[NFB-Braille-Discussion] Reading Speed Increases

Wed Mar 15 20:04:37 UTC 2023

Reading every day as much as possible is essential. You are not going to give up other forms of reading; you cannot get everything in Braille, anyway. Find a magazine you enjoy in Braille, some books, some business reports—you pick. Two experiences worth sharing: 1. A Braille student came to me for a recipe and took it down using her slate and stylus. She said: I am going to college and want my noses in Braille, but I am too slow. I answered: Make yourself write them with the slate and stylus. Most freshmen do not have notetaking mastered, and you can share your notes with others, so do the best you can and see how fast you improve. At Christmas break she came back for another recipe and wrote it on the slate like a pro. I said: Carolyn, you did it! She barely knew what I was talking about, but she had taken notes with the slate and stylusin in all of her classes for one semester and truly had no more concerns about speed. Second example: We had a student with a phD who was losing vision so was a fast reader in print. She was determined to build speed in Braille. She took two hours of braille during the day and read two more hours each evening 7 days a week. It took her about 3 weeks to cover the entire Braille code, and then she began reading whatever she wished. At the end of six months she took a timed reading test and read 150 words per minute. She said the effort was worth the results. That was the right time for her to do it. Students who learn as children keep up their speed pretty easily. If the speed has increased as an adult, you need to keep on reading regularly to maintain it. 
suggestions on technique: pet the Braille lightly and keep your fingers moving to the right, so you are getting part from context, but do not go back and worry about single words, so your muscle memory is being developped. 2. Get identical texts of Braille and recorded material. Set the player just a little faster than you can read the Braille and make yourself keep up. 3. If you did not get the sense from context, read the entire page again, keeping up your speed, three or four times if necessary. It will come! Mabel Nading and I did lots of testing of speed building at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in the 1970's. Some of our students taught us a lot by their success. Determination and discipline make a huge difference. I think some of this stuff is in the Braille Monitor somewhere. 
Best,
Ramona
On Mar 15, 2023 1:09 PM, Sanho Steele-Louchart via NFB-Braille-Discussion <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Sahar,
>
> Thank you. Agreed on all counts. I really want to move to reading
> everything in braille as long as it isn't time-sensitive, but I've
> been using my screen-reader at 850 words a minute for almost twenty
> years. Going back to 40 or 60WPM is incredibly difficult--especially
> given the neurological fatigue that comes with.
>
> Sanho
>
> On 3/15/23, Sahar Husseini via NFB-Braille-Discussion
> <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> > Practice really is key. I used to tell my students. Sighted people see print
> > everywhere. It is literally on everything. You have to read braille every
> > day. Some people tell me that's hard to do, but that really is what it
> > takes. I never understood how kids took braille class for one day a week. I
> > was lucky that everything in school was in braille. For me to get faster, I
> > had to read everything in braille. Of course, now, I am 110 years old, so I
> > don't know that kids get everything in braille these days. It's sad how much
> > focus is on audio. Some of us don't comprehend as well on audio. Ok, I'm not
> > quite 110, lol.
> >
> > Warm regards,
> > Sahar Husseini
> > Sahar’s Beaded Creations
> > For hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind jewelry, please visit my Website at
> > www.saharscreations.com
> > Find me on Facebook at
> > www.facebook.com/saharscreations
> > And remember, “Obstacles don't have to stop you.  If you run into a wall,
> > don't turn around and give up.
> > Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
> > Michael Jordan
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: NFB-Braille-Discussion <nfb-braille-discussion-bounces at nfbnet.org> On
> > Behalf Of David Andrews via NFB-Braille-Discussion
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2023 1:26 PM
> > To: 'NFB Braille Discussion List' <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>
> > Cc: dandrews920 at comcast.net
> > Subject: Re: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Reading Speed Increases
> >
> > I am not an expert in Braille learning -- however, I remember some articles
> > in the Braille Monitor in the 90's about adults learning Braille and
> > increasing their speed.  I think the recommendations are generally that you
> > need to read each and every day, for an hour if possible. I remember one
> > person saying it took them two years to build up their speed.
> >
> > I am not trying to discourage you, but if you go weeks or months without
> > reading Braille, you won't get faster.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: NFB-Braille-Discussion <nfb-braille-discussion-bounces at nfbnet.org> On
> > Behalf Of Sanho Steele-Louchart via NFB-Braille-Discussion
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2023 10:56 AM
> > To: NFB Braille Discussion List <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>
> > Cc: Sanho Steele-Louchart <sanho817 at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Reading Speed Increases
> >
> > Right now, approximately zero minutes a day on average. I have weeks where I
> > read 10 pages a day and months where I don't touch braille at all. I
> > definitely need to build consistency there. I'm currently reading at about
> > 60WPM. Enough to enjoy and understand what I'm reading, but nowhere near
> > what I read when I was sighted.
