Access Braille Writing and PC Devices: The year is 2000 and I am blessed with meeting 3 siblings in a family of 8. I first met the oldest daughter who was in 2nd grade grade and her sister who was in preschool. Their young brother, was just born. All 3 have a VERY rare condition called: Spondylometaphyseal dysplasia with cone rod dystrophy. This was an exciting journey with all 3. All 3 live very successful lives now.
Early Education Leads to Access Braille Writing Devices
Starting at 3 months old: First, always teach the parents right along with the child–Teamwork is key! One crucial step was ensuring he could eventually access Braille writing devices to aid in his learning journey.
Pre-teaching a blind child from an early age involves fostering foundational skills that support sensory development, spatial awareness, and independence. Here’s how you can engage with a blind child from 3 months old to 3 years old and up to 3rd Grade, ensuring they develop crucial abilities at each stage:
At 3 Months Old in general:
At this stage, it’s all about sensory exploration and exposure. A blind infant learns through touch, sound, and smell. Parents and caregivers can begin pre-teaching through activities that engage the child’s remaining senses.
- Tactile Exploration: Provide different textures for the baby to feel, such as soft cloth, textured toys, and various materials. This helps them develop an understanding of their environment through touch.
- Auditory Stimulation: Introduce the baby to a variety of sounds, from gentle music to the sound of voices and everyday noises. Toys that make sounds or produce vibrations can also help the child associate movements with sounds.
- Bonding with Language: Talk to the baby constantly, explaining what’s happening around them. Even at this age, exposing them to language and verbal interaction is key for cognitive development.
At 1 Year Old:
By the time the child is 1 year old, they are starting to gain more control over their movements and understand their surroundings through tactile and auditory feedback. The focus at this age is on expanding their sensory awareness and motor skills.
- Mobility Encouragement: Support the child as they begin to crawl or walk. Encourage them to explore safe spaces, ensuring the environment is designed for them to navigate without harm.
- Hands-on Learning: Let the child interact with everyday objects, describing what they are holding. This could include toys, household items, or safe objects they encounter daily.
- Cane-have a cane around his/her toys so they get acquainted with the tool
- Language Development: Continue talking to the child, narrating actions and surroundings. Introduce basic concepts like hot/cold, soft/hard, and big/small, as this builds vocabulary and concept understanding. Have them touch everything, giving purpose to what they interact with always.
At 3 Years Old Access Braille writing devices:
At 3 years old, the blind child is ready to begin more structured learning and independent exploration. Pre-teaching during this period focuses on more complex tasks, building independence, and preparing for future skills. Begin touch-typing on keyboard of computer and using other braille devices like the MouthBatten Brailler. This student learned all of the alphabet and several contractions.
- Orientation and Mobility: Begin teaching basic orientation and mobility skills, using a cane for navigation. This will help the child build confidence in moving through space.
- Fine Motor Skills: Encourage fine motor development through activities like threading beads, playing with textured blocks, or using simple tactile puzzles. This helps the child develop dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
- Pre-Braille Exposure: Introduce early Braille awareness through tactile games or exposure to raised dots or objects. As they may not be ready to fully learn Braille, familiarization with textures and symbols helps lay the foundation for literacy. This includes touch typing on keyboard using braille on braille device like a Mouthbatten Brailler
- Self-Care Skills: Teach simple self-care tasks like washing hands, dressing, and feeding themselves. These activities foster independence and help them gain confidence in daily living skills.
By consistently engaging the child’s senses and nurturing their curiosity, they will develop essential skills for future success. With each stage of growth, pre-teaching ensures they build a strong foundation. This approach prepares the child to easily learn more complex skills later, such as reading Braille, using assistive technology and navigating the world independently.
Continuing to teach a blind child in kindergarten through 2nd grade involves focusing on expanding their academic, social, and independence skills, while incorporating accessible tools and adaptive techniques. Here’s how you can approach teaching at each stage:
Kindergarten (K)-Access writing PC computers:
In kindergarten, the focus is on introducing basic academic concepts while fostering independence and confidence in social situations. This student was able to begin reading braille like his peers due to already knowing braille letters and symbols. He also know the keys on the computer to begin learning how to type out work to email to teacher.
- Braille Literacy: Begin formal Braille instruction, introducing letters, numbers, and simple words. Use tactile books, raised alphabet cards, and manipulative’s to enhance literacy.
- Orientation and Mobility: Continue reinforcing basic mobility skills such as using a cane and navigating familiar spaces like classrooms and playgrounds.
- Interactive Learning: Incorporate multi-sensory learning activities, such as counting objects with tactile number lines and participating in songs or rhymes for phonics and vocabulary.
- Technology Introduction: Introduce basic assistive technology, such as a Mountbatten Brailler or screen reader software, to support early writing and computer skills.
First Grade (1st Grade):
In first grade, the child should begin building on the foundations laid in kindergarten, focusing on more advanced academic and mobility skills.
- Braille Proficiency: Increase fluency in Braille reading and writing. Introduce more complex words, sentences, and basic punctuation. Begin incorporating Braille reading into classroom activities.
- Math Skills: Teach basic math concepts using tactile math tools like counting beads, tactile number lines, and raised math grids. Introduce early Nemeth Code for math symbols in Braille.
- Social Integration: Encourage social interactions and group activities, teaching the child to collaborate with peers and practice conversational skills.
- Assistive Technology Growth: Begin integrating more advanced technology, such as screen readers (e.g., JAWS or NVDA) and tactile graphics for learning new concepts.
Second Grade (2nd Grade):
By second grade, the goal is to strengthen the child’s academic abilities while fostering greater independence. His sisters immediately picked up keyboarding and were handing in all work within 2 months to teachers via email. They learned Braille reading
- Advanced Braille: Continue advancing Braille reading and writing skills, incorporating full sentences and paragraphs. Increase reading speed and comprehension through practice. Teach how to braille or keyboard work on PC computer.
- Math in Braille: Build on basic math skills, using tactile tools to teach addition, subtraction, and early multiplication. Enhance familiarity with the Nemeth Code for math. Teach how to output math on the computer using WORD
- Independent Learning: Encourage more independent work by providing opportunities to complete assignments using accessible technology. Allow the child to practice retrieving and saving work on a computer or braille device.
- Orientation and Mobility: Further develop mobility skills by teaching navigation in unfamiliar environments. Practicing independent travel in controlled settings, such as the school campus or nearby park is essential.
Throughout kindergarten through 2nd grade, regular collaboration with teachers, mobility instructors, and other specialists is essential. Tailor instruction to the child’s progress and ensure their curriculum is fully accessible to set them up for long-term success. This type of collaboration must continue throughout school to Access Braille writing devices and PC Computers. YouTube Lessons: