[nabs-l] Attention: Parents, Teachers and Supporters of Young Blind Children struggling with literacy

Sun Aug 30 16:09:44 UTC 2009

Beth,
Just let me know if you would like more information, or use the
information provided online to contact Kevin directly. Either of us
would be happy to help you.
Aziza

On 8/30/09, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
> Awesome.  I learned Braille a different way, but those things might be
> fun to teach my kids Braille because I might end upadopting blind
> children.  Itmight be cool.
> Beth
>
> On 8/29/09, Aziza C <daydreamingncolor at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Good for you Alena!
>>
>> On 8/29/09, alena roberts <alena.roberts2282 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> What an awesome story and what an awesome product. If I ever become a
>>> parent, I might get these even if my children aren't blind, because if
>>> they know braille than they'll know how their mom reads.
>>>
>>> Alena
>>>
>>> On 8/29/09, Aziza C <daydreamingncolor at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> How many of us have struggled through comprehending Braille upon first
>>>> being introduced to it. How many of us have watched another child
>>>> struggle through the attempts to comprehend Braille upon their first
>>>> few encounters? Reading is difficult, especially at first. It isn't
>>>> often a child will "want," to sit still and turn the pages of a book
>>>> for an hour when the alternative is running outside, or watching
>>>> television. Parents, teachers, supporters, and even the children
>>>> themselves understand these struggles. And so does this man who gives
>>>> this account.
>>>>
>>>> A PARENT'S LATE COMING TO BRAILLE
>>>>
>>>> Kevin C. Murphy
>>>>
>>>> Fourteen, blind since infancy, multiply handicapped, Kevin knew
>>>> about letters. Letters excited him in the way angels, UFOs,
>>>> ghosts, and monsters excite many of us -- lots of mystery, little
>>>> practical value. His favorite television programs, SESAME STREET
>>>> and THE ELECTRIC COMPANY mimicked Madison Avenue's technique of
>>>> manipulating human want. Kevin wanted to read. For this child,
>>>> reading had to mean Braille. Yet by 1981 "Braille" for Kevin, was a
>>>> mispronunciation of "fail." Preceded by dread, overshadowed by fear,
>>>> each class was cursed by confusion, each ended in depression.
>>>> Ending six years of effort, Kevin's teachers abandoned efforts to
>>>> teach Braille to him. I believed that Braille was beyond Kevin's
>>>> grasp. Yet, a distant part of me raged against that illiterate life.
>>>> Inwardly I hesitated to post full cost and cause to Kevin's account.
>>>> Kevin -- and Heather, my adopted daughter -- were multiply
>>>> handicapped and blind. No fear, nor excessive concern about
>>>> blindness gripped me. My children were who they were, I saw nothing in
>>>> need of fixing -- except, perhaps, in the society that shunned them.
>>>> I nursed a parent's terror of Braille, a thing so exotic, so
>>>> beyond my experience, that surely my ignorance of it can only damage
>>>> my child. But what harm could I do now? Kevin's legacy of Braille's
>>>> letters, alphabets, grief, effort, and failure were now discarded as
>>>> junk. I could do no harm.
>>>> Kevin could, at least, learn that symbolic languages exist,
>>>> function. He might not read a book, but he might understand how
>>>> others do that. Many who've never piloted aircraft understand their
>>>> workings.
>>>> I searched for means such that Kevin might keep what literacy he
>>>> had, perhaps to re-shape that knowledge base a bit to make life less
>>>> confusing to him. The approach: "Hey Kevin, want to work with Dad?" is
>>>> not a proven winner with fourteen-year-olds.
>>>> "Hey Kevin, want to work on Braille?" was a certain loser in
>>>> that age.
>>>> I mutilated Christmas toys, fashioned my first TACK-TILES® .
>>>> Little building blocks became Braille cells. "Hey Kevin, guess what I
>>>> did to your Lego® blocks!" was as perfect a "come on"
>>>> as any ever devised. I let his very annoyed half-wondering fingers
>>>> survey
>>>> the
>>>> damage thoroughly before accounting for myself -or mentioning B-----.
>>>> Then we built words and sentences on toy boards meant to
>>>> serve as front lawns. I was poorly prepared for the success of early
>>>> sessions with Kevin and TACK-TILES® . In that setting, failure meant
>>>> only that I would deny him his great pleasure of confiscating my
