very small, involving few, or very small pieces

Macro – very large, involving many, or very large pieces



This is a graphic of red fish-shapes or tear-drop shapes on a pink background. The shapes have a rounded end and a pointed end. The rounded end, which some might view as the head, is lavender, and the rest is red. There is nothing that could be called a fin. They are all arranged in a spiral and the shapes get smaller and smaller toward the center of the spiral.

Teacher Instructions:

Parts of a Whole, Directionality, Spatial Orientation

Tell the student to study the graphic and answer the questions below:

  1. What do you see when you look at this image? (tunnel, circle of fish, inside of a cone, spiral, seashell)
  2. Is this picture made from one thing or many things? (many) "If you see separate things, point some out to me." "Do they point the same direction?" (no, but all point toward the center)
  3. "Use your fingertip to outline one of the shapes." Say, "Each of these is a part." Ask, "Do these parts look like anything to you?" (Most replies will be "fish." But any name that conveys the shape of the parts will do. Some other responses are "eraser," "conehead," and "blob.")

Note: Some students will not be able to discriminate among the objects and the background.



At first glance this photo looks like a gnome or elf house. It is a foot-tall mushroom with a red cap and white polka dots. The stalk of the mushroom has a brown door with a yellow doorknob. There is a four-paned yellow window with a brown frame. There is also what looks like a stone doorstep and a few grasses and flowers. On the left hand side of the mushroom stalk there appears to be a gnome or elf propped against the stem, asleep. He is wearing green shoes, blue trousers, a yellow shirt, and a pointy red hat. This house is actually a decorated cake.

Teacher Instructions:

Object Recognition, Function, Shift Across Midline

Say, "This item is a cake." Ask the student to study the cake. Then do the following actions:

  1. Cover the right half of the cake. Ask, "What do you see on this half?" (half a cake, half a house, gnome, window, mushroom, dots)
  2. Cover the left half of the cake. Ask, "What do you see on this half?" (half a cake, half a house, porch, door, grass, flowers, stones, dots)
  3. Point alternately to the left and right sides. Tell the student to look from one side to another. Watch his eyes. He should shift his gaze across midline without a turn of his head.
  4. If the student answers that it is a house or half a house, say "How do you know it is a house?"
  5. Can this be a cake and a house at the same time? (any answer is okay) Tell me why you think so/not?


This is a photo of a life-sized white carp. It has a few gray streaks in its tail and fins. It has a black eye and a few clusters of black scales, but it is primarily white. It is very visible on the brown background.

Teacher Instructions:

Tracing, Visual Closure, Recognition of Details

Do not tell the student what the image is. Cover the right-hand side of the image. Ask the student to study the part-image and follow these instructions:

  1. What do you see? (tail, fin, scales, fish)
  2. Now show the right-hand side of the image. What do you see? (Head, eye, fin, mouth, fish)
  3. Now show the whole image. What kind of animal (creature) is this? (fish, koi, carp)
  4. Ask the student to use his finger to draw all the way around the fish.
  5. Tell him to point to the mouth, nose, bars, fin, eye, tail. Offer help if needed.


This is a photo of fifty or sixty carp, also called koi. They are adult fish, some are black, others are white, and still others are orange. Some fish are combinations of two or three colors with speckles, stripes, or patches of color. They are very crowded together and their bodies are twisted or packed together. There is one large white carp in the lower left hand corner that we single out because it is the most visible of all the fish.

Teacher Instructions:

Parts of a Whole, Visual Closure, Object Separation

Allow the student to study the photo then ask these questions:

  1. What do you see in this photo? (fish, swirls, mess, candy, any answer that makes sense)
  2. If the student does not see fish, direct her attention to the big white fish in the lower left corner or the big black fish near the top. Allow magnification if needed. Ask the student to point out two different fish for you.
  3. Point to a fish and ask the student to describe it.
  4. If the student can't identify an individual fish, go back to the single fish exercise.


