Answer to Question 1
Most of us learn about concepts through visionwatching or visually examining people, objects, and events. Without vision, children do not have the opportunity to learn about a concept thoroughly, so family members and teachers learn to narrate the world to children with visual impairment, and make all the features of concepts explicit.
For example, an apple is not just red (or green or yellow); it is white on the inside, and the seeds are brown. Teachers working with children who are blind should be aware that even though a child may use verbal expressions that indicate an understanding of a concept, he or she may not really have the deeper understanding that comes with actual personal experience. If a child writes or reads a story about a big gray elephant and has had no firsthand experience with an elephant or the color gray, she is writing and/or reading about something that she does not truly understand. The teacher may want to work more closely with the child on these concepts, providing rich and meaningful experiences.
Answer to Question 2
a