EARLY BRAILLE LITERACY FOR CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
BY : DANIELA GISSARA , PINAR SAFAK , AND DERYA UYAR
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Braille is the primary form of written communication through which millions of children with visual impairment learn how to read and write ; the function of basic literacy skills . Braille literacy is the foundation of their education and independence , and it plays a crucial role in their participation in society . Early-braille literacy is the early development of concepts and skills necessary for successful reading , acquired before a student begins to learn letters , sounds , or words .
Sighted children learn about the process of reading by watching their family using print material , such as shopping list , street signs , store signs , newspapers , reading on the computer , recipes . They learn by seeing the writing material around them .
But when a child has a visual impairment , they may not be able to take advantage of these natural opportunities to learn about literacy because they don ' t see print or how it is used throughout their environment for a wide variety of tasks . If these children do not have acess to braille materials , they will simply not be exposed to writing .
With simple adaptations , special education teachers can give children , with visual impairment , similar experiences that sighted children
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have , so that they can be ready to learn about reading and writing .
To introduce children with visual impairment to braille literacy , it is essential to provide them with experiences that expose them to adapted braille materials . As they are
18 Term 3 Apr - Jun 2022
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