Teaching Braille to Students with
Visual Impairments
Presented by
Pat Gould SD # 37 Delta
Carolyn Northcott SD # 37 Delta
Michael Mizera PRCVI
Teaching Braille to Students with
Visual Impairments
This presentation assumes that the Learning Media Assessment (LMA) and
Functional Vision Assessment (FVA) have been completed, and the decision to
teach braille as a literary medium has already been made.
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Factors to Consider
Pre-braille
Teaching Braille Reading
Teaching Braille Writing
Programs – commercially produced
Introduction of Technology
Materials/Resources
Check Lists
Comments & Thoughts
Every student comes with unique learning needs,
strengths and challenges. Individualizing their
programs through the use of a variety of
commercial resources and/or ones that are
teacher created will vary from student to student
and teacher to teacher.
Flexibility in choice and use of programs
& methods is crucial to student success.
Balancing Literacy Instruction – an excerpt from
Beginning with Braille by Anna M. Swenson
Page 7
Summary
“Students with visual impairments vary widely in their learning
styles, abilities, and interests. A balanced approach to literacy
instruction offers a broad continuum of possibilities for
meeting individual needs. Many students learn best when the
instructional balance is tipped toward the meaning end of the
continuum; others may require a heavier emphasis on skills
within a meaningful context. The balance between skilloriented and meaning-oriented instruction may also change
for individual learners as they become more proficient in
braille.”
Factors to Consider When
Choosing Programs
 Congenital vs Acquired Blindness (progressive or
accidental )
 Eye Condition – prognosis
 Age of Onset
o Elementary vs Secondary
• Similarities and Differences in approach to braille
 Additional disabilities
Pre-Braille
 Start as early as possible
 Introduce relevant information
o Motivation – body, family, field trips, toys
 Exploration of environment
 Labeling of objects in environment (rooms, toys, clothes, eating utensils)
 Hunt for braille cells  muffin tins & tennis balls, 6 cell egg cartons with ping
pong balls, ice cube trays with marbles or grapes
 Reading to all children is essential (twin vision books, picture books with real
objects, braille and print)
 Tactile discrimination
 Hunting for sheep (full cell = sheep)
 Shopping lists – let child carry list while shopping
 Sunny Hill and CNIB can provide brailler’s for pre-school age children
 Use checklist to determine skills needed
Pre-braille Introductory Programs
(Available at PRCVI for BC TVI’s and their Students )
 Mangold Programs and Resources (preschool/primary)
 Setting The Stage (preschool/primary)
 INTELLITACTILES: Pre-braille Concepts (preschool/primary)
Mangold Programs & Resources
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Mangold Developmental Program of Tactile Perception and Braille Letter Recognition: Basic
Reading Readiness (Kit)
Can be used at the beginning stage of instruction for all age levels.
Guidelines and Games for Teaching Efficient Braille Reading (Professional Text)
Braille Literacy at Work (Professional Video and DVD)
Literacy and Functional Learning: Media for Students with Visual Impairments (Professional Video
and DVD)
Braille Literacy Instruction for Students Who Speak Limited English (Professional Video and DVD)
Personal Touch: Braille for Lifelong Learning (Professional Video and DVD)
Teaching Braille to Adults: Options for Instruction (Professional Video and DVD)
Teaching the Braille Slate and Stylus: A Manual for Mastery (Professional Text)
Mangold Math #1 Math Readiness: Developmental Program of Tactile Perception & Braille Letter
Recognition (Kit)
A Teacher’s Guide to the Special Educational Needs of Blind & Visually Handicapped Children
(Professional Text)
Mangold Reading Stand (Kit)
Setting The Stage
Assists young tactile readers in
making the transition from the
exploration of real objects to
the interpretation of twodimensional representations,
It uses real objects,
thermoformed formats and
raised-line illustrations.
