[Pibe-division] Tricks to Learning Braille in your Teen Years orLater

Fri Sep 23 13:31:34 UTC 2011

Oh Lori, It does motivate almost all. I use that technique also....kids must hear what you what them to repeat....reading to a student is another great strategy

       Denise 

Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D. 
Teacher of the Blind & Visually Impaired
TechVision-Independent Contractor
Specialist in blind programming/teaching/training
509-674-1853     deniserob at gmail.com

http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/

>________________________________
>From: Zephyr <twilight2 at kconline.com>
>To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List <pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 4:45 AM
>Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Tricks to Learning Braille in your Teen Years orLater
>
>
> 
>Awesome! Integrating braille with standard 
educational techniques. 
> 
>I also found another trick or tip to encourage is 
to have the blind instructor/teacher/mentor read out loud because that also 
provides another concrete example to try and achieve. I had no blind role model, 
but listening to my sighted peers read outloud and take turns motivated me to 
learn to read faster. I wanted to participate and not be skipped. Of course, 
this may not motivate all, but it worked for me.
> 
>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: Dr.  Denise M. Robinson 
>>To: Professionals in Blindness Education  Division List 
>>Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 5:33  AM
>>Subject: [Pibe-division] Tricks to  Learning Braille in your Teen Years orLater
>>
>>
>>Tricks  to Learning Braille in your Teen Years or Later I use this one particular method repeatedly  because it serves me so well. Well, it actually serves my students well.  Especially those who lose their sight later: Later is later than 3rd grade.  You just need to employ different strategies to achieve the same  goals.
>>
>>One small example. A student came to me during the summer to 
  gain Braille skills. He had learned most of the alphabet and a handful of 
  contractions, but could not read Braille at all and had a difficult time 
  remembering how to braille in general. I had him place his fingers over top of 
  mine as I placed my hands on the Braille sheet of words. I slowly moved my 
  hands in the "butterfly" motion, which I call it, because your hands glide 
  together across, split a few words in, and the right hand finishes the 
  sentence and the left hand begins the next in a smooth floating motion...just 
  like a butterfly. I increased the speed so he could feel the gentle and easy 
  movement across the page. He had no idea it was that easy.
>>
>>I told him 
  he would be reading Braille by the end of summer if he would commit at least 
  an hour, but I asked for 2 hours a day...Ok, I know in my head, what teenage 
  boy is going to read for 2 hours a day in the summer, or really ever?..but I 
  put it out there. I know with even a minimal amount of effort he can do it 
  with the next method I use.
>>
>>He first begins with brailling. He only 
  brailles about himself. His life. What he likes or does not like. I have him 
  braille 3-4 rows of the exact same words in a sentence, using all 
  contractions. He first tells me the sentences he wants to use. I pick out all 
  the contracted words and have him braille these first, over and over until his 
  fingers start to flow. Then I have him braille the sentences. Example. I like 
  to fish. (he will braille that for 3-4 rows--sometimes more depending on the 
  ability of the child's learning patterns). Next row. I like to fish with my 
  dad.
>>I have him use 11 x 11 paper, so really, only those 2 sentences fit on 
  a page. He takes out what he has just brailled and positions his hands on the 
  braille paper. At first, I need to help him read the page. However, by the 
  second reading he can do it almost independently. Before he goes home for the 
  day, he has his braille sheets to practice for the next couple of days along 
  with flash cards of a brailled words that he had difficulty with in 
  reading.
>>
>>There are a couple things going on here. I need him to get the 
  flow of his hands reading well so he cannot be struggling with reading the 
  braille. That is where we get all those bad habits from; scrubbing the 
  braille, flying fingers, 1 handed reading. The reading must be easy at first 
  and if it is about the person, they remember. With the constant repetition of 
  the words, he begins picking up the feel of the contraction and the word and 
  flows through the page. 
>>
>>By the end of the summer, as in 2 months, he 
  was reading Braille at 32 words per minute and he only practiced reading about 
  3 hours a week. On his final day of testing his skills, I asked him, "Are you 
  surprised at how fast you can read Braille?" Very matter of fact, he said "No, 
  you told me I could, so I expected it." 
>>
>>When he went back to his 
  school, he emailed me and told me his teacher was very impressed with his 
  braille reading ability, both ability to read it, but read it with a beautiful 
  2 handed flow. 
>> 
>>       Denise 
>> 
>>Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D. 
>>Teacher of the Blind & Visually 
  Impaired
>>TechVision-Independent Contractor
>>Specialist in blind programming/teaching/training
>>509-674-1853     deniserob at gmail.com
>> 
>>http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/
>> 
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