This graphic is all donuts with black and white stripes. The stripes bend in different directions. Think about a very large donut with black-and-white stripes painted all around the cylinder that forms the donut. Think of a smaller donut inside the hole of the very large donut. It has the same stripes but they are slanted and appear to travel in the opposite direction of the first donut. Think of a third donut inside the hole of the second, and a fourth, very small donut inside the third. They are all striped with the stripes slanting in the opposite direction of the donuts on the inside and on the outside.

Teacher Instructions:

Allow the student time to study the graphic. Ask the student to use her finger to follow either the black lines or the circles that are formed by the angles of the black lines. Talk about the image if the student seems curious. Ask her the following:

  1. What do you see in this picture? (rings, lifesavers, peppermint candy, wheels, or whatever the child answers)
  2. Please show me the (blank). (Use whatever term the student used to describe what she saw.) *Here it is important that you try to see what the student saw. Try squinting or using a magnifier if it is not immediately obvious.
  3. Please use your finger to trace around one of the (blank) (use student's term) that you see. How many of them do you see?
  4. Tell the student what you see looking at the picture. Trace around the object that you see. Tell how many of them you see.
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Developmental Inventory of Visual Efficiency

For Use With Learners 0-5 Years

From the Individual Systematic Assessment of Visual Efficiency (adapted for NewT)

By M. Beth Langley


DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Birth to Six Weeks

Oculomotor Control

Pursuit

Acuity and Focal Length

Attention

Social Gaze

* The pupils of the neonate constrict and dilate more slowly than in older infants; the size of infant's pupil is very small.

** Children who have been incubated may not turn toward light.



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Six Weeks to Four Months

Oculomotor Control

Pursuit

Acuity & Focal Length

Depth

Attention

Social Gaze

Visual Closure

Visual Discrimination

Figure-Ground

Spatial Relationships



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Four Months to Eight Months

Oculomotor Control

Pursuit

Acuity and Focal Length

Depth

Attention

Social Gaze

Visual Closure

Visual Discrimination

Visual Memory

Figure-Ground

Spatial Relationships & Eye-Hand Integration



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Eight Months to Twelve Months

Oculomotor Control

Acuity and Focal Length

Depth

Attention

Social Gaze

Visual Closure

Visual Discrimination

Visual Memory

Figure-Ground Relationships

Spatial Relationships & Eye-Hand Integration



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Twelve Months to Eighteen Months

Pursuit

Acuity & Focal Length

Depth

Attention

Social Gaze

Visual Closure

Visual Discrimination

Visual Memory

Figure-Ground Relationships

Spatial Relationships & Eye-Hand Integration



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Eighteen Months to Twenty-Four Months

Attention

Social Gaze

Visual Memory

Visual Discrimination

Visual Association

Figure-Ground Relationships

Spatial Relationships & Eye-Hand Integration



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Two Years to Three Years

Oculomotor Control

Pursuit

Depth

Social Gaze

Visual Closure

Visual Memory

Visual Discrimination

Visual Association

Visual Sequencing

Spatial Relationships & Eye-Hand Integration



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Three Years to Four Years

Oculomotor Control

Pursuit

Depth

Social Gaze

Visual Closure

Visual Memory

Visual Discrimination

Visual Association

Visual Sequencing

Figure-Ground Relationships

Spatial Relationships & Eye-Hand Integration



DEVELOPMENTAL INVENTORY OF VISUAL EFFICIENCY
Four Years to Five Years

Visual Closure

Visual Memory

Visual Discrimination

Visual Association

Visual Sequencing

Figure-Ground Relationships

Spatial Relationships & Eye-Hand Integration

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Print Size Reading Sheet


This print is 12 points.

This print is 14 points.

This print is 16 points.

This print is 18 points.*

This print is 20 points.

This print is 22 points.

This print is 24 points.

This print is 26 points.

This print is 28 points.**

This print is 36 points.


* According to APH guidelines, any point size lower than 18 points is not considered large print.
** Any reader who needs 28 points or larger should be considered a possible Braille user.

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