DOTS for Braille Literacy (Development of Teacher Support), Volume 13, Number 1, Fall 2007

In this issue...

• From the Editor
• News Briefs
• Dear DOT
• Calendar Dates of Interest

From the Editor

What is Literacy?

The American Heritage online dictionary defines literacy as "the condition or quality of being knowledgeable in a particular subject or field." Wikipedia says it is traditionally defined as "the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen and speak." The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) offers this definition: "Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in the wider society."

The goal of DOTS for Braille Literacy is to support teachers of students who are visually impaired in finding ways to increase the literacy of their students. Certainly, there is a relationship between reading and literacy. The Reading First section of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 considers reading to mean "a complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires all of the following: (a) The skills and knowledge to understand how phonemes, or speech sounds, are connected to print; (b) The ability to decode unfamiliar words, (c) The ability to read fluently; (d) Sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster reading comprehension; (e) The development of appropriate active strategies to construct meaning from print; and (f) The development and maintenance of a motivation to read."

So, how do we get our students to read? I read the following statement on the Reading Rockets web site mentioned in the News Briefs: "If reading came naturally, teaching would be a much easier job. Children would learn to read as readily as they learn to speak. Teachers would only need to give students the chance to practice their skills." The site went on to note that reading must be taught, often explicitly and systematically, one small step at a time. It then offered links to information on what teachers should know about print awareness, the sounds of speech, vocabulary, who is at risk for not learning to read, and a glossary of basic terms in reading instruction.

Of course, reading for fun is an important way to improve reading skills, and Celebrating Books and Reading identifies a variety of book-related events happening this fall. Perhaps we can find ways to incorporate braille into events in our local areas. In that way, we raise awareness of the value of braille, and we ensure that our students get to participate in enjoyable reading activities. After all, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 1999, which evaluated reading longitudinally, found that students (ages 9-17) who said they read for fun scored higher than peers who said they never read for fun.

The book bag offered by National Braille Press is another enjoyable way to involve families in helping students learn to read braille. Each book bag includes an age-appropriate print/braille book for three age groups: birth-3 years, 4-5, and 6-7 in English or Spanish; a braille primer for sighted parents entitled Just Enough to Know Better; a colorful print/braille place mat; print/braille bookmarks; Because Books Matter, a guide for parents on why and how to read books with their young blind child; a gift coupon redeemable for another print/braille book or braille/large print playing cards; and print/braille magnetic letters.

As you may have noticed, the definitions of literacy mention the abilities to read and write. In an effort to promote writing skills, the popular column, Dear DOT, presents a list of practical ideas on teaching students with visual impairments keyboarding techniques, which are critical skills for students.

So, what is literacy? Reading — writing — computing — knowledge that helps our students reach their greatest potential and participate in society. It is all those things that teachers strive to offer our students every day. For us, it may be the knowledge we have of a particular subject or field — braille.

—Marie J. Amerson, Editor

News Briefs

Celebrating Books and Reading

During October, National Book Month will be observed in communities across the nation. Children and adults who attend literary events at libraries, schools, and community centers will find activities that celebrate books and reading. Visit www.nationalbook.org/nbm.html for more information.

National Family Literacy Day is November 1. Visit www.famlit.org and link to the "Events" section of the web site. There you will find information about National Family Literacy Day, which is an opportunity to showcase the importance of family literacy programs and build awareness of the importance of families working together toward a better-educated tomorrow. Ideas include inviting firefighters and police officers to read books to children and inviting parents into the schools as mystery readers. Perhaps you could invite an adult braille reader in to read to all the students during such an event.

Children's Book Week (November 12-18) introduces young people to new authors and ideas in schools, libraries, homes, and bookstores. The Children's Book Council encourages young people and their caregivers to discover the complexity of the world beyond their own experience through books. Visit www.cbcbooks.org/cbw/ for information.

Reading Rockets on PBS

A new PBS show, A Chance to Read, highlights new strategies that special education teachers across the country are using to help students find success. The show was produced as part of Reading Rockets, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and based at public television station WETA in Washington, D.C.

