[NFB-Braille-Discussion] NFB-Braille-Discussion Digest, Vol 44, Issue 7

[Carlton Anne Cook Walker]

Sanho,

Great questions!

1. Regarding the bottom of the cell: Typically, missing the bottom row
results from suboptimal finger placement. You really want to get the entire
pad of your fingers on the braille cell.
I find that tracking practice can help. Consider making your own tracking
sheets (using a slate and stylus, brailler, or embosser). Early on, the
rows can contain the same letter side-by-side all the way across. I
recommend starting with letters that have dots in the top row and the
bottom row, but not in the middle row (k, m, u, x). With these letters, you
will immediately know if you can discern the bottom row, and you can adjust
your finger position as needed.
Then, move to rows with the same letter and one space between the letters.
In time, add spaces and switch up the letters. Over time, add letters with
dot 5, then with dot 2.

2. Regarding reading speed:
The obstacles you reference are common -- for both braille and print
readers. Here is my favorite way to help build reading speed (and
confidence): Emboss fully-contracted materials you have memorized. This
allows you to concentrate on recognizing braille rather than adding
decoding to the task. You already know what the words are, so you are,
literally, teaching yourself what those words feel like.
I also recommend using poems and/or song lyrics (which, to a large extent,
are poetry). Poems and song lyrics pack a great deal of meaning and
higher-level vocabulary into a relatively short amount of text. This gives
you far more bang for your buck.
Of course, I advise you to avoid scrubbing. When you need to re-read a word
(or line), lift your fingers slightly, and move them to the left. (It's
fine to allow helper fingers to glide across the braille to keep your
place.)
Most importantly, DON'T FOCUS ON READING QUICKLY. Focus on your reading
mechanics: full pad touching the braille, no scrubbing, etc. Speed will
come later. If you focus too much on speed, the mechanics might remain weak
-- thus stifling your potential long-term.

Hope this helps,
Carlton






Carlton Anne Cook Walker
Attorney at Law
BEAR--Blindness Education and Advocacy Resources
Teacher of Students with Blindness/Low Vision
101 Kelly Drive
Carlisle, PA   17015
Voice: 717-658-9894
Twitter: BrailleMom


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On Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 8:00 AM <nfb-braille-discussion-request at nfbnet.org>
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>    1. Curriculum Question (Sanho Steele-Louchart)
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> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Sanho Steele-Louchart <sanho817 at gmail.com>
> To: nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2024 05:11:12 -0400
> Subject: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Curriculum Question
> All:
>
> Two issues for which I'd appreciate your recommendations.
>
> First, regularly missing the bottommost dots in a cell. Reading G rather
> than ER, F rather than P, etc. People have told me not to scrub. Does
> additional acuity come with practice?
>
> Second, my speed is quite slow and reading itself quite tiring, resulting
> in very little practice. This needs to change. Do we recommend 10 pages
> until someone can read 30 then 30 until they can read 50? Or perhaps simply
> reading as often as humanly possible?
>
> Warmth,
> Sanho
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