[bksvol-discuss] Re: about braille
- From: "Sarah Van Oosterwijck" <curiousentity@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 12:17:37 -0500
Here's my rant on the subject. <g>
I think that it is absolutely essential for all students to learn braille if
they can not, or probably will not be able to, read print at at least
around 130 words per minute or faster. If you read more slowly than that
you won't be able to read aloud at all naturally, and keeping up in any
situation where you need to read will be difficult.
I am upset that I can not read braille fast, but I can read anything without
a problem. I always wonder if I could have learned to read faster in
braille if I would have been pushed harder when I started to learn in
kindergarten. They didn't know that I would lose my sight completely later,
so they taught me, but didn't work very hard at teaching me. At least they
did start, though. In Third grade when reading braille really became
necessary for me, I was often bored to death by what they made me read
because they were books for beginner readers. They told me they knew I
didn't like to read, but I had to learn, when actually I loved to read as
long as the material was for my grade level or above. I was used to books
above my grade level in other forms. They should have given me material to
activate my brain and just let me struggle and learn as I went.
Another problem is that so many people make the student believe that
learning braille is extremely difficult, and that people who learn it are
extraordinary. If they don't start out with that attitude they are probably
going to find it less difficult. Learning anything takes work, and so
braille will be work too, but it probably won't be the hardest thing they
are asked to learn in school. I have a problem with the "I can't learn"
attitude no matter what the subject is, so don't try it with me. :-) And if
anyone catches me using that excuse they have my permission to wack me. <bg>
I don't think that braille is the only means of absorbing information,
though. I can learn and retain just as much from listening or reading. I
am faster when listening, so for things where time is a factor I would
choose audio, but for things that require picking at detail, such as
languages or math, braille is the only way for me. for all other things
they are equal as far as I'm concerned.
Actually, it would be good if all children were given the opertunity to
practice learning entirely from listening as many blind children do. It is
as valuable a skill as reading is. I am frequently annoyed with peoples'
poor listening comprehention, but I suppose they just don't realize it is a
problem, or could be improved.
As for spelling, I don't think anything but constant writing and a
spellcheck helps me. <g> I don't learn to spell from reading in braille,
because I seem to think in sound rather than in letters. Occasionally I
will realize, as I am reading, that I don't know how to spell a word I have
just read. then I will go back and try to memorize it, but if I am not
thinking about it I won't learn from reading it. I also don't know how a
braille reader can learn to read in phrases instead of words. You just
don't feel enough at a time. If someone can tell me how, I would be happy
to know. :-) I understand that some people might not hear the words in
there head when they read in braille, but only see or feel it in the mind,
but I don't think you can speed read in ideas the way some print readers
can.
Sarah Van Oosterwijck
curious entity at earthlink dot net
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