>>>> TACK-TILES® , forfeiting opportunity to lodge them onto his own board.
>>>> Here Braille's challenge was a benign contest of human beings, fun,
>>>> much more to his comfort and liking. Braille was lodged in a world of
>>>> his own -- less like the adult's. He allowed me to tease and fence
>>>> with him around his knowledge and ability to use this new learning
>>>> tool. He revealed secrets about his unique learning style, remained
>>>> at task until I wondered if I had an attention disorder. Kevin's
>>>> instructor -- his father -- had not the beginning of an idea how to
>>>> proceed. That helped immensely. Kevin and the TACK-TILES® took
>>>> complete charge. Success, followed success in the wake of success.
>>>> His teachers's earlier efforts finally bore fruit. Kevin was
>>>> able to read his grade one Braille papers by the end of that month.
>>>> Nearly nine years would pass before another child would learn to read
>>>> with TACK-TILES®. Five more years beyond that would pass before we
>>>> could afford to make them commercially available in February, 1995.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In March of 2009, I had the chance to meet Kevin Murphey, the
>>>> developer of Tack-Tiles. I stood before his table in a huge exhibit
>>>> hall marveling at how the product had evolved since I used them to
>>>> help me learn to read as a child. I was listening distractedly to him
>>>> deliver a sales pitch to the gentlman standing beside me. Explaining
>>>> his reasons for building the blocks in the first place, and remarking
>>>> that he'd never met another student besides his own son who had used
>>>> these products to learn how to read, although he'd sold many. I looked
>>>> up startled and turned towards him, hesitantly I put out my hand and
>>>> spoke up. "I learned how to read with these blocks." Kevin stopped
>>>> talking and turned to face me, surprise and pleasure in his voice as
>>>> he asked, "Really?" I smiled and I confirmed that I had. Idly I played
>>>> with his newest product, Braille Teasers, a sort of flat puzzle that
>>>> makes you think about where the letters can go provided one empty
>>>> space. The object is to get the board alphabitized without removing
>>>> the legos which is considered cheating. We talked and talked like old
>>>> friends, and then I asked if I could take a picture with him. He
>>>> agreed on the conditions that I email him a copy of the photo, which I
>>>> found to be a fair price.
>>>>
>>>> As I sat at National Convention I heard a constant message. We must
>>>> increase Braille Literacy. Our kids need to be taught Braille.
>>>> Braille, Braille and more Braille. This brought a smile to my lips,
>>>> however, once I returned home I began to think. Braille Readers are
>>>> Leaders, Slate Pals, these programs reenforce Braille Skills that
>>>> children already possess, encouraging them to read. However, I have
>>>> yet to hear of a program geared towards teaching children Braille when
>>>> they know none to begin with. I called up my new friend Kevin and
>>>> launched in to my creative mode. My excitement prooved contagious, and
>>>> Kevin agreed to allow me a shot at promoting the product that made me
>>>> the Braille Reader I am today.
>>>>
>>>> Tack-Tiles are tiny lego blocks with Braille letters, contractions,
>>>> numbers, or music symbols on them, depending on which set you
>>>> purchase. Sets can also be purchased in different languages. This
>>>> product can be extremely benificial because children do not realize
>>>> they are learning. I would rapidly lose interest in my reading and
>>>> begin to build things with my legos, stopping in fascination as I
>>>> realized my house had words on the roof. These legos can hold a
>>>> child's attention routed to literacy without his or her knowledge,
>>>> thus providing them with more exposure and practice, and making
>>>> reading fun.
>>>>
>>>> It is my belief that organizations, and schools helping young
>>>> students, or students with multi-disabilities should own a set of
>>>> Tack-Tiles. If anyone has any questions or an interest in this
>>>> product, please don't hesitate to email me off list at:
>>>> daydreamingncolor at gmail.com
>>>> Or, visit the Tac-Tiles home page at:
>>>> http://www.tack-tiles.com/
>>>>
>>>> Aziza Cano
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Alena Roberts
>>> Blog: http://www.blindgal.com/
>>>
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>>
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