Braille Contractions

Braille Contractions

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The Braille Monitor, April 2001

Edition

Braille Contractions Are They Really So Hard?

by Ramona Walhof

Ramona Walhof

From the Editor:

Ramona Walhof is Secretary of the National Federation of the Blind. She is

also a fluent Braille reader and experienced Braille teacher. This is what

she says:

In the

October, 2000, Braille Monitor an article appeared entitled "Trends

in the Use of Braille Contractions in the United States: Implications for UBC

Decisions" by Sally Mangold. Dr. Sally Mangold is a respected teacher

and researcher. I have no comment on the UBC. I have not carefully studied

it, and I operate on the assumption that Braille readers will adjust to whatever

the experts decide to do. If too many experts involve themselves in the argument,

the process may never be completed. However, Dr. Mangold discussed much more

than the UBC in her article, and I am vitally interested in the instruction

of Braille.

In

the 1990s we have heard increasing discussion about teaching grade I or grade

II Braille. Consider the following two quotes from Sally Mangold: "Grade

I is being used more with beginning readers of all ages," and "Grade

I Braille is used for instruction of newly blinded youth and adults."

First of all, why

don't we eliminate the terms grade I and grade II Braille? Grade I Braille

means uncontracted Braille; grade II means contracted Braille. These terms

are clear to everyone, and, while we are talking about change, this would be

as useful as any. Long-time Braille users understand Grade I and Grade II,

but others do not. The very terms indicate that one somehow must complete grade

I in order to be ready for grade II. This is a false assumption and makes Braille

seem more daunting than it needs to be.

Second,

let us not underestimate the ability of blind students‑‑children

or adults. Yes, there are many blind children with several disabilities, and

their needs must receive individual attention. Yes, contractions seem difficult

to sighted people who all read and write uncontracted (grade I) print.

Dr.

Mangold says that parents and classroom teachers prefer to teach uncontracted

Braille because it equates more closely with print. This is true, and we must

take that into consideration. However, the most important issue is what will

assist more people to learn to use Braille as the wonderfully effective and

useful means of reading and writing it should be for the blind. If contracted

Braille helps to improve Braille reading speed, it is important. Many Braille

readers are very certain that this is the case. Some, however, argue that the

truth of this conviction is not well established. So let's do some studies

to be sure.

My experience

is that adults learn to use Braille and to depend on it for personal notes

and reading books much more quickly if they learn signs—the more signs

the better. In the 1970s I was teaching Braille to adults, and they were becoming

bogged down and discouraged before they developed good skill in either reading

or writing. We were using the old Illinois Series, three small paper‑bound

volumes, to complete the instruction of standard Braille. Adult students were

spending most of their time trying to improve their ability to feel the dots.

This slowed them down. The books required each student to read an entire page

for each letter of the alphabet. The students could learn the new letters by

reading far less than a page. We could skip part of the page, but most students

were reluctant to do that.

My colleague

Mabel Nading and I believed that we could speed up the process of learning

Braille by introducing signs sooner and in a different order. We succeeded

beyond our wildest dreams. Our students had been taking from six months to

a year to complete standard Braille, and some never learned the whole system.

With our new lessons our students needed from three weeks to six months to

complete standard Braille, and very few were unable to learn the entire system.

Even those who used jumbo Braille loved the signs. It saved them time and work

in writing. They did not need to be experts. If one sign was missed when writing,

so be it.

Student

enthusiasm increased amazingly, as you can imagine. And the ways they used

Braille were just as exciting. Now there are several different books available

for Braille instruction. Whichever one is used, signs may or may not be regarded

as a huge difficulty. Good teachers know that their attitudes about matters

such as these have a major influence on the attitudes of their students.

My experience

with blind children is that they do not regard signs as problems, except in

certain individual situations. Alphabetic word signs are simple memory work

and easily taught along with each letter: b‑but, c‑can, d‑do,

etc. Many other signs consist entirely of letters of the alphabet: fr‑friend,

ll‑little, rcv‑receive, cd‑could, etc. These are easy, friendly

signs. Students do become confused when learning all the rules for using signs,

but these are not required to recognize the contractions.

In testing

spelling, obviously students use uncontracted Braille. This need not be a problem.

I have seen a number of Braille spelling books that show the uncontracted word

followed by the same word in its contracted form.

If signs

are not taught initially, then when and how? Sighted children are taught to

write printed letters in kindergarten and first grade. Then in second or third

grade they are taught to write cursive. When the whole group learns together,

it works. A systematic approach to teaching blind children contractions could

also work. However, I have real concern that the same teachers who are not

well equipped to teach signs to beginning readers will still not be well equipped

to teach signs later on.

I have

heard other discussions regarding Braille instruction of young blind children.

Teachers tend to lament that not enough books are produced without contractions.

This is a good argument for teaching contractions early. We do not want to

deprive children or adults of a good variety of interesting material to read.

As long as the majority of books and magazines are produced in contracted Braille,

it is to the advantage of the new reader to learn the contractions as soon

as possible.

If

a teacher who can teach contracted Braille is not available, by all means let

the student learn uncontracted Braille. But let us not pretend that this decision

does not carry some risk. No matter how young the student, it is a disadvantage

for him or her not to be able to pick up other Braille materials and read them.

If the reading level is too advanced, a child can still pick out familiar words

and phrases. This is an important part of learning to read for some sighted

children just as for blind students.

I can understand

that parents might enjoy spelling out words with their youngsters. There is

no harm in this. Let those who are producing books for young children in uncontracted

Braille continue to do so. They can serve a purpose. But this does not make

contractions bad.

In a utopian

society parents and teachers would all know standard Braille. We all know that

is not going to happen. In the real world it seems to me we must make available

as much Braille as possible, the best instruction possible, as much appropriate

reading material as possible, and as much moral support from school and family

as possible. Since we do not live in utopia, we must do the best we can in

the circumstances. But let's not lose sight of what ought to be. And let's

not forget about teaching signs to students who start out reading and writing

uncontracted Braille.

I would

be interested in the reactions of other Braille readers and teachers to these

issues. Dr. Mangold might also find such reactions interesting. The matter

is too important not to address. This is an essential aspect of Braille literacy.

How many blind children will have the opportunity to be truly literate and

skilled in Braille?

Have you considered

leaving a gift to the National Federation of the Blind in your will? By preparing

a will now, you can assure that those administering your estate will avoid

unnecessary delays, legal complications, and substantial tax costs. A will

is a common device used to leave a substantial gift to charity. A gift in your

will to the NFB can be of any size and will be used to help blind people. Here

are some useful hints in preparing your will:

* Make a list of everything you

want to leave (your estate).

* Decide how and to whom you

want to leave these assets.

* Consult an attorney (one you

know or one we can help you find).

* Make certain you thoroughly

understand your will before you sign it.

For more information

contact the National Federation of the Blind, Special Gifts, 1800 Johnson Street,

Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998, (410) 659-9314, fax (410) 685-5653.

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