Basic braille
Where is Lily?
Lily is playing on the beach, but Alfie, her dog, has lost her!
Everyone to the Braille Club!
Inclusion
Some schools, often motivated by the presence of a visually impaired student (VI), offer workshops or games in braille during extracurricular time.
Preparing and organising a braille club is very easy using the LEGO Braille Bricks material. The toolkit also allows teachers and educators who do not know braille to get started with confidence.
This video was filmed in York (UK) at a braille club that takes place every week after lunch time, outside school hours. On that day, there were only girls, as most of the boys were signed up for a scheduled football match. The mainstream students attend regularly, above all because… they enjoy it.
The Braille Club: a place for learning and inclusion for VI students
Games played in a braille club often highlight the abilities of VI students. For once, perhaps, they hold part of the knowledge and may find themselves at the centre of attention.
They are encouraged to explain what braille is and to speak in front of their peers. Of course, this also allows the teacher to check whether the student has fully understood the concepts they are expected to convey.
The VI student is often happy not to have their educational assistant sitting next to them, as a classmate steps in instead. Naturally, this is only temporary, depending on the subject and the activity. It does not diminish the important role of educational assistants.
The VI student compares their knowledge with that of sighted classmates. Playing together enhances their understanding of the environment and of social interactions. Games also foster camaraderie and mutual understanding. After the braille club, sighted students are more likely to offer precise support in class to the VI student, without doing the task for them: through play, they have practised the art of describing, guiding, verbalising—that is, offering support without taking over.
A Braille Club appeals to all children
Learning braille through play is also very appealing to sighted children, whether or not they share a school with a VI student. Braille is like a secret code. You need to grasp the principle and know the alphabet in order to decipher a message.
Learning this “secret code” is rewarding because it means gaining access to something that once seemed inaccessible, difficult, and understood by very few people.
This playful introduction, with hands-on activities and exercises blindfolded, makes it even more exciting. In the end, it allows children to discover difference in a positive way. Often, those who attend these clubs become more willing to offer support in class.
“The children realise that they don’t need to be worried or scared.
They might say the wrong thing, but can apologize and try again.”
Abi Hall
Qualified Teacher for the Visually Impaired, UK
A tool for teachers
LEGO Braille Bricks and the 120 suggested activities provide teachers with plenty of ideas for club sessions. The main goal is to discover visual impairment, discover braille, and have fun together.
Blog articles can also help braille club organizers understand the challenges of doing things without sight (see the pre-braille resources). That said, the purpose is not always to work without vision. Depending on the activity, everyone can participate according to their own sensory abilities. This is exactly what the universal design of both the activities and the bricks makes possible.
Example of activities for a braille club
More about inclusion
Doing Maths Together
With numbers and letters written in print, LEGO Braille Bricks are easy to use in inclusive settings. For math, the bricks' mobility is another advantage.
How Does Braille Reading Work? First Follow the Lines.
Braille is read tactilely with the 2 index fingers, supported by the other fingers. The most sensitive part of the finger is the pad, not the tip as you might think.
Line Tracking: Straight to Braille!
Line tracking is an essential skill for learning braille.