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- New Book for Beginning Braille Readers will be available soon -

BrailleBlazer

Activity Book

New curriculum/Activity book for teaching students who are just beginning to read braille.
An activity book that will help engage your students in the process of learning to read and will make lessons fun.
Contains tactile discrimination, reading practice and various types of activities to help develop skills needed by a new tactile reader.
Very systematic and introduces only one contraction, or up to two words, at a time.
A lot of reading practice.
Introduced words are used throughout the book. No words are ever used until they have been introduced.
There is much repetition to help students become familiar with the basic words and become confident readers.
Repetition is especially necessary because blind students do not get repeated exposure to words, the way that sighted students do.
Designed for most beginning braille readers-even those having some difficulty learning to read braille.
It is flexible and will meet the needs of many different students, with varying abilities.
Unbound pages can be sent home as homework, so that the student can get extra practice.

BrailleBlazer will be available by August 2023.
Please sign up on the subscription list to be notified. Of course, your information will NOT be shared!

OUR PRODUCTS

Email address: ActualTactuals@gmail.com Phone: 1-516-434-1506

W-9 Form and Sole Source Letter are near the bottom of this "page,"
listed under "Purchase Order Information."

"This is why I fell in love with your book... It's such an easy to use braille curriculum, and I've had so much success with it with all of my students of various braille levels and abilities."
-Unsolicited comment from a TVI-

For ALL TVIs-we all know that there is never enough time to do everything that you need to do to teach blind children: this book will SAVE you SO much TIME! ALL of the lessons are ready-to-go in both print and braille. Sequential planning for teaching braille contractions is done for you. The braille book is ready to use so that students can read along with you, to you, or self-check their work. This book is extremely "helpful and fun to use."

CONTRACTION PROGRESS CHART

(the pictures are not so great, but the chart is terrific!)

Good for children and adults who are new to braille-once they can identify the letters. The reading level goes from first or second grade and can be used for high school and beyond. You can easily begin at any level that you feel is appropriate for your students. Sentences in every lesson begin at a lower age level and become progressively more "challenging."

These books are excellent for previous print readers.

What makes it EASY to use and Successful-for you and your student?

How to Maximize Braille Learning!

1. Saves the TVI so much time! Lessons are totally planned. Book is ready to go-no brailling! No embossing.

2. Systematic and very well organized.

3. Easy to follow directions, throughout the book.

4. Contains simple vocabulary for new readers, of any age.

(Also, contains new words for a blind child to learn.

Some sentences contain concepts. “Dimes and quarters have ridges."

Promotes discussion.)

5. Double-spaced braille book makes it easier for the students to track along lines, and from line to line.

6. Double-spaced braille book eliminates confusion, since the student cannot feel the words in the lines above or below. The Double-Space book is PREFERRED by teachers, for this reason.

7. Rules are explained in simple terms.

8. Each contraction, throughout the book is introduced individually. Sentences specifically focusing on the current contraction being taught.

9. In Print book-Sentences progress from easier to more challenging. Easy for teacher to decide where to start.

10. No contraction is used until it has been presented. No confusion! Only previously learned contractions are used in every lesson.

11. New contraction is used numerous times in one sentence.

(“Mark will park the car at the barn.”)

12. Mnemonics to help remember commonly confused contractions (and, with, st, among others).

13. Contractions that are used in different ways are introduced in separate sections. (Ex. ch/child, Dot 5)

14. Teachers love the Challenges that have students read sentences that have 2 “confusing” contractions in them. (en/in) (ea/ar) (of/ff)

15. Can return to a particular contraction at any point for practice, if you see the child is having difficulty with a particular contraction.

16. Sentences are usually only one line long.

17. Repeated contractions give plenty of practice in a short amount of time.

It gives so much practice that it becomes second nature to use the contractions.

Also, can be used for braille reading or writing assessment, and selecting appropriate IEP goals.

Samples sentences from book.

