International Journal of Pedagogics
48
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijp
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue08 2025
PAGE NO.
48-53
10.37547/ijp/Volume05Issue08-12
Technologies for Teaching Literacy to Children with Visual
Impairments of Preschool Age
Sakhatova Nafisa
2nd year basic-doctoral student of the special pedagogy department of the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan named after
Nizami, Uzbekistan
Received:
14 June 2025;
Accepted:
10 July 2025;
Published:
12 August 2025
Abstract:
This article analyzes the pedagogical and psychological foundations of teaching literacy to children with
visual impairments of preschool age, appropriate educational technologies, methodological approaches and
teaching aids. The relevance of developing effective methods of teaching literacy in a modern inclusive education
system, taking into account the special needs of these children, is substantiated.
Keywords:
Visual impairment, preschool age, literacy teaching, special pedagogy, inclusive education, Braille,
adaptive technologies.
Introduction:
In modern society, every child should
have the right to equal education. In particular, the
education of preschool children with visual
impairments requires special attention. Preschool age
is the foundation of personality formation, during
which the child's speech, cognitive, emotional, motor
and
social activities develop
rapidly. Visual
impairments complicate the child's perception of the
environment, imagination, independent movement,
and most importantly, the processes of learning to read
and write. Visual impairment directly affects the
psychophysiological development of the child. In this
category of children, various peculiarities are observed
in spatial imagination, motor skills, attention, speech
and emotional stability. The absence or reduction of
information received through vision leads to the active
development of hearing, touch and other sensory
organs. In such children, hearing and tactile sensitivity
are formed as the main compensatory mechanisms.
In the process of teaching literacy, along with the
development of children's thinking, memory,
imagination and attention, it is also important to
stabilize their emotional state, increase the level of
social adaptation. This requires an individual approach
to the choice of educational technologies.
The preschool education system has a state, social
character and solves important social issues:
all-round development of children with visual
impairments;
prevention of impaired development of the blind and
visually impaired;
correction and protection and strengthening of their
health.
Educational organizations for children with visual
impairments in the Republic of Uzbekistan were
established in accordance with the Resolution of the
Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan No.
117 dated June 18, 2010. In accordance with the
Resolution, preschool educational organizations are
intended for children with severe visual impairments -
blind, amblyopic and strabismus, and visually impaired.
It is intended for admission to educational institutions
from 2-3 years old, 6-8 people per group. 4 main tasks
can be identified in the activities of kindergartens for
children
with
visual
impairments.
Their
implementation ensures not only the ability of children
to master general education programs, but also the
correction
and
compensation
of
secondary
developmental defects.
Approximately 285 million people worldwide suffer
from visual impairments, 39 million of whom are
completely blind (World Health Organization, 2023). [1]
In Uzbekistan, according to data from 2024, more than
18 thousand children have varying degrees of visual
impairment. [2]
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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)
Preschool literacy preparation is important for all
children, but for children with visual impairments, this
process requires special approaches and technologies.
Modern research suggests that with appropriate early
intervention, up to 85% of these children can achieve
normal intellectual development. [3]
L.S. Vygotsky believed that children with visual
impairments develop their other senses through a
"compensation" mechanism. [4] This theory led to the
development of a multisensory approach.
Maria Montessori's sensory education methodology
has been adapted specifically for children with visual
impairments. The effectiveness of teaching through
tactile materials and movement games has been
proven. [5]
Brambring and Troester (2001) studied the
development of 200 blind children in a study conducted
in the Netherlands over a period of 5 years. The results
showed that children who were tactilely stimulated at
an early
age developed language 40% faster⁶.
Hatwell and Martinez-Sarocchi (2003) studied the
development of spatial imagination in children with
visual impairments in France. They found that
children's ability to understand geometric shapes
improved by 60% with the use of audio-tactile
technologies⁷.
Nielsen (2006) analyzed the social development of 150
blind children in Denmark. The study showed that
structured educational programs significantly increase
children's adaptive abilities⁸.
