[blindkid] Pre-Braille/Braille Teaching

[Leah]

Marie, I am just getting these things too (after over a year of  
trying!).

The other day I was sweeping under a chair and I suddenly remembered  
the many activities my sighted daughter had in kindergarten that were  
related to reading. One day when I was helping in her kindergarten  
class, the kids all had activities based on gluing little pieces of  
phonemes onto letters and pictures on a sheet of paper. It was a  
phonics exercise. I realized (two years later, last week) that I had  
never visualized my son having all of those activities, or even part  
of them, in Braille. I was limiting myself mentally to teaching the  
alphabet.

Since that moment, when we read our twin vision books I am feeling the  
Braille every time. I am encouraging him to feel it and praising him  
for "reading" the page just as I would praise him for reciting a  
memorized page. He has an oatmeal container of huge plastic letters by  
the fridge. Today I gave him a special can that contains a set of Tack- 
Tiles, a through z, right by the other container. And we have been  
taking our two swing cells and I ask him what letter he wants to make.  
Then I make it on mine and ask him to copy me. Along with this we have  
the book "Lots of Dots" by APH. It is a tactile coloring book and has  
each Braille letter in several formats on each page. Before he makes  
the letter on the swing cell I ask him to touch the same lowercase  
Braille letter in normal size braille in that book. Also, when he put  
the pegs in with his TVI he would throw them or insist on filling all  
the holes to make the contraction "for." I am not going to allow that.  
I know he has PDD but he can do his stimming in some other arena. And  
since I decided that, he has been fine with putting the pegs where  
they are supposed to go.

I also asked him to tell me the name of a color or friend he likes and  
then we use the swing cell to create the first letter of the word.  
Today he chose his stuffed dog and so we said "Duh, duh, duh, Doggie!"  
and made the letter D. I think having him choose helps. If he wasn't  
talking yet I would guess his favorites.

I am so happy he is touching those normal size Braille letters, even  
for a second! I just had such a mental block about it. Today he was  
pushing the letter so hard with his finger and I was trying to hold  
his finger to model touching it soft enough to feel it. He said,  
"Mommy, do it myself!"

I think the next thing I'm going to try is as soon as he has a few  
Braille letters down, to make a couple of three letter words with Tack- 
Tiles and regular Braille, you know, like cat, hat; red, bed. And also  
presenting two Braille letters and telling me "Which one is letter A?"

I don't know anything about the programs but wanted to share that I  
had a similar moment to what you described.

Leah


Marie wrote:

<<<I am rapidly realizing that pre-braille is not exactly the same as  
pre-literacy. I got our labeler today and will begin labeling lots and  
lots of stuff as fast as I can. We also got the flash cards that I  
ordered. Light bulb moment-a "brailled a" presented in isolation on a  
card that has a textured "a" on it is not really going to get us  
anywhere, is it? Jack needs to learn to feel the letters correct?
I don't think our school is going to get it's bootie in gear anytime  
soon so I want to begin braille/pre-braille instruction at home. I  
rather naively thought I might just introduce the braille letters  
along with the print letter of the week. I'm beginning to see some  
flaws in that plan. I have seen a web page of another family where the  
little girl learned braille and print simultaneously. They used the  
Mangold system. Carol Castellano's book mentions several different  
programs. Can some other people with been there, done that experience  
comment on the programs you like and why or if you strongly dislike a  
program, please mention that as well? I'd especially like to hear from  
those who have taught pre-schoolers who were not yet reading or just  
beginning to get their print letters. >>>