[nfb-talk] Recommendations, please, on braille teaching materials.

[Judy Jones]

Hello Everyone,

 

I am putting out feelers on several lists, in order to update my knowledge.

 

I am going to be tutoring in braille since I have retired.  It has been
several years since I have done this when I owned my own business before our
move, and I would like to know about training materials that are
comprehensive, yet bring the student through training quickly.

 

I used to use Braille For Beginners, but that was several years ago, and I'm
wondering if there is anything more up-to-date.

 

I am a firm believer that braille can be learned in a relatively short time,
and does not have to be dragged out over months and months.

 

I also am a firm believer in memorization through use.  I encouraged my
students to use "cheat charts" as much as necessary, as long as they were
consistently reading.  It seems to really take the pressure off people when
they realize they do not have to memorize before using.  The exception to
this, I think, would be the first 10 letters of the alphabet.  The next 10
are exactly like the first 10, except with dot 3.  The last 5 minus the W
are exactly the same, except with dot 6 added beside dot 3.

 

Anyway, this is my philosophy and, instead of reinventing the wheel, I would
like to know of materials that mostly reflects my teaching philosophy.

 

Thank you all for your collective wisdom.

 

Judy Jones