Selected Resources for Teaching Braille Reading and Writing

Assessment Materials

1. Assessment of Braille Literacy Skills. A checklist of literacy skills for emergent, academic, and functional literacy. Available in print, large print, and braille.

Region IV Education Service Center, Special Education Department
7145 West Tidwell
Houston, TX 77092-2096

2. Tools for Selecting Appropriate Learning Media by Caton. Available in print or braille.

   American Printing House for the Blind
   P.O. Box 6085
   Louisville, KY 40206
   Telephone: 502-895-2405

3. Learning Media Assessment, by Koenig and Holbrook.Available in print, large print, and braille.

   Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
   1100 West 45th Street
   Austin, TX 78756-3494
   Telephone: 512-454-8631

4. Braille Assessment Inventory (BAI). A tool to help determine learning media.

   Hawthorne Educational Services
   800 Gray Oak Drive
   Columbia, MO 65201
   Telephone: 573-874-1710

5. Braille Assessment Checklist for Persons with Multiple Disabilities (BAC). A tool that can be used to collect and summarize information to help determine learning media. Free; available in print or on disk.

   National Literacy Program
   American Foundation for the Blind
   100 Peachtree Street, Suite 620
   Atlanta, GA 30303
   Telephone: 404-525-2303

Instructional Materials, Slates & Styluses, etc.

1. Teaching the Braille Slate and Stylus, other videos and materials.

   Exceptional Teaching Aids
   20102 Woodbine Avenue
   Castro Valley, CA 94546
   Telephone: 800-549-6999

2. "Peg Slate," "Janus Slate," Braille Writing Dot by Dot, and other materials. APH sells braille and large print books, educational materials, etc.

   American Printing House for the Blind
   P.O. Box 6085
   Louisville, KY 40206
   Telephone: 502-895-2405

3. Howe Press at the Perkins School for the Blind sells a wide variety of slates and styluses, as well as Perkins braillewriters.

   Howe Press
   Perkins School for the Blind
   175 North Beacon Street
   Watertown, MA 02172
   Telephone: 617-924-3490

4. Marburg Full-page slate (and other materials).

   Maxi-Aids
   P.O. Box 3209
   Farmingdale, NY 11735
   Telephone: 800-522-6294

5. Tack-Tiles are sets for literary braille, Nemeth and music codes.

   Tack-Tiles
   Los Olvidados Ltd.
   P.O. Box 475
   Plaistow, NH 03865
   Telephone: 603-382-1904

6. A Spelling Dictionary for Beginning Writers, by Hurray. A beginning dictionary and "word bank" for primary grades.

   National Braille Press
   88 St. Stephen Street
   Boston, MA 02115
   Telephone: 800-548-7323

Teacher's Bookshelf

1. Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy, by Wormsley and D'Andrea. Strategies and resources for teaching braille, including assessment, technology, special needs, etc.

   AFB Press
   11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
   New York, NY 10001
   Telephone: 800-232-3044

   Also available from AFB Press, Beginning with Braille by Swenson, Foundations of Braille Literacy, by Rex, Koenig, Wormsley, & Baker; The Burns Braille Transcription Dictionary, by Burns; and Guidelines and Games for Teaching Efficient Braille Reading, by Olson.

2. Communication Skills for Visually Impaired Learners, by Harley, Truan, & Sanford. Information not only about braille instruction, but other communication skills as well, and information about students with low vision.

   Charles C Thomas
   2600 South First Street
   Springfield, IL 62704

3. Providing Quality Instruction in Braille Literacy Skills, by Koenig and Farrenkopf. Companion guide to Routman's Invitations, gives strategies for teaching braille in a whole language classroom environment.

   Region IV Education Service Center
   7145 Tidwell
   Houston, Texas 77092
   Telephone: 713-744-6368

4. The Braille Enthusiast's Dictionary, by Koenig and Holbrook. Indispensable resource that shows simulated braille for contracted braille words, and syllable divisions.

   SCALARS Publishing
   P.O. Box 382834
   Germantown, TN 38183
   Telephone: 901-737-0001

5. Twin Vision Dictionary of Braille Problem Words. Similar to the Enthusiast's Dictionary, shows word contracted and then spelled out, in embossed braille.

   American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
   18440 Oxnard Street
   Tarzana, CA 91356

6. The Bridge to Braille, by Castellano and Kosman. Designed for parents and regular classroom teachers.

   National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
   National Federation of the Blind
   1800 Johnson Street
   Baltimore, MD 21230

7. Classroom Collaborations, by Hudson. Information about working with classroom teachers and instructional assistants, and inservice training ideas for braille and for orientation and mobility.

   Perkins School for the Blind
   175 North Beacon Street
   Watertown, MA 02172
   Telephone: 617-924-3434

8. Publications from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. A wide variety of curricula, assessment materials, resource books, videos, and other great materials. Request a catalog by writing to:

   TSBVI
   1100 West 45th Street
   Austin, TX 78756-3494
   Telephone: 512-454-8631.
   URL: http://www.tsbvi.edu

And don't forget!

• The National Literacy Center, American Foundation for the Blind. DOTS for Braille Literacy newsletter, resource sheets, etc.

  National Literacy Program
  American Foundation for the Blind
  100 Peachtree Street
  Atlanta, GA 30303
  Telephone: 404-525-2303
  E-Mail: literacy@afb.net