Scientists in our republic have also conducted research
in this area. Today, the results obtained on the
effectiveness of inclusive work in educational
institutions are encouraging. Leading representatives
of the field have been conducting both theoretical and
practical research and recommending new forms of
teaching.
Preschool education specialists develop literacy by
constantly introducing children to oral and written
language, relying on previous knowledge and language
experience. Pictures, games, and the printed word,
combined with oral language, help your child
understand the symbolic image that underlies
preschool reading and writing. It is advisable for his
teacher to use a variety of interesting and engaging
strategies in the classroom to develop preschool
reading.
Making literacy a part of every day is very beneficial. It
is also important to use safe experiences and direct
experiences that allow children to explore their world.
Each child learns and develops language skills at their
own pace, but all young children need:
* Opportunities to develop and practice developing
skills;
* Encouragement and praise for effort;
* Understanding that continuous learning is a family
value;
* Parents and other caregivers help plan
developmentally appropriate learning activities;
* A dedicated space for reading and practical activities.
To prepare a child for successful learning in school, it is
necessary to create appropriate conditions for him to
master all the riches of his native language. The
development of a child's speech largely depends on his
psyche, healthy, vigorous growth, moral qualities,
ensuring the normal implementation of the curriculum,
and the uniformity of the manuals. These issues should
find their solution in preschool education and be
focused on educating children to speak fluently in their
native language. To develop the mental processes of
children, it is necessary to develop their speech: The
child's ability to understand the meaning of each word
should correspond to his free expression in his speech.
A child who has adapted to the system of concepts
learns to speak and express his thoughts in a
concentrated manner.
From the earliest years of a child, the simplest types of
activity are the basis for the formation of his personal
abilities, characteristics, and attitude to the
surrounding world. Children use the acquired
knowledge and developed mental abilities in various
games and work. All this affects the development of the
child's personality, forming in him an interest in the
new content of activity. The nurturing and
development of needs, feelings, motives, and goals
during preschool age reaches a level that allows the
child to transition to regular schooling.
Categories of children with visual impairments and
their psychophysiological characteristics
Vision
Description
Completely sighted (blind)
Vision level of 0.05 and below
Low vision (partially sighted)
Vision level between 0.05–0.3
Visual impairment (functional
impairment)
Asthenopia, strabismus, amblyopia, etc.
International Journal of Pedagogics
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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)
Visual impairment significantly affects the child's
perception of the environment, self-awareness, motor
activity, language and speech development, social
adaptation and emotional state. Therefore, their
psychophysiological development has its own
characteristics.
The development process of children with visual
impairments in preschool age has its own
psychophysiological characteristics, which significantly
affects their cognitive activity, speech development,
motor acts, emotional state and social adaptation.
Limited vision prevents the child from receiving the
main part of the information coming from the external
environment. As a result, compensatory mechanisms,
namely hearing, touch, smell, etc., are actively
developed in these children (Khamidova, 2022).
The process of receiving information in children with
visual impairments occurs mainly through auditory and
tactile (touch) analyzers. Children of this age often have
overdeveloped auditory sensitivity, which helps them
perceive the environment through sounds. Tactile
sensitivity is especially important in the process of
getting acquainted with tactile writing (for example,
Braille). However, due to the lack or limited ability to
see, they face significant difficulties in spatial
orientation, shape and color perception (Usmonova,
2021).
Visual impairment has a significant impact on the
child's cognitive processes, in particular, thinking,
memory, attention, and imagination. Abstract thinking
develops poorly, and imaginations based on real
objects prevail. Their auditory memory is more
developed than visual memory. Attention stability is
very low, and it quickly fades, especially in a new or
distracting environment. Due to the lack of visual
foundations, children's imagination is usually based on
auditory and kinesthetic experiences.
Motor functions in preschool children with visual
impairment are also limited to a certain extent.
Particularly noticeable difficulties are observed in gross
motor skills, maintaining balance, orientation in space
and fine movements (for example, holding writing
instruments, feeling shapes). Such children have great
difficulties in forming spatial concepts, which leads to
the slow development of their skills in planning
movements and free movement in the environment.
