[Iabs-talk] FW: NFBI At Large Braille Reading Group

[Leslie Hamric]

FYI esp for those in at large chapter

 

From: Robert Gardner [mailto:rgardner4 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2010 11:11 AM
To: lhamric930 at comcast.net
Cc: Kelly Doty
Subject: NFBI At Large Braille Reading Group

 

Hi Leslie

 

Could you forward this message to those in the At Large Chapter?  

 

Thanks, 

Bob

 

***

 

The NFBI Braille Literacy Committee is interested in forming an "at large"
Braille reading group that would follow the same model as that of the
Blackhawk Chapter's ABLE Group described below.  The NFBI group would meet
once a week by teleconference to read Braille.  The goal would be to improve
the Braille skills of those participating, and would be aimed at readers
with lower reading speeds rather than the proficient Braille readers.  The
group would start meeting around the end of October.  

 

If you are interested in joining such a group, please contact Bob Gardner by
the end of the month, August 31.  Also, if you have questions, please
contact him.  

 

rgardner4 at gmail.com

309.236.6606

 

***

 

ABLE GROUP/BLACKHAWK CHAPTER

 

Several years ago, the Blackhawk Chapter formed a group with the purpose of
improving the Braille skills of those participating.  The group was called
the ABLE Group, where ABLE stood for Access to Braille Literacy for
Everyone.  

 

The ABLE Group met once a week  for an hour and a half.  People read Braille
out loud to each other, with Each person having the same Braille book or
story, each person taking turns reading.  

 

Reading aloud was considered an important part of the program.  In general,
reading aloud seemed more challenging than reading to one's self.  If you're
not sure of a word or contraction, you can't just gloss over it when reading
aloud to others.  Also, if a person got stuck on a word or contraction,
others in the group could help.  

 

Those in the group were ones who needed to refresh their Braille knowledge,
or improve their reading speed.  The reading speed of those in the group was
less than 50 words per minute.  Several in the group doubled their reading
speed within a year after the founding of the group.