Braille Readers Are Leaders 2001 Contest and Contest Entry Form
Braille Readers Are Leaders 2001 Contest and Contest Entry Form
(back) (next)
(contents)
The Braille Monitor – October 2000 Edition
Braille Readers Are Leaders 2001 Contest
From the Editor: The time is here again to think about the
NFB Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest for the coming year. The reading period
is November 1 to February 1. The contest form can be found as a pull-out at
the center of the print edition. For the information of readers of other editions,
the text of the form immediately follows this article. Forms are also available
from the NFB's Materials Center. You can get a form by faxing (410) 685-5653,
calling the Materials Center at (410) 659-9314, or writing to the NFB at 1800
Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
Many of us know firsthand how important
encouragement to read Braille can be to young readers. The Missouri School for
the Blind and contest coordinator and Braille teacher Patti Schonlau described
how the school used the contest as the vehicle for even more benefits to the
students than providing practice reading Braille. Last winter she wrote on the
school's form that in 2000 the contest theme at the Missouri School was "Building
Good Citizenship." She scanned and embossed eight books to serve as the framework
for learning about good citizenship. Each student was given copies of the eight
books: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr., The Story of Clara Barton, The
Story of Mahatma Gandhi, The Story of Jackie Robinson, The Story of Marie Curie,
The Story of Thomas Edison, The Story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and
The Story of Sitting Bull.
In the group's bi-weekly parties the students studied these
books as a stem to initiate discussion about what good citizenship really means.
The group also enjoyed competent Braille users, blind guest speakers who demonstrate
tremendous talent and good citizenship qualities in the community. Through this
program the students strive to use Braille in their daily lives to become more
independent, increase their general awareness, and satisfy their personal reading
interests.
In short, the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest can serve
participating students in many different ways. Take a minute to think about
what you might do to encourage blind students in your area to take advantage
of this exciting opportunity.
Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
18th Annual Contest for Blind Youth, 2000-2001
Sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children and the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
Purpose of Contest
The purpose of the annual Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
is to encourage blind children to read more Braille. It
is just as important for blind children to be literate as it is for other children.
Good readers can have confidence in themselves and in their abilities to learn
and to adapt to new situations throughout their lifetimes. Braille is a viable
alternative to print, yet many blind children are graduating from our schools
with poor Braille skills and low expectations for themselves as readers. They
do not know that Braille readers can be competitive with print readers. This
contest helps blind children realize that reading Braille is fun and rewarding.
Who Can Enter the Contest?
Blind school-age children from kindergarten through the twelfth
grade are eligible to enter. The student competes in one of five categories.
The first category is the print-to-Braille beginning reader.
This category is for former or current print readers who began to learn and
use Braille within the past two years. This includes:
(1) formerly sighted children who became blind after they mastered
print.
(2) partially sighted print readers who are learning Braille.
(Kindergartners and first-graders are not eligible for the print-to- Braille
category.)
The other categories are grades K-1, 2-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Students
in ungraded programs should select the category which most closely matches the
grade level of their peers.
Prizes for the Contest
First-, second-, and third-place winners are selected from each
of the five categories. All winners receive a cash prize, a special certificate,
and a distinctive NFB Braille Readers Are Leaders T-shirt. In each category
first-place winners receive $75, second-place winners $50, and third- place
winners $25. Students who place fourth and fifth in each category will receive
Honorable Mention recognition and a special T-shirt. All contestants receive
a Braille certificate and a ribbon for participating in the contest.
Awards are also given to the ten contestants, regardless of
category, who demonstrate the most improvement over their performance in the
previous year's contest.
To be considered for the Most Improved Braille Reader award,
the contestant must enter the Contest for two consecutive years and cannot be
a winner in the current Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest or any previous
one. Winners of the Most Improved Braille Reader award receive $15 and a T-shirt.
Schools are encouraged to schedule public presentations of the
certificates. Alternatively, presentations may be made in the classroom, at
the local National Federation of the Blind chapter meeting, or in some other
appropriate setting. Members of the National Federation of the Blind will award
the certificates and other prizes whenever possible.
Schools for the Blind
In addition to the individual prizes, one or more specialized
schools for the blind will receive a cash prize of up to $200 for outstanding
participation in the contest. All of the schools for the blind with students
participating in the contest will receive recognition in Future Reflections,
the National Federation of the Blind magazine for parents and educators of blind
children.
Teacher Recognition
Special recognition and a certificate will also be given to
a teacher who has demonstrated excellence in the promotion of Braille literacy
through support of the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest.
Rules for the Contest
Winners will be chosen based on the number of Braille pages
read. The one who reads the largest number of Braille pages will be the first-place
winner; the second largest will be the second-place winner; and so forth. The
completed contest entry form should be received by the judges no later than
February 15, 2001. Contestants must submit with the entry forms a print list
of the materials read (see back of entry form). Entry forms without this list
will be returned to the sender.
