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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016
5
Braille Babies: Strategies for Teachers and Parents
Kimberly Avila
Ph.D Candidate
NLCSD Doctoral Fellow
krwa@verizon.net
Braille Babies began as a playgroup for young children with blindness and visual
impairment. Inspiration for this program came from growing interest expressed by families who
inquired about methods to encourage braille literacy activities in the home during daily routines.
All activities in Braille Babies are designed to use items commonly found in homes or at local
stores and for parents and guardians to implement with their children.
Over the years, Braille Babies transformed. It began to include parent and teacher
workshops and seminars. Participants in these sessions ranged from general preschool education
teachers who have a child with a visual impairment in their classes, to teachers of students with
severe disabilities who wish to integrate braille literacy activities with their older students.
A summary of activities and strategies parents and seminar participants found helpful for
integrating braille play into the daily routine are provided in this article.
Please note: Supervision and discretion is advised when implementing these activities with
children, as not every activity or device is appropriate for every child and age group. Please follow
child safety and choking hazard guidelines and check for product recall information on a regular
basis.
Braille Cell Toys
The ½ dozen muffin pan is an old favorite for teachers of students with visual
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