The Development and Evaluation of a Tactile Analog to the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, Form A

Abstract

This article describes the field test of the Tactile Test of Basic Concepts (TTBC), a tactile analog to the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (BTBC). The performance of blind subjects is decribed as well as a comparison of the performance of blind subjects and seeing subjects on analagous test forms. The comparison revealed no significant differences between the performance of the two groups. Comparison of the performance of the two subject groups on each individual item of the test revealed that blind and sighted kindergarten children perform at approximately the same level, though the blind group was slightly superior. However, this difference is reversed at the first and second grade levels. It is suggested that the TTBC be administered upon school entry so that difficult concepts can be taught earlier, thereby avoiding differences at higher grade levels.