Slide 1 Thoughtful Choices: Literacy Instruction for Beginning Braille Readers (Revised 10/15)
Anna Swenson
Braille Literacy Consultant
Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
annaswenson@cox.net
Slide 2 The Perfect Method
“The answer [to teaching reading] is not in the method; it is in the teacher. It has been
repeatedly established that the best instruction results when combinations of methods are
orchestrated by a teacher who decides what to do in light of children’s needs. … Hence,
reading instruction effectiveness lies not with a single program or method but, rather, with a
teacher who thoughtfully and analytically integrates various programs, materials, and methods
as the situation demands.” Duffy, G. & Hoffman, J. (1999)
Slide 3 Today’s Focus
Transitional stage between early literacy behaviors and full-fledged literacy instruction
Children learning to …
slow down and examine braille dots carefully
track using efficient hand and finger movements
read and write their name, letters, & numbers
match sounds and letters
read simple phrases and sentences with support
New realities and caveats
Slide 4 Today’s Agenda
1. Overview of commercial programs and resources
2. Closer look at four instructional strategies
Slide 5 Curriculum Options
Building on Patterns Pre-K (BOP Pre-K)
Three Steps to Beginning Braille (Swenson)
I-M-ABLE (Wormsley)
Slide 6 Commonalities
Focus on teaching reading, not just the braille code
Explicit Instruction and modeling
Word (& letter) study and connected text
Contracted Braille
Emphasis on the Alphabetic Principle
Slide 7 Building on Patterns Pre-K (BOP Pre-K)
Basal reader format
Comprehensive
High quality read-aloud anchors each lesson
Appropriate for academically-oriented learners
Curriculum introduces all 26 letters, 11 alphabetic wordsigns, 9 high frequency words, and the
numbers 1-10 .
Slide 8 Field test opportunities for Building on Patterns Pre-K, Fall 2016
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Slide 9 I-M-ABLE (Wormsley, 2011)
Individualized Meaning-centered Approach to Braille Literacy Education
Student-centered: Totally individualized and highly motivating
Appropriate for wide range of non-traditional learners
Whole word approach-Key words basis for instruction (letter ID, phonics, spelling, reading
connected text)
Requires careful, consistent data collection and evaluation
I-M-ABLE Practice Guide currently in field testing (APH)
Slide 10 I-M-ABLE and the "Language of Touch"
Words: bell, Pirate's Booty (Hard copy braille example 1)
Slide 11 Three Steps to Beginning Braille
from Beginning with Braille: Firsthand Experiences with a Balanced Approach to Literacy
Focus--Foundational Literacy Skills: braille concepts; phonemic awareness & phonics; letter &
word recognition; fluency
Braille literacy learning can be interwoven with classroom language arts curriculum
Contractions learned as they appear in reading materials
Flexible balance between individualized and group instruction
Slide 12 The Three Steps
Step 1 Whole Words (Preschool)
Individualized key words
Common alphabetic wordsigns (go, can)
High frequency words (and, we)
Phonemic awareness
Step 2 Letters and Sounds (Preschool-Kindergarten)
Letters and alphabetic wordsigns
High frequency words (contracted)
Numbers 1-10+
Phonemic awareness & phonics
Step 3 Guided Reading (Grades 1-2)
Commercial trade books
Dolch words
All braille contractions by the end of grade 2
Numbers 0-100+
Phonics and fluency
Slide 13 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES …
Paths to Literacy website www.pathstoliteracy.org
iBook Introducing Braille by Laurel J. Hudson, Ph.D.
Slide 14 PART 2: Thoughtful Choices
Resources: BOP Pre-K; Three Steps; I-M-ABLE; Other resources
Strategies: Tracking stories; Individualized words; Teacher-made stories; Interactive writing &
invented spelling
Slide 15 Tracking Stories
Slide 16 The Three Billy Goats Gruff (hardcopy braille example 2)
Slide 17 Thinking Creatively (hardcopy braille example 3)
Slides 18-24 School Bus Story (hardcopy braille example 4)
Slide 25 Five Little Monkeys (hardcopy braille example 5)
Slide 26 Individualized Words … from the beginning
Slide 27 Starting with Words
Rationale
Concrete
Motivating
Ownership
Types of words
Key vocabulary words
Alphabetic wordsigns (go, can, like) / HF words (and, we …)
Selecting words: The “Language of Touch”
Slide 28 Anchor letters (hardcopy braille example 6)
Slide 29 Dot Density (hardcopy braille example 7)
Slide 30 Joshua's First 10 Step 1 Words (The words in parentheses are alphabetic wordsigns)
Joshua
(go)
Mr. Nobody (five unspaced full cells)
(can)
Kara
(you)
microphone
sing
(like)
a
Slide 31 Word Study
Slide 32 Simple Worksheet (hardcopy braille example 8)
Slide 33 Teacher-Made Stories
Slide 34 Teacher-made Stories
Provide opportunities to read meaningful connected text from the beginning
Teach voice-to-braille match
Provide practice tracking multiple lines of meaningful text (across-back-down)
Motivating
Slide 35 Voice-to-Braille Match
go Ana
go Ana go
go go Ana
go go Andrew
go Ana go go go
Slide 36 Connected Text: Level 1 Story (UEB)
I can get a microphone
I can sing
I can get Daddy
Daddy can sing
sing Daddy sing
sing sing Joshua
sing sing sing
Slide 37 Guidelines for Writing Stories
Choose a topic of interest to the student
Use a repetitive sentence structure; predictable text
Omit capital letters (except for names) and ending punctuation
Start each phrase or sentence on a new line
Use occasional uncontrolled vocabulary words to add interest.
Slide 38 Connected Text: Level 2 Story (UEB)
Mommy said,
"I see 3 dogs.
Andrea has a fat dog.
Ryan has a little dog.
Eric has a black dog.
Help! Help!
I cannot have 3 dogs in my house."
Slide 39 Teaching with Stories
Begin with oral discussion
Scaffold reading support - Meaning is primary
Provide multiple opportunities to reread for fluency
Consider making the story into a book
Slide 40 Interactive Writing
Slide 41 Preschool Writing Development
Cabell, S.Q., Tortorelli, L.S., & Gerde, H.K. (2013). How do I write …? Scaffolding preschoolers'
early writing skills. The Reading Teacher, 66(8), 650-659.
1 Drawing and Scribbling
2 Letters and Letter-Like Forms
3 Salient and Beginning Sounds m (made) l (elevator)
4 Beginning and Ending Sounds kt (cat) me (Mommy)
Slide 42 Matching Sounds and Letters
Slide 43 Interactive Writing
Teacher and student share the brailler
Teacher models sound-symbol associations & scaffolds process for student
Resulting text has conventional spelling and punctuation.
Pete the Cat!
Slide 44 Interactive Writing Follow-up
Creating pictures; journals
Slide 45 Invented Spelling (hardcopy braille example 9)
Slide 46 Parting words