Braitico : Literacy and Learning of the Braille Reading and Writing system - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Braitico: Literacy and Learning of the Braille Reading and Writing system

María Ángeles Lafuente de FrutosFrancisco Javier Martínez CalvoONCESpain

Tools to support literacy and numeracy

Wednesday, 19th February 2020

ONCE (National Organization of Spanish Blind persons). Who we areAn organization to improve the quality of life of persons who are blind or have a severe visual impairment by providing social services aimed at their full inclusion.

How we deal with educationWe have 5 Educational Resources Centres and 23 Support Teams that collaborate with the education authorities to contribute to the inclusion of 99 % of the blind and visually impaired students that attend ordinary schools and follow the official curriculum.Through the Spanish Braille Commission, we did extensive research on the didactics of the Braille system and on how to improve the inclusion of our pupils in ordinary schools. The result is Braitico

.

Braitico background

Theoretical backgroundResearch published by ONCE in 2015 (in Spanish):“Didactics of Braille Beyond the Code: New Perspectives on the Literacy of Students with a Visual Disability.”BraiticoProgramme for literacy and learning of the Braille reading and writing system. Aimed at all students, especially those with a visual impairment.Principles: a new, inclusive, accessible, innovative, motivating, and flexible method.Objetive: meet the needs of the educational community (students, teachers, families, centres).Resources: an accessible and inclusive software tool (ICT), raised children books, braille and inkprint, games, accessible materials, activities to enrich everyone and to help teachers in their tasks, while respecting the learning style and rhythm of each student.

Braitico: objectives

Contribute to the inclusive educational model.Promote positive emotions towards Braille.

Promote the use of ICT.Promote the accessibility of all materials.Develope

the executive functions.Acquire functional reading and writing skills suited to each education level.Provide a literacy method to teach Braille following the laws of Neurodidactics.

Meet the

psycho-pedagogical

needs of the student.

Respect the nature of the Braille system itself.

Produce a

flexible and versatile

method adapted to every circumstance and need,

simple

,

attractive

,

inclusive

,

accessible

, and

motivating

.

A free method, downloadable from the ONCE Education website at

http://educacion.once.es/

.

Impact of the Project3D manipulative materials, in Braille and relief for all students who need them.Didactic material designed for specialized professionals.To optimize its potential: the software tool includes all didactic guides.Free software tool available from ONCE’s

website.Importance of the early adoption of the code (print or Braille).Promotes self-learning and autonomy.Everything is accessible: the software tool, the auditory and raised illustrations, all documentation (both in Braille and print).

Braitico. Module 1Braitico: 4 modules

Module 1. Manitas (Little Hands). Pre-Braille skills for 0-24 month old babies

Objectives: Raise interest in exploring the world and provide experiences.Contents: Beginning of the literacy process.

Sensorial development. Pre-formal learning skills: Body schema and laterality. Psychomotor coordination. Basic concepts.

Motivation towards Braille.

Sensorial perception (haptic, tactile, auditory...).

Communication and language (phonological consciousness).

Braitico. Module 2Braitico: 4 modules

Module 2. A punto (Ready).* Pre-Braille reading and writing * “Punto” is also the Spanish for “dot”...Objectives:

Beginning of intentional learning (pre-readingand -writing).Contents: Oral language (phonological consciousness...).

Motor and manipulative competencies. Pre-formal Braille learning skills (tactile development, bimanual coordination, braille cell...). Cognitive development (attention, memory, reasoning, autonomy...).

Use of ICT (braille bar, tablet, computer...).

Braitico. Module 3Braitico: 4 modules

Module 3. BrailleoObjectives: Teaching of the Braille code, functional for communication and learning, inclusive, motivating, fun, flexible, adapted to the psycho-pedagogical needs of the

student.Contents: Control of written language in Braille and its functionality. Phonological consciousness, ergonomy

, precision, and speed. Development of the executive functions (attention, memory, expression...). Increase of exposure to Braille at school using motivating materials.

Braitico. Module 4Braitico: 4 modules

Module 4. Superbraille 4.0 (Efficiency and reading competencies)Objectives: Fasten the Braille reading and writing process and provide resources for its use as a tool to learn the curriculum.

Contents: Specific sign tables (music, foreign languages, sciences...). Precision (correct technique) and speed. Study techniques, executive functions...

ICT and technologies for VIPs (braille bar, tablet...). Functionality of the code (efficiency, strategies, comprehension...).

Next stepsNext stepsComplete the production of all manipulative materials and the software implementation of some of the activities still missing in all modules.

Production of quick guides to explain how to use each module and its activities.Produciton of a guide to help choosing the most convenient reading and writing code.Develop Braitico for persons with deafblindness.Develop Braitico for adults.Translate Braitico into the other official languages in Spain (Catalan, Basque, and Galician).

A short video about BraiticoThank you! malf@once.es / fmc@once.es