

Pre-braille
Finish the Road
Caution, road works!
LEARNING BRAILLE
Line tracking is an essential skill for learning braille. Starting tactile activities as early as possible (pre-braille) puts children in the best position to develop reading skills.
Mastering line tracking means understanding what a horizontal line is and being able to follow it from left to right, maintaining the horizontal trajectory. Sighted children practice visual scanning, while blind children work with their fingers, requiring fine coordination.
Line-tracking activities also help children become aware of a surface, and later, a page.
A variety of activities can develop line tracking through play, using either LEGO Braille Bricks or DUPLO bricks for children under 4 years old or those with delays due to multiple disabilities. Activities with LEGO Braille Bricks can combine line tracking with orienting the bricks for reading.
Finish the Road: The child completes a line using horizontal bricks.
Make the River Flow: The child learns to orient the bricks and place them side by side, then follows the line they’ve created with their fingers.
The Maze: Line tracking is practiced with a bottle cap to encourage using both hands before rolling a ball through the maze.
When playing with the children, always name and explain what they are touching and tell stories to enrich their vocabulary and concepts.
Other engaging exercises include following imaginary lines, pretending to read along braille sentences. For example, children can trace lines of braille characters, then pretend to read what they have written.
Adrian is 4 years old and only know a few letters. His teacher introduces him to braille line tracking using random characters he types on his Perkins brailler. Gradually, he will gain a sense of direction, understand lines, pages, and even the concept of a story or text.
Before using a Perkins, children can also practice following textured lines, such as yarn or string glued to a sheet of paper.
Remember to repeat and vary experiences: Tactile development is built by repetition and diversity.
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.
How to teach braille without being a specialist ?
One piece of advice? Don’t be afraid!
Preparing for Braille with DUPLO Blocks
Almost all pre-braille activities can be done with DUPLO to prepare the children to reading as soon as possible.