Applying the Results of the ABC Braille Study to Real-Life Teaching: One Teacher’s Interpretation Anna M. Swenson Braille Literacy Consultant [email protected]
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
To contract or not to contract? 2 That was the question that
launched the ABC* Braille Study. Alphabetic Braille and Contracted
Braille
Slide 3
The Braille Study Research focus: Are there differences in the
childrens reading & writing performance based on whether they
were initially taught in contracted or uncontracted braille?
Longitudinal study, 2002-2007 Children w/o other disabilities in
grades pre-k through 4 Half of teachers started students with
contracted braille, half with uncontracted. (Teachers choice) Team
of researchers Qualitative data: interviews, observations,
classroom environment; social interaction Quantitative data: time
for instruction, reading assessments, writing analysis, videos of
hand movements 3
Slide 4
The National Reading Panel & the Reading First Initiative
Reading First AreaABC Braille Study Assessment Phonemic
AwarenessTPRI ( Texas Primary Reading Inventory) Phonics (Decoding
/ Spelling) TPRI; Brigance (Spelling) Johns Basic Reading Inventory
(BRI) FluencyJohns BRI VocabularyBrigance ComprehensionJohns
BRI
Slide 5
Quiz Yourself! 5
Slide 6
ABC Braille Study Quiz Question 1: The majority of the young
braille readers in the study were good spellers. Question 2:
Children who learned uncontracted braille first were better
spellers than those who started with contracted braille. Question
3: Students made very few braille errors (e.g., reversals) when
reading aloud. 6
Slide 7
Quiz continued... Question 4: Students who knew more
contractions read faster. Question 5: Most kindergarten and first
grade braille readers demonstrated age appropriate skills in
phonemic awareness and phonics. 7
Slide 8
Quiz continued... Question 6: Students who learned more
contractions earlier in instruction had higher scores in the areas
of vocabulary, decoding, and comprehension than those who started
with uncontracted braille and learned contractions more slowly.
Question 7: The majority of the studys participants, none of whom
had a disability other than their visual impairment, performed as
well as their sighted peers on tests of vocabulary and reading
comprehension. 8
Slide 9
Major Findings Emerson, Holbrook, & DAndrea, (2009).
Acquisition of literacy skills by young children who are blind:
Results from the ABC Braille Study Students [with no additional
disabilities] who were introduced to more contractions earlier in
instruction performed better on reading measures, such as
vocabulary, decoding, and comprehension. Students who are blind,
regardless of whether they started with contracted or uncontracted
braille, are falling behind their sighted peers and not acquiring
reading skills at the rate they should. 9
Slide 10
10 Implications for Real-Life Teaching: One Teachers
Interpretation
Slide 11
1. Implications for Teaching the Braille Code 11 it seems that
the introduction of contractions early in a students reading
process is associated with higher literacy performance later in the
students career. (Emerson, Holbrook, & DAndrea, 2009)
Slide 12
Options Begin with uncontracted braille: Alphabet first
Materials in uncontracted / customized braille Introduce
contractions as rapidly as possible Begin with fully contracted
braille: High frequency contracted words (e.g., go, like, do),
familiar names, & motivating words Alphabet Fully contracted
braille materials 12
Slide 13
Other ABC Findings & Recommendations Related to Braille
Erin, J.N. & Wright, T.S. (2011) Learning to write in braille:
An analysis of writing samples from participants in the ABC Braille
Study. Teach reading with two hands from the beginning Teach
correct fingering on the brailler from the beginning Instill the
habit of checking work Future research question: Does the use of
technology increase the quantity and quality of students written
output? 13
Slide 14
2. Implications for the Role of the TVI in Teaching Reading or
Whose job is it to teach reading? Can we separate the braille code
from the teaching of reading for children who are learning braille?
(Holbrook, 2008) We are ALL teachers of reading.
Slide 15
3. Implications for Assessment 15 Know where our students are
performing in key areas of literacy: Braille Code Knowledge
Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, & Spelling Fluency Vocabulary
& Comprehension Writing
Slide 16
Assessment Guidelines Assess general literacy areas, in
addition to braille- specific skills. Partner with the classroom
(or other) teacher for general ed assessments. Use a broad range of
assessments. Collect data to show progress over time. Involve
students in monitoring their own progress 16
Slide 17
Progress Monitoring Accurate and rapid recognition of the
letters of the alphabet is a strong predictor of future reading
achievement. (Adams, 1990) 17
Slide 18
Broad-ranging Assessments 18
Slide 19
Leveled Trade Books Wide variety of topics and genres Sequenced
by difficulty according to a leveling system Less controlled, more
natural vocabulary Books in one level read in any order Used for
instruction in guided reading groups APH: braille overlays, website
19 APH Early Braille Trade Books http://tech.aph.org/ebt/
http://tech.aph.org/ebt/
Slide 20
20 Assessing Reading Level in the Early Grades: A Comparison
Chart
Slide 21
4. Implications for Literacy Instruction A point to be taken
from these data is that for any young student who is blind,
instruction needs to focus on reading processes, regardless of the
specifics of how the braille is introduced. (Emerson, Holbrook,
& DAndrea, 2009) 21 Work on ALL key reading processes from the
beginning: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, &
Comprehension
Slide 22
Word Study Includes Letter / contraction recognition Phonemic
awareness Phonics (Decoding & Spelling) Part of a TOTAL reading
program NOT a prerequisite for fluency, vocabulary development,
& comprehension Relate word study to the materials the child is
reading 22
Slide 23
Yippy-Day-Yippy-Doo! Reading level E, Reading Recovery Level
7-8 (grade 1, Nov-Dec) APH Early Braille Trade Books, Sunshine Kit
2 I run down the road. Yippy-day-yippy-doo! I run down the road,
and my shadow runs, too. The sun goes away. Yippy-day-yippy-doo!