Certifying Authority
The certifying authority is responsible for (1) verifying that
the student read the Braille material listed and that the material was read
between November 1, 2000, and February 1, 2001; (2) filling out and sending
in the contest entry form in an accurate, complete, and timely fashion; and
(3) assisting the student in finding Braille materials to read for the contest.
Teachers, librarians, and parents may serve as certifying authorities.
The certifying authority must be prepared to cooperate if the contest judges
have questions or need additional information about an entry. All decisions
of the judges are final.
For more information contact:
Mrs. Barbara Cheadle
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
(410) 659-9314, Ext. 360
Contest Entry Form
Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest November 1,
2000 to February 1, 2001
Mail entry form after February 1, 2001 to:
Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest 1800 Johnson
Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Grand total of pages read ______________
Student's Name _______________________________________________
Birth Date_____________ Age_________ Grade_______________
Address_________________________________________________
City__________________________ State____________________ ZIP____________
Parent's Name________________________ Phone: H____________
W__________
School Name_______________________________ Phone____________________
Address_________________________City________________ State_________ ZIP______
Certifying Authority Name Position:
Parent [ ] Teacher [ ] Librarian [ ]
Address_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
City______________________________ State___________________
ZIP___________
Phone H________________ W___________________
Please send certificate and ribbon to:
STUDENT [ ] SCHOOL [ ] CERTIFYING AUTHORITY [ ]
Did you enter last year's contest (1999-2000)? YES [ ] NO [
]
Please give month and year Braille instruction began:
Category: (Check only one)
[ ] Beginning Print-to-Braille This category is for print readers
who began to learn and use Braille within the past two years. Kindergarten and
First Grade children are not eligible for this category.
[ ] Kindergarten and First Grade
[ ] Second through Fourth Grades
[ ] Fifth through Eighth Grades [ ] Ninth through Twelfth Grades
If you should be a winner, what size T-shirt would you require?
(circle one)
Children's: S (6-8) M (10-12) L (14-16)
Adult: S (34-36) M (38-40) L (42-44) XL (46-48)
Name of Student:________________________________________
Book title/Magazine article # of Pages Total # of pages
__________________________________________________________________________________________
To the best of my knowledge this student did read these Braille
pages between the dates of November 1, 2000, and February 1, 2001.
Signature of Certifying Authority_________________________
Date______________
Common Questions
1. When do I mail in the contest form? Mail the completed
form in between February 1 and February 15, 2001.
2. What if I didn't know about the contest until after it began?
Can I still enter? Yes.
3. If I enter late, can I still count the Braille pages I have
read since November 1? Yes, if your certifying authority will verify that
you read those pages.
4. Can I count my Braille textbooks? No.
5. Can I count textbooks if they are not the textbooks I am
now using for my regular class work? Yes.
6. What if I don't finish reading a book? Can I count the pages
that I did read? Yes.
7. Can supplemental reading books to beginning reading series
be counted for the contest? Yes.
8. What constitutes a Braille page? Each side of an embossed
piece of paper is considered one page. If you read both sides, then you have
read two pages. This is true even if there are only two Braille lines on one
side.
9. Can I count title pages, tables of contents, Brailled descriptions
of illustrations, etc? Yes.
10. I have to transcribe books for my beginning reader. Most
of these books have only a few words on a page. If the print book has more pages
than my Braille transcription, how do I count pages for the contest? For
the purposes of this contest, the number of Braille pages counted per book should
never be less than the number of print pages in that book. This is so even if
the teacher has transcribed the entire book onto one Braille page. To avoid
confusion, we suggest that the books be transcribed page-for- page, one Braille
page for each print page, whenever possible.
11. I have trouble finding enough Braille material for my older
students. Do you have any suggestions? Yes. The National Federation of the
Blind has free Braille materials suitable for blind youth. To request the NFB
Selected Literature for Blind Youth order form, call or write National Federation
of the Blind, Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
12. Can I read the same book more than once? Yes, but up
to three times only.
Schools for the Blind
2000 - 2001 Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
Residential or specialized schools for the blind which promote
the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest among their students are eligible to
compete for a cash prize of up to $200 and national recognition for outstanding
participation in the contest. No one criterion is used to determine which school
or schools receive the cash award(s) and/or recognition. Factors that the judges
consider in making this decision include:
* The percentage of the student body (total and academic) participating
in the contest.
* Quality of material read by participating students.
* Total number of pages read by participating students.
* Improvement in quality and quantity of participation over
a previous year's performance.
* Number of national winners.
* Creative ways in which the contest is used to promote Braille
literacy and a love of reading among the participating students.
You can help your school get full consideration for the cash
award and/or recognition by returning this form to Braille Readers Are Leaders
Contest, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
Name of School___________________________________
Address__________________________________________
City, State, ZIP_____________________________________
Total number of students enrolled:__________________________
Number of students enrolled in an academic program:_______________________
(Students who are learning to read and write in any medium.)
Number of students participating in this year's contest:________________________
School telephone number and other information you wish to provide:
________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Signature and title ____________________________________________
(back) (next)
(contents)
Share a Comment