Learning media assessment

Late beginners

For young people who are transferring their literacy skills to braille, the strategy is less about 'developing literacy through braille' than learning to transfer their existing literacy skills to a new medium - the braille code.

Success factors

A range of factors will determine the success of transfer including the child's age, previous print reading attainment, motivation and emotional adjustment and the frequency and quality of support.

For some children working through braille and print in combination is a legitimate and successful strategy.

Further reading

Teaching braille pupils who already have print literacy from the Paths to Literacy website.

Approaches to transferring

All learners transferring to braille will need:

• learning media assessments including accurate assessments of past and present literacy levels
• support and motivation from parents and teachers that braille is a valuable and useful acquisition
• consideration of, and support for, the emotional adjustments surrounding transfer
• the cultivation of high expectations
• support to develop efficient touch discrimination an appreciation of the functional advantages of braille
• regular informed and well coordinated instruction
• access to a range of age appropriate braille reading materials
• access to appropriate technology
• opportunities to engage meaningfully with braille reading and writing tasks throughout the school day

Further study

Case study

The case study for Jake deals with some of the issues related to transferring from print to braille (especially the latter part of the case study).

Course

If you would like to develop a more in-depth understanding of supporting braille users transferring from print and other aspects of teaching literacy through braille, you may wish to consider applying for a place on the VIEW course; 'Effective Teaching of Literacy through Braille'.