[image: Perkins_Penrickton_TSBVI_logos.png] Dear Colleagues, Many of you have heard of Active Learning, which is an educational approach developed by Dr. Lilli Nielsen for individuals functioning below a 48-month (4-year-old) level. This approach, which is closely tied to evidence-based research, emphasizes the importance of presenting materials in a way that supports the active engagement of all learners to develop through their own exploration. You may have heard of a Little Room, but do you know about... - The Dynamic Learning Circle <http://www.activelearningspace.org/principles/dynamic-learning-circle/overview-dynamic-learning-circle> ? - The Five Phases of Educational Treatment <http://www.activelearningspace.org/principles/five-phases-of-educational-treatment/interacting-with-the-learner> ? - The Functional Scheme <http://www.activelearningspace.org/assessment/assessment-page>? *Active Learning is about much more than equipment!* *Join our free webinar on Feb. 13!* <https://www.perkinselearning.org/videos/webinar/active-learning-more-piece-equipment> It will be recorded and archived to view any time. *Evidence-Based Research* A recent article in the *Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics *provides support for this approach. The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children <https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058> (2018) discusses the importance of a child’s independent exploration, as well as appropriate adult-child interaction in order to optimize their development. Serve-and-return exchanges, in which the child learns to take turns with an adult in non-verbal communication, helps to form the foundation for healthy relationships and learning. These same principles are at the heart of Active Learning. *Getting More Information* The Active Learning Space website http://www.activelearningspace.org/ is a good place to find information about this approach. This free website is a collaboration between Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Perkins School for the Blind, and Penrickton Center for Blind Children, and is designed to serve as a repository for authoritative information about the Active Learning approach. If you train others, we hope that you will share it with your classes, families, and educational teams. If you are a TVI or are working directly with students, we hope that you’ll visit the site and dive in for a deeper understanding. The site includes numerous video examples of students, as well as recorded lectures and archived webinars on specific topics related to Active Learning. There is also a series of self-paced online modules. When you are ready to implement an Active Learning approach with a particular child, we invite you to download the guide to Getting Started with Active Learning <http://www.activelearningspace.org/images/downloads/Getting_Started_with_Active_Learning_Download.pdf>. This document is designed to walk teams through the steps, from assessment through implementation and tracking progress. We also invite you and the people with whom you work to subscribe to our free newsletter <http://www.activelearningspace.org/resources/active-learning-space-newsletters>, which will keep you up to date on events, new information, and resources. There is currently a web-based study group, where case studies are presented. Please contact us if you would like more information. Kate Hurst, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, hurstk@tsbvi.edu Charlotte Cushman, Perkins School for the Blind charlotte.cushman@perkins.org