Braille Instruction

The links in this section provide teaching tips and resources for braille instruction, and explore the debate about teaching contracted versus uncontracted braille.

Reading Exercises

Ann and Friends: Stories for Beginning Braille Readers, California School for the Blind
http://www.csb-cde.ca.gov/Documents/Stories.htm
Ann Gelles shares "a series of animal stories designed to help beginning braille readers learn grade two braille. Students are introduced to … whole word contractions and short form words as they learn and practice the alphabet."

Technology to Promote Literacy: Ideas for Meaningful Literacy Activities, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/spring04/technology.htm
Sharon Nichols shares ideas for using computer technology to promote literacy, including email, phone books, calendars, games, etc.

Braille Instruction Techniques

Teaching Reading in Braille: Sarah J. Blake, researcher, writer
http://blindness.growingstrong.org/ed/aa010401a.htm
Sarah Blake reviews several teaching methods and offers advice and adaptations for teachers and homeschooling parents.

Tips for Promoting Braille in the Classroom, American Foundation for the Blind
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=22&DocumentID=808
Teachers will find many practical suggestions for incorporating braille into a regular classroom. Projects, games, and activities designed to introduce sighted students to braille and help them feel comfortable with their classmates who are blind.

Uncontracted Braille as Teaching Tool

Advantages of Uncontracted Braille, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/spring04/uncontracted.htm
Ann Adkins "describes the advantages of teaching and using uncontracted Braille to meet the literacy needs of visually impaired students."

Reading for Everyone: Expanding Literacy Options, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer01/braille.htm
Cyral Miller and Ann Rash discuss uncontracted or alphabetic braille as a tool to increase literacy options for many students with visual impairments.

To Contract or Uncontract? Is This Still the Question for the Beginning Braille Reader?m Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer06/contract.htm
Ann Rash "explores the effectiveness of uncontracted Braille for beginning readers and presents a strategy to help students switch from uncontracted Braille to contracted Braille."

Research

Braille Literacy Skills: An Analysis of the Concept of Spelling, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/2b/2e/26.pdf
"This article analyzes the braille spelling errors of 16 Greek students who are blind. More specifically, it explores the types of spelling errors, the students' attitudes toward spelling, and the relationship between spelling and reading strategies."

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness: Special edition on Literacy May-June 1996, International Braille Research Center (IBRC) Resource Library
http://www.braille.org/papers/jvib0696/jvib9603.htm
This full-text issue of JVIB is devoted to all aspects of literacy and includes articles on family support of emergent literacy, listening as literacy, the impact of braille literacy on self-esteem and employment, and much more.

On the Compatability of the Braille Code and Universal Grammar, Christine Lauenstein
http://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/opus/volltexte/2007/3291/pdf/braille_la.pdf
In her dissertation for the University of Stuttgart, Christine Lauenstein examines whether braille's structural elements "inhibit writing performance because they interfere with language processes" and result in poor spelling skills.

The Impact of Early Exposure to Uncontracted Braille Reading on Students with Visual Impairments, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/29/e9/3c.pdf
"This study compared the reading and spelling skills of students who were taught to read using uncontracted braille versus those who were taught to read using contracted braille."

Teaching and Assessing the Appropriateness of Uncontracted Braille, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/29/ea/c0.pdf
This pilot study report focuses on the assessment and instructional strategies used  by four certified teachers of students with visual impairments.

Web-Based Organizations and Resources

Braille, American Foundation for the Blind
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6
This section of the AFB website includes resources for teachers of braille, resources for parents, a link to DOTS, the newsletter for braille literacy, and a listing of sources of braille materials.

Braille Authority of North America (BANA)
http://www.brailleauthority.org/
"BANA's purpose is to promote and to facilitate the use, teaching and production of braille." It publishes codes, rules, interpretations, and opinions about braille, most of which can be downloaded from the site.

Braille Literacy, New York Institute for Special Education
http://www.nyise.org/braille.htm
The Blindness Resource Center is a valuable internet resource for information about braille: description, history, Louis Braille's biography, legislative initiatives, organizations, advocacy, research, software, educational materials, and transcription services.

Braille Initiative, National Federation of the Blind
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Braille_Initiative.asp?SnID=1794352496
NFB offers many braille-related programs through its Jernigan Institute, including the Braille Certification Training Program for people who want to become braille transcribers.

Information Packet: Braille Literacy (Children), National Federation of the Blind
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Info_Packet_Braille_Literacy.asp?SnID=2
This information packet from NFB includes a selection of articles, flyers, braille alphabet cards, and related resources; much of the material can be downloaded from the site.

International Braille Research Center
http://www.braille.org/
This site is dedicated to "promoting literacy for the blind in the 21st century". It includes braille facts, a full-text International Electronic Braille Library with more than 1000 titles, and a full-text resource library of braille-related research.

International Council on English Braille (ICEB)
http://www.iceb.org/
The purpose of ICEB is "to coordinate and improve standards for braille usage for all English-speaking users of braille."  One of their key initiatives is Unified English Braille.

Literacy Issues for People Who are Blind, Parents, and Professionals
http://blindness.growingstrong.org/ed/literacy.html
Sarah Blake presents a collection of articles "about issues concerning literacy for people who are blind. Some provide theoretical discussions; others present the results of research; still others provide information about teaching methods."

Braille Instruction Resources, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/brl-resources.htm
Developed by Judi Piscitello, this page contains a wealth of braille resources, including information about instruction, curriculum, literacy, code and transcription, teaching products, instructional materials, tutorials, braille "cheat sheets," and much more.