[Ohio-talk] FW: Read across America

[richard payne]

I wanted to share this with all of you. Thanks Kathy for your hard work.
Richard

 

 

From: Kathryn Withman [mailto:kwithman at woh.rr.com] 
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2013 5:20 PM
To: Richard
Subject: Read across America

 

Read Across AmericaMarch 1s

 

March 1st, I went to  Monticello Elementary School where I taugt first and
second grade for almost 18 years. My visit was to two groups of second
graders in celebration of Read Across America. My goal was to educate the
children about Braille and its importance for blind persons.

I arrived early and sat in the office where many former colleagues greeted
me warmly. I felt like I was back home. The teacher for the visually
impaired surprised me by introducing me to a legally blind fourth grader
named Jerimiah. The really good news is that he is being taught braille
while he is still able to use a CC TV 

 and magnifiers. I was happy to meet him and he was interested in meeting my
dog Bistro. He would like to get a guide dog some day. I gave him a braille
book mark from the Hadley School for the Blind, a Guide Dogs for the Blind
book mark and a NFB Braille Alphabet card. Didn't get to talk to him but a
minute or two but I think I'll send him a letter of encouragement to the
school.

When I went into the second grade room along with my friend LindaPelfrey we
started our introductions and presentation. I talked about the beginnings of
braille and the Night Writing code of the French Napoleonic soldiers. I also
explained how Louis Braille improved and enriched this code so that he and
other blind children would have more books to read. While demonstrating the
slate and stylus, The word I wrote was the name of the school.

Linda Pelfrey read magnificently the book, The Little Engine That Could. The
kids saw just how a great braille reader should sound.

While Linda and I answered questions about our guide dogs and other things,
Little preschool braille books were passed around so the kids could see and
feel the raised dots.

The kids were all given the same book marks and Braille Alphabet cards that
Jerimiah was given. The teachers were each given a kernel book for their
classroom or school library and a set of braille puzzle riddles and group
activities about blindness and some art activities that they could use with
the children. Before I departed Monticello I asked the school secretary if
she would also give a copy of these activities to Jerimiah's teacher.

What a wonderful morning Reading Braille Across Monticello..

Kathy Withman

Miami Valley Chapter

NFB of Ohio