[nobe-l] question about teaching writing

Mon Jun 29 02:51:03 UTC 2015

Hello Irina,
I think the easiest way to learn to write a signature is to find a person 
whom you believe would be willing to assist and get them to work with you on 
developing a signature.
Since most signatures are written in cursive writing, which is different 
from print in many important characteristics, it is useful to have the 
assistant produce a tactile sample signature so that you have an idea of 
what you're going to be creating. If you don't have a device, such as a 
raised line drawing kit, you can go the old-fashioned rout of having them 
write it backwards on a thick piece of paper placed on a piece of thick 
cloth, such as a towel.
The letters should be about 2 inches high so that it is easy to see their 
shapes and also how and where they join to each other.
To make lined paper I just fold creases about an inch apart down the page; 
the raised creases make a top and bottom line. Learning to write a signature 
is mostly about memorising the movements one makes with one's writing hand. 
However, I also use the thumb and pointer finger of my left hand to keep the 
height of the letters consistent. You will need to do lots of practising 
until it becomes learnt by your muscles as well as by your mind. A few 
sessions with the helpful sighted assistant should serve to give you enough 
of an idea. As has been noted on this topic already, many signatures are not 
particularly legible but they are written the same way every time by their 
owners. So, consistency is an important part of your goal.
My sister taught me to write my signature and it didn't really take more 
than about an hour, spread over a few days while I practised. Gradually over 
time, I made it smaller and perfected the methods I use. When I am asked to 
sign my name I have someone make a crease on the line provided for the 
signature, folding the paper under in order to create a raised line. If it 
is someone who knows me well they will also fold me a top line. However, by 
keeping my signature fairly small I don't usually need the top line to 
ensure that my signature isn't too high.
I encourage you to pursue this goal. There are many situations where it is 
important for one to be able to sign a creditable signature and it is not a 
difficult skill to master. One just needs to enlist the assistance of the 
right person.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Warmly,
Heather Field

-----Original Message----- 
From: Irina Anisimova via nobe-l
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2015 11:09 AM
To: National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List
Cc: Irina Anisimova
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] question about teaching writing

Thank you for your advice.  I actually do not want to learn to write,
I have no time to do that.  I just want to be able to have a good
signature.  Any suggestions for just signatures?

Best,

Irina
On 6/26/15, Jasmine via nobe-l <nobe-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Another thing I can suggest is foam alphabet puzzles. I'm sure you can 
> find
> uppercase, lowercase, and number puzzles. This is how I learned to write.
> They are very inexpensive.
>
>
>
>> On May 27, 2015, at 11:59 AM, Karen Palau via nobe-l <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Kelsey:
>>
>> There are several ways to teach writing.  You can use the Draftsman Kit
>> and Wikki Stix to teach print letters and numbers with students.  You can
>> also use the braille cell technique if the child knows braille to teach
>> letters. There are two apps that are fully accessible that you might want
>> to try. Sight Words 2 has multiple levels of sight words to use with 
>> young
>> children. The DoItWrite app offers students the chance to use his/her
>> finger to write letters.  When the child gets close to the correct letter
>> or number, it announces the given letter aloud.  You could also use clay
>> to form letters and have the child trace each letter.  I've also used
>> stencils before too. I usually also begin typing skills early.  I only
>> teach blind students to write their name, nothing more.
>> If you need more help, please don't hesitate to ask.
>>
>> Karen
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: Kelsey Nicolay via nobe-l
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 1:11 PM
>> To: nobe-l at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Kelsey Nicolay
>> Subject: [nobe-l] question about teaching writing
>>
>> Hello,
>> I am a registered tutor on Wyzant.com. I received an inquiry from a mom
>> who
>> is looking for an elementary tutor for her daughter who is going into
>> kindergarten next year. She stated that her daughter needs help with
>> phonics, letter recognition, handwriting, etc. I can teach phonics and
>> letter recognition without much of any adaptation since I can purchase
>> flash
>> cards with the print letters for the student and then braille them for me
>> so
>> I can tell if she is getting the letters right or not. I can also find
>> phonics books in Braille and provide information for the family to
>> purchase
>> the books or braille the books myself. However, I am not sure how I could
>> help with handwriting. I am totally blind, so I learned Braille from the
>> beginning and never learned print. Therefore, is there any reliable way a
>> totally blind person can teach a sighted student to print letters without
>> sighted assistance? What adaptations would I need in order to help the
>> student with this skill? I've tutored test preparation with a high school
>> student before and never had a problem since the student had his own
>> laptop
>> he brought with him to sessions. However, I have never had to tutor a
>> sighted pre kindergarten student before, so I would appreciate any advice
>> on
>> this.
>> Thank you,
>> Kelsey Nicolay
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