Set 1 of sentences with er contractions:, below

(er contractions are red)

(previously taught contractions are blue)

(all other letters do NOT contain contractions, they are black)

There are NO sentences with untaught contractions.

I erased my error.
A tiger has stripes.
She is an expert skater.
I like to exercise with her.
The child sat on her chair.

Set 4 of er contractions:

Erica is nicer than her sister, Kimberly.
The motorcycle driver can take a rider.
Our waiter poured the water for Casey.
He mixed the batter for the cherry tarts.
Casper served us cherry pie for dessert.

This book includes:

Suggestions on ways to use this book to enhance learning and make it fun.

Contraction Chart-lists all contractions by type of contraction.

Symbols Chart-new symbols arranged by lesson number.

Symbols Chart II-symbols arranged alphabetically by name of symbol

Contraction Progress Chart (see above)-to help you track your student's progress

Comments from the Program Administrator of Columbia Regional-Blind/Visually Impaired Program: "Our team of TVI's have used the UEB Practice Sentences and are excited to add more to our collection. Very positive reviews from everyone and we are so glad you have created this interesting and engaging practice book."

For more detailed information about contraction order and symbols that are covered in this book, please see the "Home" page or the "Specific Details" page.

Recommended book combinations:

Print Teacher's Edition and Braille Student's Edition-for teachers who read print

Suggestion: the Double Spaced Braille Student's Edition is best for new braille readers (see below ** for explanation)

-or-

Braille Teacher's Edition and Braille Student's Edition-

for teachers who read hard copy braille

Simulated Braille on left, Print on right,

on ALL facing pages.

YES! We DO accept Purchase Orders-on orders above $200.

See below for information on W-9, Sole Source, email address, Teacher's information.

*Reasons to order the Braille Student’s Edition:

These two books (Print or Braille Teacher's Edition and Student Braille versions) work especially well when used together, increases literacy. Having the ability to read the sentences in braille, gives the student much more exposure to the code, and of course, reading. This extra reinforcement will help children with both reading and writing, in a way that the print-only book cannot do. In addition, it makes teaching easy, because the preparation is done for you.

For those who are thinking of purchasing only the print version of this book, you are encouraged to consider ordering the Braille Student’s Edition, as well. These are some of the benefits of using the Braille Student's Edition:

For students who are learning to read braille
Entire braille book is ready to use. No embossing necessary.
Contains the practice sentences ONLY. No directions or explanations are included, making this easier for the new braille reader to navigate the book.
Every lesson includes ONLY the contractions that have been PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT.
Students can self-check their answers after writing the sentences.
Problematic contractions can be isolated for additional reading/writing practice.
Students can work independently to practice braille writing skills, at school or at home.
Use for computer keyboarding (typing) skills.
Keyboarding practice will address spelling of the contractions.
Interpoint braille
Can be ordered with blank lines between each sentence. Please order the DOUBLE SPACED** book

**The DOUBLE SPACED braille book was specially requested by a TVI who felt that blank lines between sentences would make the braille easier for a beginning braille reader to read, and would facilitate learning.

Should I get the single-spaced or double-spaced books?

A number of teachers have asked which books would be better for their students. In answer to this question, I tell them about the TVI mentioned above. Apparently, she was right because

most teachers prefer the double-spaced books for any student who is beginning braille. One teacher mentioned that sighted students books have large spaces between the lines. She felt that it made sense to begin braille reading with a double-spaced book.

Recently, an adult who is learning to read braille tactilely told me that she had no idea how much easier having a double spaced book would be, for learning to read braille.

The double-spaced book is PREFERRED by teachers who are teaching new braille readers, of ANY age.
Double-spacing is recommend by the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) for use in Kindergarten and First Grade Books. This is because double-spacing is helpful in developing tracking skills, it makes tracking easier, and it facilitates reading, as it eliminates the confusion of reading two lines that are very close together.

For those more advanced readers, it might be helpful to use the single spaced book, in order to learn tracking skills that they will need as adults.

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW DETAILS ABOUT THAT BOOK.