> >
> > On 3/15/23, marianne denning via NFB-Braille-Discussion
> > <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >> Do you know anyone who can watch you as you read and make suggestions?
> >> Many people have increased reading speed. How much time do you spend
> >> reading each day?
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: NFB-Braille-Discussion
> >> <nfb-braille-discussion-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sanho
> >> Steele-Louchart via NFB-Braille-Discussion
> >> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2023 11:13 AM
> >> To: NFB Braille Discussion List <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>
> >> Cc: Sanho Steele-Louchart <sanho817 at gmail.com>
> >> Subject: Re: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Reading Speed Increases
> >>
> >> Mike,
> >>
> >> Thanks. I'm compiling the list now in text and braille for people to
> >> use as they wish.
> >>
> >> To clarify, I'm not looking for techniques. I'm looking for how long
> >> it takes to increase speed and by what amount we can do so.
> >>
> >> Warmth,
> >> Sanho
> >>
> >> On 3/15/23, Mike Jolls via NFB-Braille-Discussion
> >> <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >>> I have been working on increasing Braille reading speed as well …
> >>> here are my tips
> >>>
> >>> Don’t scrub
> >>> Light touch
> >>> Read things that don’t have words that are too difficult at first All
> >>> fingers on the Braille as you read.
> >>> Both hands start the line and move together across the line  –  but
> >>> right eventually separates from left and finishes while left goes to
> >>> next line ready to read (this means there’s no time lost between
> >>> right hand finishing and next line starting to be read)
> >>>
> >>> Hmmm … practicing the frequently read words … I’d be interested in
> >>> getting a list of those myself.
> >>>
> >>> Another tip, make sure you practice reading every day.
> >>>
> >>> And here are a couple of more things (if you’re reading on a braille
> >>> display with a screen reader such as Jaws) Put the braille display in
> >>> “auto advance” mode and read a document.  The screen reader will
> >>> automatically advance to the next line and refresh the display with
> >>> the next line of text.  This will force you to keep up.
> >>> You may need to set the auto advance speed so it’s slow enough at
> >>> first so you can keep up with it.  Then as you get better, set it a
> >>> bit faster.  It’s like taking a shorthand class where the teacher
> >>> keeps making you go faster.
> >>> You do get faster as time goes on.  I’m still working on this.
> >>>
> >>> Second tip for the braille display.  In your screen reader software,
> >>> set the left and right panning buttons so that forward panning is the
> >>> LEFT button, not the right button.  By default (at least in Jaws),
> >>> Jaws has assigned the forward pan function to the right panning
> >>> button on the display.  But this means that you have to move your
> >>> hand to the right side of the display in order to pan.  And when
> >>> you’re on a short line, it takes a second or two to do that.  Result
> >>> is that you lose a couple of seconds every time you have to move your
> >>> hand to the right side of the display.  By switching the forward pan
> >>> function to the left button, you don’t have to move your right hand
> >>> to the end of the display to press the pan forward button.  Your left
> >>> hand is always there on the left button, so it takes less time to pan
> >>> forward.  This will save a little time (every bit helps) but the
> >>> majority of your time savings will be in the tips before this one.
> >>> This one will take a bit of getting used to, but I have it from
> >>> another blind user that this is the way to go.  Saving the second or
> >>> two on each line seems to make sense, so give it a try.
> >>>
> >>> Hope I’ve explained this adequately and good luck.
> >>>
> >>> Incidentally, for those in the NFB group, any comments are welcome
> >>> regarding what I’ve said.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
> >>> Windows
> >>>
> >>> From: Sanho Steele-Louchart via
> >>> NFB-Braille-Discussion<mailto:nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>
> >>> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2023 8:15 AM
> >>> To: NFB Braille Discussion
> >>> List<mailto:nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>
> >>> Cc: Sanho Steele-Louchart<mailto:sanho817 at gmail.com>
> >>> Subject: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Reading Speed Increases
> >>>
> >>> Hi, all,
> >>>
> >>> Is there any kind of a science to when and by how much significant
> >>> reading gains will happen? I'm currently reading braille at about a
> >>> fifth the speed I want to. I'll practice as much as I need to.
> >>>
> >>> Warmth,
> >>> Sanho
> >>> --
> >>> He/Him
> >>>
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> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> He/Him
> >>
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>
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Ramona