Largest Contest Ever

Largest Contest Ever

Future Reflections Fall 1990, Vol. 9 No. 3
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LARGEST CONTEST EVER
A Report on the 1989-1990 National Federation of the Blind
Braille Reading Contest
by Nadine Jacobson
[PICTURE] After three years of volunteer service as judges for the Brailler Readers Are Leaders Contest, Nadine Jacobson
(see portrait above) and husband, Steve, will be turning
the task over to John and Sandy Halverson of Missouri.
The National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
and the Parents of Blind Children Division applaud
Nadine and Steve for the hundreds of volunteer hours
they gave to this important effort.
Bravo! Bravo! the 1989-1990 Braille Readers
are Leaders contest was the most successful ever.
The enthusiasm from students, parents, and
teachers from throughout the country was overwhelming.
This
year we had more students enter the
contest than ever before. In total, two hundred
and twenty-five students from kindergarten
through twelfth grade read their hearts out.
These students challenged themselves to read
more than they ever thought they could; the students
met that challenge, and the results were
better than any prize they could have won. From
all over the nation I heard about students who
didn't much like reading when they began working
on the contest, but as they read more and
became faster readers, reading became a joy to
them.
Another first this year is that we had eight
students from Canada who entered the contest,
and one of them placed first in the Second
through Fourth Grade category. Keep up the
good work, Canada!
I have had the pleasure and opportunity to
judge this contest for several years. It has been
rewarding to analyze the reading that individual
contestants have done from year to year, and to
observe their growth through the books they
read. Much of the reading is recreational, but
much of it is also of an educational nature. I have
also had the opportunity to compare the number
of pages read by individuals over the years. Those
who win in the Most Improved category represent
only a few of the contestants who read more
and more each year, further enhancing and
developing their reading skill and speed.
In addition to the intrinsic rewards of reading,
students are also experiencing lively competition. I have heard of many situations in Minnesota
and other states in which two or more
students will compete with each other to see who
can read the most pages.
Those are some of my observations. Now, let
me share with you some portions of the many
letters I receive from parents and teachers related
to the contest. A mother from Maine writes:
"I wanted to...say how enthusiastically my son
participated in this wonderful contest. His reading
abilitites have improved dramatically, and he
didn't stop reading until the very end. My son is
partially sighted, but Braille skills are what he
uses. It's effective and allows him to excel in
school."
A teacher writes of her student, "Her reading
skills have improved greatly and we have noticed
a marked improvement in all of her schoolwork
that requires quick and accurate reading. Her
mother also informs us that Jenny enjoys reading
now and is rarely seen without a book at her
fingertips."
Susan Wenstrom, a teacher at the Michigan
School for the Blind writes: "My students were
very excited about participating in the Braille
reading contest."
Another teacher, Dorothy Destefano of
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, sent us this note: "I personally
would like to thank your organization for
sponsoring this contest as a means of encouraging
the reading of Braille at all levels. The
wonders of the world await those people who can
read. Once again, thanks to all of you."
One of the most touching letters came from
Hera Goodrich, a teacher in Massachusetts. She
related the story of Sok Chea, a seven-year-old
boy from Cambodia she is teaching. He is the first
one in his family to become literate. She says that
"this contest has served to increase both his reading
skill and his speed. He is very excited about it....Thank you for sponsoring this contest --it is
most valuable."
Unfortunately, there isn't enough space to
print all of the letters. We deeply appreciate
those of you who have taken the time to write.
Please continue to send us your thoughts and
ideas about the contest. We are always trying to
make it better.
I believe that all the contestants deserve
recognition for the hard work they put into this
contest. Also, recognition goes to the parents
who stayed up late, or got up early, to listen to
their children read; to the teachers, librarians,
transcribers, and others who helped students get
materials to read and kept encouraging the
children to do their best. There are many people
in this country who truly believe in the effectiveness
of Braille and its important role in the lives
of blind people. Keep up the good work!
Here is the list of contest winners. It is interesting
to note that the fifteen contest winners
read a total of 53,946 pages, or an average of
3,600 pages per winner. The average for all 225 contestants, who read a total of 217,429 pages,
was 962 pages per student.
Winners of the contest won: $50 for first
place; $25 for second place; and $10 for third
place. Each winner also received a special Tshirt
and certificate. The Most Improved winners
received $5 each. All contestants received a ribbon
and a certificate just for participating.
KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE
First Place: Erin Lauridsen; Clatskanie,
Oregon; First Grade; 1,110 pages.

Second Place: Ashley Skellenger; Hobe
Sound, Florida; First Grade; 1,073 pages.

Third Place: Lisa Kidder; Faribault, Minnesota;
Kindergarten; 1,070 pages.
SECOND THROUGH FOURTH GRADES
First Place: Robin Mandell; Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; Third Grade; 4,894 pages.

Second Place: Noel Romey; Phoenix,
Arizona; Fourth Grade; 4,144 pages.

Third Place: Karla Gilbride; Syosset, New
York; Fourth Grade; 3,787 pages.
FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES
First Place: Casey Cannon; Ellington, New
York; Sixth Grade; 6,744 pages.

Second Place: Bethany Weisend; North Canton,
Ohio; Eighth Grade; 6,314 pages.

Third Place: Jennifer Baker; Rockville,
Maryland; Sixth Grade; 5,809 pages.
Ninth through Twelfth Grade
First Place: April Swaim; Arlinginton,
Texas; Ninth Grade; 7,068 pages.

Second Place: Nancy Williams; Fredonia,
Kentucky; Twelfth Grade; 6,253 pages.

Third Place: Chastity Morse; Coon Rapids,
Minnesota; Ninth Grade; 4,123 pages.
PRINT TO BRAILLE
First Place: Harriet Go; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Second Grade; 670
pages.

Second Place: Elizabeth Frutchey;
Providence, Rhode Island; Second
Grade; 506 pages.

Third Place: Kamyar Habibelahian; Bellevue,
Washington; Third Grade; 391
pages.
MOST IMPROVED
1. Sora Mindy Cook; Baltimore, Maryland;
Second Grade. Pages this year: 2,170;
last year: 74.

2. Tabatha Brown; Burlington, Vermont;
Fourth Grade. Pages this year: 1,761; last
year: 793.
3. Dionne Quan; Vallejo, California; Fourth
Grade. Pages this year: 1,655; last year:
762.

4. Angela Dawn Fisher; Cheshirert, Ohio; Sixth Grade. Pages this year: 1,378; last
year: 487.

5. Jenny Kasl; Phoenix, Arizonia; Second
Grade. Pages this year: 890; last year:
265.
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