[Pibe-division] Pre-braille for young children (ages 0-6)

[Marianne Denning]

The more braille a child is exposed to the better it is.  Label things
around the home in braille.  Talk about different textures like
soft/hard, smoth/rough.  Have them become aware of concepts like
near/far, up/down, front/back.  If possible, I would probably expose
them to a braille writer around 4 then they could begin brailling
their name.  Keep books around that have braille so the child could
feel the braille as they are being read to.  Have the child help turn
the page.  tsbvi.edu has some good suggestions (Texas School for the
Blind and Visually Impaired).

On 10/22/12, Sharisse Roberts <sroberts at newvisionfl.org> wrote:
> Hi everyone!
>
> I am a new early interventionist and i am curious as to how to prepare my
> children on my caseload for braille; they are various ages 0-6. I also
> wanted to expose all children no matter what eye condition/visual
> impairment as I don't know which children may become print readers, braille
> readers or dual readers. Any resources/guidance/info would be fantastic!
> Are there specific activities that I should be doing and if so, at what age
> should i start this?
> Is it more about just encouraging exploration of textures and use of
> hands/fingers as a young child (0-3) and then once then are preschool age,
> exposing them to the letters of the alphabet (tactual and braille)?
> Do you expose them to jumbo braille or just regular braille? or create
> ex-large braille cells for each letter for them to explore?
> Do you talk about the braille cell and the dot numbers? Or do you teach
> them by the shape of the braille letter? I was thinking either you label
> them by saying Dot 1, Dot 2, Dot 3, Dot 4, Dot 5, Dot 6 OR saying top left,
> middle left, bottom, left, top right, middle right, bottom right? or do you
> label them both ways?
> Do you expose them to how their name is spelled in braille like you expose
> them as to how their name is written in print and/or raised letters?
> Should I expose them to a brailler and/or slate and stylus at some point?
> If so, what age? Should I teach them how to write their name with the
> brailler? Or do it for them and then allow them to feel the letters made by
> the brailler?
> Is any of this too advanced and something i should wait for a TVI to do
> with them in the future? I just know that most of the children won't
> see/work with a TVI until they are 5 or 6 and I don't want them falling
> behind because of something i didn't do for them.
> I am currently reading the children books and encouraging the parents to
> read to them. I also encourage the parents to sign up for free
> braille/tactual/large print books through different sources.
> Any other suggestions for activities? Any great plans to follow that lay
> out when you should be doing what with a young child?
>
> I just want to give my children a great early start so that they are ready
> as best they can be to start learning braille once they get into the school
> system and get their TVI.
>
> Sharisse Roberts
> New Vision for Independence - Leesburg, FL
> Youth Services Coordinator/O&M Specialist
>