The sun goes away, and my shadow goes, too. 23
Slide 24
Using Yippy-Day for Phonemic Awareness Activities 24
Mippy-May-Mippy- Moo! SHIPPY-SHAY-SHIPPY- SHOO! ZIPPY-ZAY-ZIPPY-
Z00!
Slide 25
Using Yippy-Day to Teach Phonics Skills Common letter / sound
clusters (phonograms, rimes, or word families): _ ing, _ide, _ope,
_op, _all, _own Long vowel silent e pattern: ride, slide, bike,
rope Two sounds of ow, as in down and shadow 25
Slide 26
Teaching Contractions, Phonics, & Spelling with the Word
PlayHouse (APH) Consonant substitution Vowel substitution Rhyming
words Phonics rules Introduction of contractions 26
Slide 27
Flash Strips slide ride bike hide 27
Slide 28
Using Yippy-Day to Teach Contractions Yippy-Day Contractions
& Punctuation Marks and (8), the (14), day (10), to (2) ing
(3), ow (12), sh (8), st (5) italic sign, capital sign, comma,
exclamation mark, hyphen, period 28 Teach contractions at different
levels: Targeted and practiced for mastery Discussed, but not
mastered Told, but not discussed.
Slide 29
Fluency Teachers of students with visual impairments should
continue to monitor their students reading fluency as one useful
benchmark of progress in reading. (Emerson, Holbrook, &
DAndrea, 2009) 29 "Children do not need to know all the letters or
sounds, or even very many words, before beginning to read text. "
(Pinnell & Fountas, 1998)
Slide 30
Fluency and the Braille Code More symbols to master More
similar and reversed characters Multiple meanings for individual
characters Lack of redundancy BRAILLE TICKLES MY FINGERS! 30
Slide 31
Connected Text Teacher-Made Story The Slide Book Page 1: go Ana
Page 2: go Ana go Page 3: go go Ana go go Andrew Page 4: go Ana go
go go 31
Slide 32
Fluency means reading accurately reading at a normal rate
noticing punctuation marks using expression understanding what you
read 32
Slide 33
Promoting Fluency Demonstrate what fluent reading sounds like.
Model appropriate rate, phrasing, and expression. Expect students
to reread books until achieving fluency. Help students develop more
efficient hand and finger movements during rereading. Record
students reading, and have them critique their own fluency.
(student rubric) Monitor oral reading fluency regularly (e.g.,
through an IRI), and keep data to show progress over time. Monitor
silent reading fluency regularly once children are independent
readers. Always make sure comprehension is a part of fluency
33
Slide 34
Vocabulary & Comprehension Across the years of the study,
24 of 32 students in Grade 1 were reading below grade level, 18 of
30 students in Grade 2 were reading below grade level, and about
half the students in Grades 3 and 4 were reading below grade level.
this consistently poor performance in reading across the grades
works against the findings from the kindergarten and Grade 1 TPRI*,
which showed that these young children had generally acquired the
basic mechanics of reading. (Emerson, Holbrook, & DAndrea,
2009) (*Texas Primary Reading Inventory) 34
Slide 35
Concept Development: Hands-on at Home Depot! 35
Slide 36
Linking Concepts to Literacy: Maxs Home Depot Book 36 Square
tile Square of carpet Light switch Outlet and plug Screws and nails
(big & little) Chain Tape measure Nuts and bolts (big &
little) Piece of wood
Slide 37
37 Read Aloud and Use Blooms Taxonomy
Slide 38
Vocabulary: Bumping into Spicy Tasty Words that Catch Your
Tongue (Bauman, J., Ware, D., Edwards, E., 2007) Promote curiosity
about words in & out of school, in books and in conversations
Word Detective Increase our use of interesting words when we talk
and write with our students Motivation: Recognize the power of
emotional connections with words Keep track of interesting new
words with the student in a note taker or computer file, on tape,
etc.
Slide 39
Monitor Students Reading Both classroom reading and take-home
Assist with book selection, and preview contractions, vocabulary,
& concepts Teach students strategies to monitor their own
comprehension Check for understanding on a regular basis If not
done in the classroom, assess comprehension regularly using an
informal reading inventory to show progress over time. 39
Slide 40
Basic Comprehension Checklist Before Reading Read the title Ask
about the pictures Predict what the book might be about During
Reading Reread a part if it doesnt make sense Make a Mind Movie
after each paragraph or page Make personal connections After
Reading Retell the story in your own words and/or Summarize the
most important events/facts Check your predictions. Were you
right?
Slide 41
Talk to Your Book Reading Strategies Folder P = Prediction C =
Connection I = Inference Wow! DU = Dont Understand = Difficult
Word