Braille Reading Programs
The Utah Foundation for the Blind & Visually
Impaired (UFB) has three new programs to assist students learning or
using braille. It is UFB’s intent to assist teachers, students and
parents in helping students become more proficient braille readers and
to enjoy reading braille. These programs are:
·
Daily Braille Reading
Program
·
Braille Reading Speed
Program
Details of these programs can be found by clicking on the above links.
The Utah Regional Braille Challenge will be on March 1, 2013.
Group Independent Learning Activities
(Information coming)
UFB Daily Braille Reading
Program
The Daily Braille
Reading Program provides an opportunity and incentive for all students
learning or using braille to practice reading at home in addition to
braille instruction received at school. It is appropriate for students
of all ages including those just beginning to learn braille and those
who are independent braille readers. Becoming a proficient braille
reader requires sustained practice over time and this program can help
students spend the additional time needed to become better braille
readers.
Students may start the Daily Braille Reading Program at any
time during the year and they may participate as many times as they
would like. We would encourage students to participate in this program
throughout the year including during the summer.
A nice reward (to be announced soon) will be given to every
student who completes this program over a four week period.
Program Details:
·
Students read
braille for at least 30 minutes for five days during the week.
·
Reading is done
at home, outside of school time.
·
Material for
reading is selected by the student and may be novels, textbooks,
magazines, material provided by a teacher, or other reading material.
·
Braille writing,
including answering questions, completing worksheets, etc. may NOT be
counted.
·
Reading may be
silent or oral, but students are encouraged to read to parents or
siblings.
·
A daily record
must be kept and submitted to UFB after each four week period. (See
form)
·
This program may
be started at any time, but if reading is not done for five out of
seven days you must start the four weeks over again.
·
Prizes will be
awarded after the daily record form is received and reviewed by UFB.
· Each time a student completes a four week period their name will be entered for an additional prize drawing at the end of the school year.
Download "Daily Braille Reading" Chart
UFB Braille
Reading Speed Program
The
Braille Reading Speed Program is appropriate for students learning or
using Braille approximately fourth grade or older. This is a year-long
program and students must begin in September to participate. This
program is intended to help students improve their Braille reading
speed while maintaining or increasing their reading comprehension. It
requires the assistance of the student’s Teacher of the Visually
Impaired, or Braille Teacher, to participate.
A very nice prize (to be announced soon)
will be awarded to every student who successfully completes this
program.
Program Details:
·
An oral braille
reading speed test needs to be conducted by the student’s teacher in
September to determine the student’s current oral braille reading
speed in words per minute.
·
Teachers may use
their own appropriate assessment or one provided by UFB. The test
should be a three to ten minute reading segment and include a simple
comprehension component.
·
The reading
assessment must be a “cold” reading.
·
The student in
conjunction with the teacher will set an appropriate target WPM
reading goal to reach by the end of the school year.
·
When setting the
goal keep in mind the main purpose of this program is to increase
reading speed. The goal should not be so high that the student cannot
reach that speed, but it should not be too low either. If there is a
reason for selecting a relatively small increase as the goal the
rational for this should be explained on the enrollment form.
·
Another oral
Braille reading speed test will be given to the student in May to
determine if the goal has been reached. Both the beginning and ending
tests must be the same grade level.
·
The accompanying
enrollment form must be completed by the teacher no later than
September 30th and submitted to UFB by October 7th to participate.
This is our new,
local, Utah only braille magazine filled with things students will
enjoy, and perhaps even be excited about reading. Our goal is to
publish this monthly and to have students and teachers (if they would
like) submit items to be included. Content will have a range of
interest and of reading level. The purpose of this publication is to
have something students will look forward to reading and to have
reading material that is relatively short, fun, and interesting. It
may also include practice material for the Braille Challenge.
Details:
·
Hard copies in
contracted or uncontracted braille will be mailed to teachers or
students.
·
Electronic .dxb
files will be emailed to teachers if they would like to emboss their
own.
·
For students
learning contractions, partially contracted copies can be embossed by
teachers using Duxbury’s control over translation tables.
(Instructions on how to do this will be available if requested.)
·
A subscription
form must be completed in order to receive the magazine.
·
Teachers should
list the names of all students with whom they will use the magazine.
Teachers
Students