[blindkid] Large Print Texts

Thu May 12 20:44:41 UTC 2011

Yes Eric, you can share my response!

T. J.

________________________________
From: Eric Vasiliauskas <icdx at earthlink.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wed, May 11, 2011 10:08:31 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Large Print Texts

Dear Kim & TJ,
I loved your responses.
Is it OK if I share them with some teachers on another listserv?
Eric V

On 5/10/11 4:02 PM, "T. J." <tjmaries at yahoo.com> wrote:

>I agree with Darci! I LOVE reading now. It wasn't always like this though
>as I 
>was a low vision child struggling with normal sized print because nobody
>would 
>give me large print (most of the time).  But when I was in 7th grade
>(1996-1997 
>school year), I taught myself Braille because none of my teachers thought
>I 
>needed it (had 20/80 2/60 vision at 7inches from my nose, my eyes don't
>and 
>never have worked together)!  That changed in 2 years in 9th grade when I
>had a 
>major decrease in vision to 20/200 to 20/120. So, I am very glad I
>learned 
>Braille even though I had to teach myself!
>
>T. J.
>
>
>
>________________________________
>From: "draehooks at yahoo.com" <draehooks at yahoo.com>
>To: Lynda Zwinger <lyndaz918 at gmail.com>; "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,
>(for 
>parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tue, May 10, 2011 1:38:57 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Large Print Texts
>
>My 7 year old is a braille reader, his favorite thing to do is read.  I
>see his 
>braille skills as a gift. He is reading above grade level because of his
>love 
>for reading.  It's not hard for them to learn when young and becomes
>second 
>nature. 
>
>I am bias, but consider braille and ease her frustration with reading.
>There r 
>camps to help with braille skills, too.
>
>Darci Hooks
>
>Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!
>
>----- Reply message -----
>From: "Lynda Zwinger" <lyndaz918 at gmail.com>
>Date: Tue, May 10, 2011 16:07
>Subject: [blindkid] Large Print Texts
>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,    (for parents of blind children)"
><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>
>Kim--very eloquently put!  I agree with every syllable, and have found it
>to
>be absolutely true for my son as well!
>
>Braille is a literacy tool that will help all our children, whatever
>levels
>of vision they have, reach and exceed the expectations their educators *
>should* be holding them to!
>
>Lynda Zwinger
>
>On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 1:01 PM, Kim Cunningham
><kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>wrote:
>
>> Stacy,
>> My daughter is also "low vision" and began school as a print reader. The
>> large print textbooks were always in black and white - even the maps and
>> charts! Plus there is the added burden of having multiple (and heavy)
>>large
>> print books for one regular print book. While in high school she was
>>able to
>> get a few of her text books on CD. Usually, her large print text books
>>were
>> ordered in early spring prior to the beginning of school in the fall. I
>> would suggest calling to make sure this is done. You will also need to
>>get a
>> copy of the list of classroom books for the upcoming year. Start working
>> ahead of time to locate the books. All of them won't be available. I
>>don't
>> know how may times a book was copied, NOT bound, and given to my
>>daughter as
>> a stack of paper. I'm sure you can figure out the outcome of that!
>> I would like to caution you about how hard it is for a large print
>>reader
>> to be successful in school. What I say doesn't mean she won't be
>>successful,
>> but she will struggle to keep up with her peers. Your daughter is young
>>and
>> most print in books and text books for younger children is usually very
>> large. I believe 18 pt. font is the standard size font for large print
>> readers. First graders usually have even larger font sizes. As your
>>daughter
>> progresses through school, each grade, the print becomes smaller and the
>> amount of reading increases. A child with partial vision will never
>>match
>> the reading rates of totally sighted children. She will still need to
>> complete the same assignments as her peers. She will still need to read
>>all
>> the books.
>> When our CTVI's do reading assessments for our "low vision" children,
>>it is
>> usually done in optimum conditions such as: clear, crisp reading
>>material
>> (large print copies are often grainy), quality lighting and usually not
>>for
>> an extended period of time. At the end of the assessment the kids are
>>deemed
>> "visual" learners. I assume this is determined because our kids are
>>able to
>> read print, but they don't take into account other obstacles. When our
>>low
>> vision kids are faced with reading novels, with very small print, they
>>are
>> often fatigued after a short while. My own daughter complained of neck
>> aches, back aches, and head aches from the strain of visual reading.
>> Homework always took twice as long if not longer. Most nights usually
>>ended
>> in tears from fatigue. Parents presume the professionals such as CTVI's
>>have
>> the knowledge and foresight of best educational decisions for our
>>children.
>> The fact is, that most hold low expectations for their educational
>>  outcome. Many don't know braille or how to teach it. Most have the
>> presumption that braille is hard. Many say how horrible it is to ask a
>>child
>> to wear sleep shades to learn braille. None of my daughter's CTVI's ever
>> witnessed what it took for her to complete her homework visually. While
>>I
>> complained, it fell on deaf ears.
>> I write this to you as one mother to another. Children do not have to be
>> "totally blind" to benefit from braille. Low vision kids who learn
>>braille
>> are able to keep up with their peers in all reading material. You will
>>hear
>> this often - braille is an equalizer! My own daughter began teaching
>>herself
>> braille in the 7th grade. Her CTVI chastised her for wanting to learn
>> braille, so she became a closet braille reader. We fought the school
>> district and she finally received braille instruction her senior year of
>> high school. Since she learned braille at an older age, her braille
>>reading
>> speed will probably never be equal to her peers, but now she has the
>> opportunity to read for "pleasure"!
>> I hope I have given you some things to think about. I only wish someone
>>had
>> given me the wisdom and foresight into what would best benefit my child
>>in
>> the long run.
>> Thank you,
>> Kim Cunningham
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