[Pibe-division] First Steps in Great Braille Readers

[Dr. Denise M. Robinson]

First Steps in Great Braille Readers  
First!!! Know that braille readers can read material as fast as print 
readers. I teach it and see it all the time. Attitude is the first 
hurtle. Once you know a braille reader can read as a print reader, then 
you are ready for the next step.

Second, if the above is to happen, the child has to start in that 0-5 
year old mark. They could read faster if they are older too, but the 
mental adjustment into braille reading, or the "bad press" on braille 
being too hard is difficult for many to overcome ...thus they are slower
 braille readers. There are many more reasons off this, but those are 2 
biggies.

Third, get the child excited about reading--This applies to Blind and 
Low vision children. Start with reading print/braille books to them, so 
if they can see color or pictures, they can look at the colors while 
feeling those wonderful dots. Put braille all over the house using 
sticky tape (just go to local hardware store and pick up sticky shelf 
paper and braille label words on that to put all over house). So 
wherever they touch, they feel braille. Once again, BOTH low vision and 
blind. This really applies at any age level...so start doing all these 
steps, no matter what age....they can get over the "bad press" on 
braille if you have a really positive attitude about it.

Fourth, when you are reading to them, have them put their fingers over 
top of yours and you move your hand from left to right across the page 
with all 4 fingers down on the page and those 4 fingers slightly curled 
touching the line of braille, so they can feel the smooth motion across 
the page (You will be holding the book with the other hand, so don't 
worry about both hands yet). It does not matter you can't read braille 
yet...fake it until you learn. Just read the print above on the page, as
 you smoothly move your fingers across the line of braille. It is the 
smooth movement you want them to learn.

Fifth, when they are babies and toddlers, have all those blind tools 
around, so they can "scribble" on the brailler, as in pressing the keys,
 knowing this will be their writing tool. Help them with a slate n 
stylus to make dots on paper. Also have an older computer around with free talking software, so they can press those letters on the computer and get that cause and 
effect...They need to learn the computer typing and braille at the SAME 
time, so they understand how these tools go together later for school. 

Sixth, when they are ready to start formal brailling of words and 
letters, and today most children are doing that somewhere between 2-4 
years old, so blind, low vision children need to start then also. You 
will read the word and then you help them braille it. At first, their 
hands are on top of yours so they can feel the smooth motion of you 
pressing the keys. Then they get to try. If their fingers are too weak, 
then look at something like a Mountbatten brailler with very easy keys, that gives verbal feedback along with the output of braille.

Seventh, When they are brailling, have them braille the same contraction or word over and over, so they can feel the flow of brailling--several lines of the same words or simple sentences---have them braille something to do with their 
life....it helps them remember the words. Then when you pull the 
brailled sheet out, they place their hands on top of yours first, to get the feel of smooth braille reading across the page, then you help them 
position their hands on the braille line -- BOTH HANDS! All 8 fingers 
slightly curled under, all 8 fingers touching the braille line--trust 
me--all 8 fingers are going to do something, but have them focus on 
their pointer fingers to do the major reading of the words. You lightly 
cup all 8 fingers with your 8 fingers to help them, then you read the 
words as you both go across the page, having them focus on those pointer fingers. (I have had kids come in with bandages on their pointer 
fingers saying they injured them....their middle fingers got to do the 
reading for the day--they were amazed at how all their fingers could 
read the braille--they can if you practice the method above!!)

Now some kids get this right off the bat and do not need help, so figure
 out your child and how much help they need. Lift your hands off as they
 begin the journey across the page by themselves...YOU still reading 
each word before they hit it, so there is NO scrubbing or back tracking 
on the word to figure it out. As they read, they are going to split 
their hands several words in on the line and they WILL need help doing 
this until it is a smooth motion. About 2-4 words in on an 11 x 11 
paper, the left hand will go back down to the next line as the right 
hand finishes the line. As the right hand finishes the line of braille, 
the left hand begins reading the next line. REMEMBER, you are reading 
the words for the child before they hit the word, so they get and 
continue that smooth motion with NO scrubbing.

Keep it simple. Braille sentences with contractions and about 3 words each. I like cats.  and so forth.....keep it up and this child will be reading 300-400+ words per minute by high school. 

       Denise 
 
Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D. 
CEO, TechVision
Specialist in blind technology/teaching/training
email:  yourtechvision at gmail.com
Website with hundreds of lessons: yourtechvision.com 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/pibe-division_nfbnet.org/attachments/20111021/2b398e50/attachment.html>