A young girl with a mask on poses with a brailler.

Instructional Strategies

How is braille taught?

Braille instruction builds on a foundation of basic concepts, spatial awareness, tactile discrimination and real-life experiences.  Braille programs should include instruction in both reading and writing. When should braille instruction begin? What are the best strategies to support learning braille and what materials are already available for teachers?  

Tactile Graphics

Making pictures and graphs tactile

Increasingly, important information is presented by charts, graphs, pictures, and other visually interesting formats. It takes lots of experiences and systematic instruction for tactile learners to become efficient in accessing and interpreting that information with their fingers.  And in each grade, there are new types of graphics to learn. How can students be introduced to tactile graphics?

Tactile bulletin board display of a cell with all parts labeled in print and braille
 A boy uses a refreshable braille display paired with an iPad.

Tools for Writing Braille

Which tool is best for this task?

Tools for writing braille vary from low to high tech.  A simple list may be easiest to handwrite with a slate and stylus while a research report is more efficiently created with a computer.  In younger grades, a Perkins braillewriter is a standard tool and a braille notetaker is portable and may be a good choice for others.

Accessing free Braille books

It’s essential to expose children to braille books from the very earliest years. Discover the many ways to get free braille books for your child or student.