A Chance to Read offers the premise that society "assumes" children with disabilities can't learn to read well, but the program highlights a young student in Denton, Texas, who reads braille fluently. The program, which will air on public television stations this fall (check local listings), also covers emerging assistive technologies that help people who are blind or visually impaired find independence. For more information about the show, or to watch it online, visit www.readingrockets.org/shows/launching/chance. The site also includes a Q&A with Bob Ringwald, a jazz musician who is blind and the father of A Chance to Read hostess, Molly Ringwald.

National Braille Press Book Club

The National Braille Press is a nonprofit braille printer and publisher offering braille books, magazines, textbooks, tests, and customized embossing services. Their ReadBooks program is dedicated to encouraging families with children who are blind or visually impaired to read print/braille books together. Families with young blind or visually impaired children, birth through 7 years, can receive the free ReadBooks! book bag containing print/braille books, a braille primer for parents, braille alphabet cards, bookmarks, a colorful print/braille place mat, and a resource book. Visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/readbooks/index.html for information on the ReadBooks program.

Note: The editor of DOTS invites you to submit links to news about braille for future issues of DOTS.

Dear Dot:

Help! My grandson's classroom teacher wants him to improve his keyboarding skills so he can be more efficient on the computer. I realize kids today have to learn the keyboard much younger than when I was in school. In fact, I didn't even bother to learn typing since I was so busy with sports. I get by using a keyboard with just my index fingers, and I must say, they don't make it easy to find letters on the keyboard. Where can I find a special keyboard with braille so my grandson can figure out which letter is which?

—Hunter Peckinpah

Dear Mr. Peckinpah,

Your grandson's teacher is right: keyboarding is an absolutely essential skill that ensures individuals who are blind or visually impaired will be successful in their educational, employment, and personal pursuits in the 21st century.

If your grandson writes braille, he has probably already learned how to use six fingers to "tap" the keys on his braillewriter. I would be quite surprised if his teacher labeled those keys.

Back when I was in school — and, yes, it was before we had computers everywhere — Mrs. Pollett taught me touch-typing. The objective was to build motor memory so I could locate keys while maintaining eye contact with the print I was reading. Why, I'll bet you may have even developed motor memory for at least some of the keys you peck at with your two fingers, giving you the opportunity to reach for the key without having to search.

Labeling keys in braille (or in large print for a person with low vision) encourages the user to search for a key. It does nothing to encourage the development of motor memory, except maybe to input the extra step of searching before striking.

Most keyboards have a raised mark on the F and J keys. Mrs. Pollett called those the "home keys" and we learned the location of all other keys on the basis of their relationship to those two.

Ike Presley, a Project Manager for Professional Development with the American Foundation for the Blind, recently offered the following suggestions for teaching keyboarding skills:

1. Order "locator dots," which are available from several vendors. (You can search for the term online to find a source, such as www.sightconnection.com)
2. Locate a typing or keyboarding book that you can read in either print or braille.
3. Place a locator dot on the letters F and J.
4. Open the screen reader program, Narrator, found in Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility on computers running on Windows-based operating systems.
5. Open the WordPad program.
6. Select Arial or APHont (www.aph.org/products/aphont.html) as the default font.
7. For users with low vision, set the point size large enough so that they can sit comfortably (ergonomically correct) and easily read the text without having to lean toward the monitor. This is very important and it doesn't matter how big you have to make it for this activity.
8. For users who read braille, set the point size to a size that is comfortable for the instructor to see while learners are seated at the computer.
9. Begin going through the typing book and dictate the lessons to the learner. Be certain to explain and give directions about proper seating posture, arm position, hand position, finger position, and the correct fingering for each letter.
10. The large letter size and speech will be adequate feedback for the learner to monitor his or her accuracy.
11. As you move to new letters, you can place locator dots on these letters. Caution: if dots are placed on all keys they will lose their value as locators or orientation markers. I suggest that as the learner begins to learn the location of a new letter, you remove the locator dot from that key. You will probably want to leave the dots on the F and J until the learner learns the entire keyboard.
12. Once the learner has learned all the keys, including number, punctuation symbols, and function keys, you will then want to talk with the learner about which keys he or she would like to mark with the locator dots. Example: some people don't place locator dots on the F and J because they usually have a tactile marking on them already. They may choose to have a locator dot on the letter A, the semicolon key, the numbers 1, 6, 0, etc. Placing locator dots on these keys can help the user maintain his or her orientation to the keyboard and locate the desired keys more efficiently.
13. A computer-based keyboarding program can be a great tool for learners to use to practice independently what they have learned from the instructor. These programs are great for drill and practice, but not so good for basic instruction. All that the program can monitor is the speed and accuracy of the learner's key presses. The learner could type every letter with his or her pinky and the program would never know. That's why I don't recommend these for keyboard instruction, just for practice.
14. Two other great benefits are provided by using Narrator and WordPad. The instructor can help the learner print out a copy of his or her work to share with others, and the saved files can be very valuable in documenting the learner's progress.

