A teacher and her student, who is practicing reading braille

Assessment Materials

  1. Assessment of Braille Literacy Skills. A checklist of literacy skills for emergent, academic, and functional literacy. Available in print, large print, and braille.

  2. Tools for Selecting Appropriate Learning Media by Caton. Available in print or braille.

    American Printing House for the Blind
    P.O. Box 6085
    Louisville, KY 40206
    Telephone: 502-895-2405

  3. Learning Media Assessment, by Koenig and Holbrook.Available in print, large print, and braille.

    Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
    1100 West 45th Street
    Austin, TX 78756-3494
    Telephone: 512-454-8631

  4. Braille Assessment Inventory (BAI). A tool to help determine learning media.

    Hawthorne Educational Services
    800 Gray Oak Drive
    Columbia, MO 65201
    Telephone: 573-874-1710

  5. Braille Assessment Checklist for Persons with Multiple Disabilities (BAC). A tool that can be used to collect and summarize information to help determine learning media. Free; available in print or on disk. National Literacy Program
    American Foundation for the Blind
    100 Peachtree Street, Suite 620
    Atlanta, GA 30303
    Telephone: 404-525-2303

Instructional Materials, Slates & Styluses, etc.

  1. Teaching the Braille Slate and Stylus, other videos and materials.

    Exceptional Teaching Aids
    20102 Woodbine Avenue
    Castro Valley, CA 94546
    Telephone: 800-549-6999

  2. "Peg Slate," "Janus Slate," Braille Writing Dot by Dot, and other materials. APH sells braille and large print books, educational materials, etc.

    American Printing House for the Blind
    P.O. Box 6085
    Louisville, KY 40206
    Telephone: 502-895-2405

  3. Howe Press at the Perkins School for the Blind sells a wide variety of slates and styluses, as well as Perkins braillewriters.

    Howe Press
    Perkins School for the Blind
    175 North Beacon Street
    Watertown, MA 02172
    Telephone: 617-924-3490

  4. Marburg Full-page slate (and other materials).

    Maxi-Aids
    P.O. Box 3209
    Farmingdale, NY 11735
    Telephone: 800-522-6294

  5. Tack-Tiles are sets for literary braille, Nemeth and music codes.

    Tack-Tiles
    Los Olvidados Ltd.
    P.O. Box 475
    Plaistow, NH 03865
    Telephone: 603-382-1904

  6. A Spelling Dictionary for Beginning Writers, by Hurray. A beginning dictionary and "word bank" for primary grades. National Braille Press
    88 St. Stephen Street
    Boston, MA 02115
    Telephone: 800-548-7323

Teacher's Bookshelf

  1. Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy, by Wormsley and D'Andrea. Strategies and resources for teaching braille, including assessment, technology, special needs, etc.

    AFB Press
    11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
    New York, NY 10001
    Telephone: 800-232-3044

    Also available from AFB Press, Beginning with Braille by Swenson, Foundations of Braille Literacy, by Rex, Koenig, Wormsley, & Baker; The Burns Braille Transcription Dictionary, by Burns; and Guidelines and Games for Teaching Efficient Braille Reading, by Olson.

  2. Communication Skills for Visually Impaired Learners, by Harley, Truan, & Sanford. Information not only about braille instruction, but other communication skills as well, and information about students with low vision.

    Charles C Thomas
    2600 South First Street
    Springfield, IL 62704

  3. Providing Quality Instruction in Braille Literacy Skills, by Koenig and Farrenkopf. Companion guide to Routman's Invitations, gives strategies for teaching braille in a whole language classroom environment.

    Region IV Education Service Center
    7145 Tidwell
    Houston, Texas 77092
    Telephone: 713-744-6368

  4. The Braille Enthusiast's Dictionary, by Koenig and Holbrook. Indispensable resource that shows simulated braille for contracted braille words, and syllable divisions.

    SCALARS Publishing
    P.O. Box 382834
    Germantown, TN 38183
    Telephone: 901-737-0001

  5. Twin Vision Dictionary of Braille Problem Words. Similar to the Enthusiast's Dictionary, shows word contracted and then spelled out, in embossed braille.

    American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
    18440 Oxnard Street
    Tarzana, CA 91356

  6. The Bridge to Braille, by Castellano and Kosman. Designed for parents and regular classroom teachers.

    National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
    National Federation of the Blind
    1800 Johnson Street
    Baltimore, MD 21230

  7. Classroom Collaborations, by Hudson. Information about working with classroom teachers and instructional assistants, and inservice training ideas for braille and for orientation and mobility.

    Perkins School for the Blind
    175 North Beacon Street
    Watertown, MA 02172
    Telephone: 617-924-3434

  8. Publications from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. A wide variety of curricula, assessment materials, resource books, videos, and other great materials. Request a catalog by writing to: TSBVI
    1100 West 45th Street
    Austin, TX 78756-3494
    Telephone: 512-454-8631.
    URL: http://www.tsbvi.edu

And don't forget!

  • The National Literacy Center, American Foundation for the Blind. DOTS for Braille Literacy newsletter, resource sheets, etc. National Literacy Program
    American Foundation for the Blind
    100 Peachtree Street
    Atlanta, GA 30303
    Telephone: 404-525-2303
    E-Mail: literacy@afb.net
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