The speech development of children with visual
impairments also has its own characteristics. These
children may have a limited vocabulary, since they
cannot directly observe many objects and phenomena.
Problems are observed with the phonetic aspect of
speech, especially with the correct pronunciation of
sounds. Semantic development is also slow in
understanding words that depend on the experience
gained through vision (for example, “light”, “mirror”,
“blue color”). As a result, their communicative
competence also decreases.
The stage of teaching preschool children to read
determines their level of readiness for school. In
children with visual impairments, this process is
accompanied by a number of problems:
Inability to receive education through visual stimuli;
Inability to imagine letters in terms of form;
Limitations in spatial orientation (insufficient formation
of concepts such as left-right, up-down, front-back);
Weak development of fine motor skills;
Incompatibility of simple didactic tools;
The need for supporting methods in speech and
auditory activities.
Therefore, it is necessary to use special methods and
technologies in the educational process, adapting them
to the individual needs of children.
Technologies for teaching literacy
1. Teaching literacy
based on the Braille
alphabet
Braille is a tactile writing system with a 6-dot structure
designed for blind and partially sighted people, through
which letters, numbers and symbols are felt using special
points. This writing system teaches children to recognize
letters by touch, form words and sentences, read and write.
Special braille devices, Braille machines, tactile alphabet
cards are the main tools of this technology.
2. Audio technologies
Technologies that organize learning through hearing
facilitate the process of learning literacy in children.
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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)
Through audio books, speech synthesizers, QR-code
textbooks, mobile applications, children learn letters,
words and texts by hearing. These technologies are
especially important in eliminating problems with speech
development.
3. Tactile technologies
Tactile materials are materials that stimulate children's
sense of touch through embossed letters, shapes, objects,
etc., and teach them to recognize, distinguish, and write
letters. Letter cards made of wood, plastic, fabric, or
rubber, shape stencils, and letter models with constructions
are among the tools in this category.
4.
Computer
and
digital technologies
Digital tools, including screen readers (JAWS, NVDA),
Braille monitors, touch-sensitive Braille tablets, and
mobile applications (e.g., Voice Dream Reader), allow
children to learn to read and write in an interactive
environment.
These
technologies
also
encourage
independent learning.
5. Game and activity-
based technologies
A playful approach is very effective in teaching children
with visual impairments to read. Literacy skills are
gradually developed through sound-emitting toys, sound
cubes, embossed letter cards, and audio-logical games.
This method increases children's motivation and ensures
their activity.
The following technologies play an important role in
teaching literacy to blind or partially sighted preschool
children:
a) Teaching through the Braille system
Braille is the main literacy technology for these
children. The teaching process is carried out step by
step:
Introducing the elements of dot-based writing
Recognizing letters and signs
Reading and writing simple words
Working with simple texts
b) Using tactile-didactic materials
Using specially designed tactile letters, geometric
shapes, and pictures, the child learns letters by hearing,
touching, and expressing them. This method provides
visual compensation.
c) Computer and mobile technologies
In recent years, it has become possible to strengthen
children's literacy skills through Braille players, voice
screen readers, and special game programs. For
International Journal of Pedagogics
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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)
example, using programs such as NVDA and JAWS, the
child learns to analyze texts by hearing.
d) Integrated game technologies
Playful learning is especially important for preschool
children. Sound games, special sensory boards, musical
alphabets and didactic cards attract children's
attention and facilitate learning.
The process of teaching literacy includes the following
stages:
Speech preparation - development of phonemic
hearing, differentiation of sounds and letters.
Tactile preparation - increasing finger sensitivity to
understand dotted writing.
Teaching Braille letters - independent understanding
and memorization of each letter.
Developing reading and writing - working with short
texts, stories.
An individual approach, motivation, and the use of
multisensory methods are important in teaching.