Now, I'm not sure that Ike learned touch-typing from Mrs. Pollett, but he has worked for many years teaching keyboarding skills to students and adults with visual impairments. Like Mrs. Pollett, he understands the importance of teaching students effective and efficient keyboarding skills. Maybe you can share the suggestions with your grandson's teacher, and maybe you could use the ideas to help him learn as well. Who knows, maybe you could even improve your keyboarding skills, too! Have fun and good luck!

—Dot

Calendar Dates of Interest

• October 18-20, 2007. Atlanta, Georgia. AFB Workshop - Looking to Learn: Teaching the Use of Low Vision Devices. Presenters: Carol Farrenkopf and Frances Mary D'Andrea. (See AFB Calendar of Events for details.)
• November 29 - December 2, 2007. St. Pete Beach, Florida. 2007 Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference. The theme of the 8th biennial conference will be "Chart a Course to Literacy for Students with Visual Impairments." For more information check www.gettingintouchwithliteracy.org or call (813) 837-7829.
• January 24-26, 2008. San Francisco, California. Technology, Reading & Learning Diversity 2008 Conference. The theme of the conference is "Create Paths of Opportunity." Visit www.trld.com or call (888) 594-1249 for more information.
• January 30 - February 2, 2008. Orlando, Florida. Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference. For more details check www.atia.org or call (877) 687-2842.
• February 28 - March 2, 2008. Los Angeles, California. CTEVH 49th Annual Conference. For more information check www.ctevh.org or call (800) 228-9290.
• March 10-15, 2008. Los Angeles, California. 2008 Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference (CSUN). For more information on the 23rd annual CSUN conference visit www.csun.edu/cod/conf/.
• April 2-5, 2008. Boston, Massachusetts. Council for Exceptional Children 2008 Convention & Expo. Visit www.cec.sped.org for more details.
• April 4-5, 2008. San Francisco, California. 2008 Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute (JLTLI). On April 3rd, there will be a pre-JLTLI seminar focusing on cortical or cerebral visual impairment (CVI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Find more information about this training at the American Foundation for the Blind web site or contact Caitlin McFeely at (212) 502-7615 or by e-mail at cmcfeely@afb.net.
• July 22-27, 2008. Chicago, Illinois. AER International Conference. Visit www.aerbvi.org for more information and to access the Call for Abstracts.

DOTS (Development of Teacher Support) for Braille Literacy is published three times a year (October, February, and June), and is available online at: www.afb.org/dots or in braille, by request. For further information please contact:

DOTS Editor
American Foundation for the Blind
100 Peachtree Street, Suite 620
Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: (404) 525-2303
Fax: (404) 659-6957
E-mail: literacy@afb.net

If you would like routinely to receive an e-mail alerting you to the posting of future issues of the DOTS newsletter, please send a message to Shirley Landrum (slandrum@afb.net) as follows: In the subject line, please write "DOTS notification," and in the body of the message please include your entire name and any changes to your contact information that may have occurred over the last 12 months. You will be signed up to receive notices automatically. If you choose not to receive an e-mail notice, you will still be able to access current and archived issues of DOTS online at www.afb.org/dots; and if you are a braille format subscriber, you will continue to receive your DOTS newsletter in braille.

[Web visitors, please visit www.afb.org/myAFBnewsletter.asp and follow the instructions there to sign up. You can then log in and update your profile at any time to alert us to changes in your contact information.]

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