[stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #151- The Braille Princess

[Pat Harmon]

The fact that Braille is reading and writing can never, ever be overlooked 
by touchy pictures, wild straw drawings, noodle art or colorful paint globs. 
BRAILLE IS READING.  It is not always read by a cute little boy or girl on 
grade level in public schools who happens to have diligent parents.  No 
matter what, BRAILLE IS READING.  At its basic level, it is language.

If we believe blindness is a simple characteristic present in an individual 
the way curly hair is, we must not call too much attention to the touch 
technique required for finger reading.  Demands for reading and writing must 
resemble those of the demands for students using print.  We long to have our 
blind children included in classes, not set apart because he or she happens 
to be cute and "sort of" smart.  Inclusion must mean inclusion.  Braille 
must be reading and writing!

Braille literacy is beautiful without drawings and photographs to appeal to 
the eye.  We can add them for fun, but Braille is at its best plain and 
basic.


(When I deliver speeches or programs to groups, I tell my life story as 
"Princess-want-to-be" because I always believed my life was supposed to be 
luxurious and problem-free.  Wrong!)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Newman" <newmanrl at cox.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 10:43 AM
Subject: [stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #151- The Braille Princess


> Fellow Writers
> RE: The Braille Princess
>
> With this 200th year celebration of Louis Braille's birthday and our thank
> you to him for Braille, I have written a TP centering on the importance of
> literacy and learning to read early, print for the print reader and 
> Braille
> for the Braille reader. If you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.
> Recall that I collect responses and post them upon my web site for all the
> WWW to read and learn from and that URL is- Http://thoughtprovoker.info
> <http://thoughtprovoker.info/>   If you wish to receive THOUGHT PROVOKERS
> sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at-  newmanrl at cox.net
>
> THOUGHT PROVOKER 151
> The Braille Princess
>
> "This is our first day of kindergarten." The faces of the small children
> grouped around the teacher all looked up with energy filled expectation. 
> "I
> want us to talk about one very, very important skill all teachers want 
> their
> students to learn. It is reading. First, to make sure we understand new
> words --- what is a skill?" Teacher and students shared back and forth,
> clarifying several key words.
>
> The teacher asked, "How many of you can read?" Nearly all hands shot up. 
> "Oh
> my, what a smart class." Testing prior to the beginning of school had 
> shown
> the teacher each student's skill level. Nearly all of them could read, 
> most
> only a few words and a very few could actually read beginning children's
> books.
>
> "Why do you think being able to read is important?" Many voices and hands
> answered her question.
>
> Pointing to a small girl bouncing on her knees, hand pumping, the teacher
> chose, "Breanna."
>
> "To read to your mommy and daddy."
>
> "Good answer. Reading to your parents is an excellent reason. Thank you."
>
> After taking several more answers the teacher moved into the next phase of
> the day's plan. "It is also important for you children to learn from one
> another. Today, I have asked two students to bring one of their favorite
> books and read it to the class. And by the end of this school year, I 
> expect
> that you all will have your turn." Indicating the kid-size chair at her
> side, "Michael, you are first."
>
> Seated, the small boy nervously fingered his brightly colored book, 
> holding
> its cover forward to show it to his audience. "My favorite book is 
> 'Ruffles,
> The Big Red Dog." Positioning it on his lap, he began reading.
>
> "Thank you Michael. And now, Kendra. Please come up to our reading chair."
> Tapping the chair, the teacher watched the small girl with her arching 
> cane
> home in on the sound guide.
>
> "Students, remember, earlier today, we learned about why Kendra uses a 
> white
> cane when she moves around the school."
>
> A young voice from the audience said, "She blind."
>
> "Yes, she is blind." Carrying on, the teacher said, "And so now we are 
> going
> to learn about Braille, which is how Kendra can read."
>
> The small girl seated, cane at her feet, the teacher asked, "Kendra, first
> please show and tell us the name of your book. Then tell the class a 
> little
> about Braille."
>
> Composure intact, Kendra answered, "I learned to read when I was three. 
> You
> read print because you can see it. I read Braille, because I am blind and
> blind people read Braille with their fingers. Braille is raised dots. I 
> can
> read as good as anybody." She raised the book up for all to see its cover.
> "My favorite book is the 'Princess and the Pea.' My daddy calls me his
> Princess."
>
> "Hey," exclaimed a student! "No picture! No letters!"
>
> After the stories were read, the teacher again addressed her class. "Miss
> Young, my assistant has arranged the chairs in a circle. Each of you have
> your own chair, your name is on it. So to find your chair, you must read 
> the
> name-tag." The classroom noise level fell, then swelled; expressions on
> faces ranged from blank wonderment, to knowing intelligence. "Reading is
> important. I know some of you cannot read yet. However, soon I expect that
> you will. So for help now, ask your neighbor or Miss Young or me to assist
> you." The noisy reading and sorting began.
>
> "She's sitting in my chair!" The outcry of the small red-haired boy was 
> all
> but lost in the overall noise level.
>
> "Kendra --- Tommy, we need to check the label," intervened the frazzled
> Para. Lightly touching the petite blind girl sitting quietly on the chair 
> in
> question, "Honey, did you feel for the Braille label on the back of the
> seat?" Leaning forward to look herself as she spoke.
>
> "A problem here?" The teacher walked up.
>
> "Oh my," Miss Young looked at her boss, "the name-tag is missing."
>
> "Tommy knocked it off and it fell on the seat," said the boy from the next
> chair over.
>
> "Yes, I'm sitting on my name," said Kendra. "And Tommy, you need to learn 
> to
> read Braille."
>
> The eyes of the two adults met, both smiled, the teacher said, "Kendra, we
> are going to call you, our Braille Princess."
>
>
>
> Robert Leslie Newman
> Email- newmanrl at cox.net
> THOUGHT PROVOKER Website-
> Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
>
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