INTELLITACTILES : PRE-BRAILLE
CONCEPTS
Includes seven tactile overlays that can be used with the IntelliKeys
keyboard, or as stand-alone worksheets to help young children develop
tactile discrimination skills, shape recognition ability, and an understanding
of many spatial/positional concepts.
Kit includes an interactive CD that prompts the child to find a specific shape,
texture, position, or braille dot. The child responds by pressing his or her
selection on the keyboard to receive feedback. The recorded scripts are
provided in the User's Guide so that the overlays can be used as standalone worksheets.
Programs
(Available at PRCVI for BC TVI’s and their Students )
 INTELLITACTILES: Pre-braille Concepts
(preschool/primary)
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Mangold Programs and Resources (primary)
Braille FUNdamentals (all grade levels)
Patterns Primary Braille Reading Program (primary)
Building On Patterns (primary)
Braille Too (secondary – student already knows how to read)
Read Again (secondary – student already knows how to read)
Braille Connection (secondary – student already knows how to
read)
Braille FUNdamentals
Braille FUNdamentals is a comprehensive program for teaching the braille
code, produced by Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
(TSBVI). It is a braille curriculum for students from primary to high school
levels. This program can be used with beginning braille readers, as well as
with those who need to learn braille when older due to an acquired vision
loss.
Patterns Primary Braille Reading
Program
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Patterns Pre-braille Program
Patterns Primary Braille Reading Program: Readiness Level (Red) Patterns Primary Braille Reading Program: Pre-primer Level (Blue)
Patterns Primary Braille Reading Program: Primer Level (Green)
Patterns Primary Braille Reading Program: First Reader Level (Yellow)
Patterns Primary Braille Reading Program: Second Reader Level (Brown)
Patterns Primary Braille Reading Program: Third Reader Level (Grey)
Program designed for young beginning braille readers, preprimer through third reader
level. Word recognition is taught through tactual memory, phonological skills, and
syntactical skills. Contains a variety of materials for each level, including: textbooks,
posttests, worksheets, and teacher's editions. Recommended ages: 5 years and up.
Building On Patterns
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Building On Patterns: Primary Braille Literacy Program (Kindergarten – Preschool) (Kit)
Building On Patterns: Primary Braille Literacy Program: Braille Posttest
Teacher’s Edition (Kindergarten – Pre-school) (1 volume)
Building On Patterns: Primary Braille Literacy Program: Braille Teacher’s
Edition (9 volumes)
Note:
Building on the success of Patterns: Primary Braille Reading Program, Building on Patterns (BOP)
is a complete primary literacy program designed to teach beginning braille users to read, write,
and spell in braille.
The Building on Patterns series addresses vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, phonemic
awareness (ability to hear and interpret sounds in speech), and phonics (the association of written
symbols with the sounds they represent).
BOP also addresses specific skill areas needed by the child who is blind, such as language
development, sound discrimination, tactual discrimination, and concept development. Braille
contractions are introduced from the beginning along with sound and letter associations.
Braille Too
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Braille Too : an instructional reading and writing program for secondary
students : teacher's edition and student's large print and braille writing
exercises
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Braille Too : an instructional reading and writing program for secondary
students - teacher's edition in braille
A comprehensive reading and writing program intended for secondary
students .
Read Again
A braille program for adventitiously blinded print readers. The book starts
with tactile readiness exercises and then teaches grade 1 braille
(uncontracted braille), introducing contractions over a series of lessons.
Because it was not written for young children, the vocabulary and selection
are best suited to older high school or college-age students.
Volume I
Level A – Tactual Discrimination
Level B – Braille Alphabet and Common Punctuation
Level C – Literary Braille Numerals and Related Braille Units
Level D – Letter Words and One-Shape Wordlets
Volume II
Level E – One Shape Phonograms and Morphograms and More One-Shape Wordlets
Level F- Two-Shape Wordlets
Level G – Punctuation
Level H – Multiple-Shape Wordlets
Level I – Ordinal Numbers, Roman Numerals, Common Abbreviations and Symbols
Braille Connection:
a braille reading and writing program for former print readers
This program is designed to teach braille to adults and teenagers who have
been print readers and now need to use braille, and to help these
individuals put their newly acquired braille skills to work in their daily lives.
