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Crossroads

Feel the one-way road.
Add another brick to build a crossroads.

Pre-braille Activity

  • Bi-manual
  • Pretend play
  • Spatial concepts
  • Tactile discrimination

Level: 2

Number of players: 1 and +

Duration: 10 min

Skills:

  • Locate objects

  • Recognise spatial concepts

  • Reproduce and create patterns

  • Develop strategies to succeed

Goals

To develop manipulation skills and understands the concept of crossing.
To learn to place the bricks in the correct reading position.

Drawing a cross shape is the real challenge for a blind child.
The teacher places eight equal sign bricks on the base plate.
The child finds a brick on the base plate.
Then, to make a crossroads, they take another brick from the bag and place it on top of the equal sign brick in the reading position with the studs at the top.
We chose the equal sign as the base because the dots two, three, five, and six form a square in the middle of the brick.
This adds a little extra difficulty: You have to center the second brick and position it right in the middle of the equal brick.
To do this activity, the child needs to use both hands.
With one hand, they find the reference brick on the baseplate, with the other, they complete the crossroads.
This activity helps them to understand the concept of crossing while working on both spatial relationships and the correct orientation for reading the bricks.

The adult prepares

  • 8 equal sign bricks “=”

  • 8 letters (prefer N, P or Q) in a bowl


Place the “=” bricks horizontally across the baseplate.

The children play

1

Tell the child to take a brick from the bowl and orientate it in the correct reading position.

Show them how to put it symmetrically on top of one of the ‘equal sign’ bricks already on the baseplate, to make a ‘crossroads’.

2

The game is over when all the bricks are crossroads.

Facilitation tips

  • To make it easier for the child to start this activity, replace Ns, Ps and Qs with an easy- to-orientate letter like C.

  • Make crosses using different materials like playdough or 2 pieces of string with the children to help them understand the concept of crosses and crossroads.

  • Encourage discussion: Imagine where these roads could lead to, what other things are the same shape as these crossroads?

  • Ask the children to play with mini-figures or cars crossing the crossroads.