Maia, aged 6, is learning to read and write using braille. She learns alongside her classmates in her local school.
Trish Bishop describes how the education team have developed resources and strategies that work well for Maia.
Maia’s introduction to braille
In the year prior to Maia attending school, the focus was to develop her tactile skills in readiness for braille reading.
When Maia began school in February, she had already mastered matching different shapes and textures, so was ready to start matching and identifying braille letters.
In her first year of school, Maia learnt to identify the sound of, and how to braille all the letters of the alphabet using a Perkins Brailler.
By the end of the year, Maia could tactually identify 13 of the letters of the alphabet. The reading program was based on Magenta level instructional reading materials using mainly Grade 1 braille and some word signs, such as and, for, the, and with.
Maia could also read with one to one matching on text and could identify 10 high frequency words and books were made to reinforce the words she knew.
Where is Maia working now?
In her second year of school, the focus was on Maia tactually recognising unknown alphabet letters and the corresponding alphabet word sign, e.g., b – but, with a gradual introduction of contractions such as sh, ch, st, th, wh, and some dot 5 words, e.g. here, day, some, one, and lord.
Tactual recognition of the alphabet letters has been taught by grouping letters of similar construction, e.g. l, p, r, v. Maia used concrete materials, such as a swing cell and marbles to make letters, and match them with the letter on the adapted duplo letter game, as shown in Figure 1.
The focus alphabet letter, alphabet word signs and words of the week are included within Maia’s reading and writing program. Maia is applying her tactile alphabet and sound knowledge to read phonetic words, also included in the reading books. Maia sounds out three or four letter words daily. She is able to sound out words, and becoming more successful in putting them together.
Practise and re-enforcement occurs by using the adapted duplo letter blocks, which have been extremely successful, as the spaces between the braille letters make sounding out and identification easier, as well as flashcards, which Maia takes home for homework. Maia is using the Essential Spelling list along with her peers.
To support Maia in remembering the spelling as well as the contraction of some words, her spelling list has been re-written to identify words she has to be able to spell, for example, in the word ‘there’, the expectation is that she has to know that ‘dot 5 (the)’ says ‘there’. It is expected that she will learn the full spelling of these words at a later stage.
As words such as ‘and’, ‘for’, ‘the’ are relatively easy for Maia to read and braille, these have been the first contractions to be introduced Contractions for words such as ‘in’, ‘with’ and ‘of’, will be introduced at a late date, as although they are easy to read, but more difficult to braille.
Where to next for Maia?
Maia follows an individual plan for literacy. Her literacy program is designed so that reading and writing re-enforce each other. Once Maia is confident in isolating and identifying letters in words, can read phonetic words, and knows all the letters of the alphabet as well as the above mentioned blends, new high frequency words will be introduced.
Teaching and learning strategies and adaptations
Maia has been provided with a personal bookshelf where she has full access to her Perkins Brailler, paper, games, books and resources.
Class reading games have been adapted so that Maia is able to participate in group games and activities. Maia plays Bingo with her peers with her adapted Bingo in Figure 2. Customised readers, spelling lists and high frequency words lists are adapted to reflect braille contractions in use.
Teaching strategies reflect modeling, regular reinforcement, fun based activities, provision of verbal expectations and objectives, at all times working from the known to the unknown.
An individualised teaching program with one-to-one teaching time to enable Maia to quickly gain the literacy skills she needs to enable her to participate alongside her peers.
Useful links
- Strategies to support early braille literacy – Pathways to literacy website.
- Teaching Braille Reading and Writing – 7-part webcast from Perkins School for the Blind website.
- Introduction to Braille – Free online course for families from Hadley School for the Blind website.
- Reading and making tactile books with your child – ideas from the Family Connect website.
- Short RNZFB education programmes for schools – activities to increase understanding of braille for primary and secondary students.
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