The program moves through tactual discrimination; on to Grade 1 braille,
which corresponds to print; and then through Grade 2 braille, the standard
code for braille books and magazines.
Contents:
1. Student Workbook, Grade 1 Braille, parts A-D (1 volume)
2. Student Workbook , Grade 2 Braille, parts E-L (2 volumes)
3. Student Practice Book, Grade 1 Braille, parts A-D (1 volume)
4. Student Practice Book, Grade 2 Braille, parts E-L (2 volumes)
5. Print Teacher's Edition (1 volume)
6. Print Mentoring
Where & When Do I Teach Braille ?
A challenging question that all teachers of students with visual impairments
face when teaching braille is how to balance:
• Inclusion/integration
• Combination of both inclusion and pull-out works best.
• Many classroom activities can be adapted to include braille students.
o Always ask: What is the learning objective?
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Take advantage of teachable moments.
o list concepts/activities that cannot be covered during regular class time;
find ways to cover these later.
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Pull-out – once a skill is established in a quiet environment, transfer it to
the classroom. Choose time of pull-out carefully and use sparingly.
No pull-out during PE, Music, Assembly, Class Meetings as every student
needs be part of his or her class.
When Adapting an Activity is
Not Appropriate
Penguin Hand-out
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What is appropriate?
What is the learning objective?
(learning about body language
and feelings)
A raised-line version of this
handout does not convey the
information.
Consider using a different
approach to discuss body
language and feelings – role play
with real-life examples works well.
Frequency of Braille Instruction
 Daily Instruction by TVI is ideal
 Fitting braille instruction into secondary
schedules/time tables/semester system can be a
challenge
 What do I do if I can only get there once a week?
o Distance & Travel Time – TVI’s usually don’t have to
deal with this issue in urban areas but rural areas
may have long distances to travel.
Practice
Repetition is needed to building Reading Speed, Fluency, Comprehension
and Accuracy
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Don’t advance too quickly – Keep it fun; build confidence
Use games to encourage flow and discourage scrubbing
Ways to provide daily practice
o Incorporated into other activities & games
o Buddy reading
o Reading at home to parents and siblings
o Reading to the school principal, librarian, secretary (anyone sitting down)
Teacher Created Materials
o Create sentences, stories, lists, little books etc. from personal experiences
Commercially created materials
o Dorothy Quentin Joseph – Braille Sentences
Teaching Braille Reading
 Considerations when teaching braille reading:
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Age of onset of visual impairment or blindness
Tactile discrimination – experience/ability
Does the student already know how to read?
Contracted vs Uncontracted
Selecting a braille program
 Some skills that need to be developed are:
 Proper finger position and hand movement
 Line spacing – single, double or triple?
 Interpoint (both sides)
HOT TIP Makeup blusher highlights interpoint braille – makes visual reading
easier for TVI’s when proof reading
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Relating print page numbers and format to braille page numbers
Braille Reading
Proper finger
position is
necessary for
fast, accurate
and efficient
braille reading
Reading a Tactile Map
Use a Variety of Materials and
Resources
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Teacher created materials
o Put more time and effort into materials which will be used repeatedly – use good quality
braille paper
o Single use materials can be produced on regular bond paper
o Customized materials - produced using translations programs (Duxbury, Braille 2000 etc.)
Commercially produced materials
o Tactile Books/Twin Vision/Tri Vision (available from PRCVI)
• When purchasing books – check for appropriateness or consult with other TVIs for
recommendations (some commercially produced materials have poorly designed tactiles)
o Tactile Graphics – charts, maps, diagrams
Classroom materials & books
o Check for picture dependency
o Do not have to create every single thing - concentrate on objective of the lesson
Teaching Braille Writing
 Choosing writing devices:
o Perkins, Mountbatten, Electronic device
 Considerations:
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Age of student
Finger size/strength
Additional physical and intellectual challenges
What technology is locally available?