The process of teaching literacy to children with visual
impairments of preschool age requires a specific step-
by-step approach. These stages are organized taking
into account the level of psychophysiological
development of the child, the type and degree of visual
impairment, as well as the available compensatory
capabilities. At each stage, methodological tools are
selected, based on an individual and differentiated
approach.
1. Speech preparation stage
The first stage of the literacy training process is aimed
at forming speech preparation in the child. The main
tasks are the development of phonemic hearing,
differentiation and pronunciation of sounds, and
expansion of vocabulary. Since children with visual
impairments have limited opportunities to learn words
through visual images, it is necessary to support their
speech development through auditory, motor, and
tactile sensations.
The following methods are used at this stage:
• Auditory
-motor exercises - saying sounds by hearing
and expressing them with movement;
• Object
-word association - learning their names by
getting acquainted with real objects;
• Sound games
- interactive activities aimed at
identifying the beginning, end or content of words.
2. Tactile preparation stage
The development of tactile (perception by touch) skills
is important for children with visual impairments. In
particular, skills such as finger sensitivity, distinguishing
the structure of objects, and understanding their
location are necessary when learning Braille. At the
tactile preparation stage, work is carried out on the
child's hand motor skills, fine movements, and sensory
sensitivity.
The following methodological approaches are used:
• Tactile differentiation exercises
- distinguishing
smooth, rough, soft, hard surfaces;
• Contour recognition
- naming shapes by feeling them
with your hand;
• Working with large copies
of letters and shapes -
familiarization with large and raised letters for children
with poor vision.
3. Braille teaching stage
At this stage, children begin to master the basics of
Braille. The Braille system is based on a combination of
six dots and includes a tactile image of each letter,
number or symbol. Initially, letters are taught
separately, then they move on to the stage of
recognizing them in words and sentences.
The following are important in teaching Braille:
• Introduction to letters
- feeling and naming each
letter with your fingers;
• Learning to write on a Braille board
- exercises in
writing letters using a slate and stylus;
• Reading simple texts
- reading Braille copies of short
words, sentences and stories.
When teaching Braille, lessons should be enriched with
visual and game elements that increase children's
interest.
4. The stage of strengthening reading and writing skills
At this stage, the child consolidates letters and words
and moves on to independent reading and writing
activities. Learning activities are expanded by working
with texts: the skills of understanding the text, telling
its content, and answering simple questions are
formed. Also, errors in pronunciation and writing are
worked on.
Methodological approaches at this stage include:
• Textual methods –
reading, analyzing and retelling a
story;
• Written tasks –
dictation, independent writing
exercises;
• Audio
learning technologies
–
listening and learning
through the use of audio books, sound files.
5. Formation of socio-communicative skills
The process of teaching literacy includes the
development of not only technical skills, but also social
and communicative competencies. The child is guided
to form the skills of expressing his/her opinion,
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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)
answering questions, working in a group, and
independent thinking.
Methodology for teaching literacy to preschool
children with visual impairments
Stage
Main tasks
Methods and
tools used
Outcome/Skill
1. Speech
preparation
Develop phonemic
hearing
Auditory-motor
exercises, sound
games
Correctly
distinguish and
pronounce sounds
2. Tactile
preparation
Increase finger
sensitivity
Tactile
differentiation
exercises, working
with shapes
Feel objects and
letters
3. Braille teaching
Master Braille
letters
Braille board,
stylus, special
books
Independently read
and write letters
4. Reading and
writing
development
Develop text
comprehension
and writing skills
Audio books,
dictation,
independent
writing exercises
Understand and
express text
5. Social and
communication
skills
Formulate ideas,
teach
communication
Group exercises,
interactive games
Develop social and
speech skills
CONCLUSION
Technologies for teaching literacy to preschool children
with visual impairments should be developed in
accordance with their physiological and psychological
characteristics. The integration of the Braille system,
tactile tools, audio programs and game technologies in
teaching literacy provides high efficiency. Cooperation
with parents, defectologists and speech therapists
plays an important role in the educational process.
Education organized in this way ensures the further
socialization of children and their readiness for
educational activities.
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