Is technical support and repair service available?
Peg Slate: A Nifty Little Teaching Tool
Introduction of Technology
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Perkins
Mountbatten
Braille Note Takers (refreshable braille devices)
Computers
Others
Finger Placement
Correct finger
placement and usage
results in fast, accurate
braille production
Ways to Encourage correct finger placement:
 Verbal cues “I like the way your fingers are curved” (positive reinforcement)
 Consider extended Keys with Perkins or electronic brailler for small children
or those with very low strength
 Use key numbers to play games
Student Writing Braille Using A
Mountbatten
Additional Resources
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Beginning with Braille: Firsthand Experiences with a Balanced Approach to
Literacy (Swenson) (AFB Press 1999)
Modern Methods of Teaching Braille
Helpful Hints About Teaching Braille Reading (Sally Mangold)
Ten Ways to Teach Your Baby Beginning Braille Skills (wonderbaby.org)
Braille Writing Dot by Dot (APH)
Kester Braille (Louise Johnson)
Tack Tiles Braille System (Tack Tiles)
Fun With Braille (APH)
A few contacts that may be helpful:
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Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI)
Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (cnib)
Other Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s)
Additional Titles at PRCVI
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Guidelines and Games for Teaching Efficient Braille Reading
Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy
Learning the Nemeth Braille Code
Literacy Braille Practice Sentences
Reading in Braille: An Introductory Source Book for Teachers
Teaching the Braille Slate and Stylus: A Manual for Mastery
Experiencing Literacy: A Parents’ Guide for Fostering Early Literacy
Development of Children with Visual Impairments
Books: There are lots of stories about children and pets who are blind
(some examples):
 I Can Read in the Dark
 Sally Can’t See
 Blind Pony
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Article Links
Helpful Hints About Teaching Braille Reading
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr6/Issue2/f060204.html
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Ten Ways to Teach Your Baby Beginning Braille Skills
http://www.wonderbaby.org/articles/beginning-braille.html
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Early Literacy: Braille and the Young Child
http://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/summer98/literacy.htm
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The Importance of Early Braille Literacy
http://teachvision.wordpress.com/articles/early-literacy/
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Teaching Early Braille Literacy Skills Within A Stimulus Equivalence Paradigm to Children with
Degenerative Visual Impairments
http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/articles/2010/jaba-43-02-0181.pdf
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Hand Skills for Reading Efficiency: A Bibliography of Resources Pertaining to Reading Braille
http://www.aph.org/edresearch/handskills.html
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Braille Connection: A Braille Reading and Writing Program for Former Print Users (Available at PRCVI)
https://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_Braille%20Connection:%20Teacher’s%20kit_1130292P_
10001_11051
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Perkins School for the Blind Webcast: Teaching Reading and Writing
http://support.perkins.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Webcasts_Teaching_Braille_Reading_Writing
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Tack Tiles Braille System
http://www.tack-tiles.com/
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Tips for Promoting Braille in the Classroom
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=22&DocumentID=808
Checklists
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APH INTELLITACTILES Pre-braille Concepts
o User Guide
o Checklist pages 38-39
http://www.aph.org/manuals/7-08516-01.pdf
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South Australian School for Vision Impaired
o Checklists – Braille Curriculum
• http://www.sasvi.sa.edu.au/SASVIpages/Resources_main.htm
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Professional Consensus on Instructional Considerations for Students in
Braille Literacy Programs (Alan J. Koenig & M. Cay Holbrook)
o http://www.educ.ttu.edu/slate/Braille%20Framework/BrailleChart.htm
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AFB
o http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=22&DocumentID=353
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