Building on Patterns A literacy program for children who will be braille readers

1. Building on PatternsA literacy program for childrenwho will be braille readers

2. Building on PatternsKindergarten, First and Second Grades

3. Objectives of This Presentation • Provide students with information about using Building on Patterns to support development of literacy in young braille-reading students. • Provide students with information about the components of Building on Patterns. • Provide students with examples to explore Building on Patterns texts and teacher’s guide.

4. Brief History of Patterns/BOP • Original Patterns Reading Series published in early 1980s; written by a professional textbook author, based on research knowledge of the day • Revision of Patterns requested by teachers, administrators at schools for the blind and APH ex-officio trustees. • Revision of Patterns named Building on Patterns • Building on Patterns expanded to prekindergarten for the Second Edition

5. Meet the Team

6. Meet the Primary TVI Writers Arkansas Jo Croft Luanne Blaylock LeAnn Alexander California Oregon Robin Wingell Kate Dilworth Izetta Read Kristen Buhler Sue Schimmelpfennig With Help From Anna Swenson Mila Truan Cay Holbrook Deanna Scoggins Kay Ferrell Liz Barclay

7. What is BOP? • Revision of PATTERNS: The Primary Braille Reading Program (Caton, Pester, & Bradley, 1980, 1982). • Complete primary literacy program designed to teach beginning braille users to read, write, and spell in braille. • Specialized program that has controlled introduction of contractions (no print equivalent). • Systematic, comprehensive, and balanced program designed to be used with individual children or small groups of children.

8. Teaching Braille to Beginning Readers

9. Research Base • Strong commitment to use data-driven decision-making • AFB Research Report: Specifications for Selecting a Vocabulary and Teaching Method for Beginning Braille Readers—Caton, Pester, & Goldblatt, 1979 • ABC Braille Study—Barclay, Corn, D’Andrea, Emerson, Erin, Herlich, Holbrook, Kamai-Hannan, Koenig, Sacks, Sitar, Wormsley, & Wright, 2002-2007 • Feedback from an advisory committee of Patterns fans and critics

10. AFB Research Report • Order of Contraction Difficulty (easiest to most difficult) • Alphabet contractions • Words without contractions • Upper-cell words and contractions • Lower-cell words and contractions • Words with combinations of upper and lower cell, short-form words, and multiple-cell contractions • Multiple-cell contractions • Short-form words

11. AFB Research Report (cont.) • Ease of Tactual Discrimination (easiest to most difficult) • Braille symbols containing one or two dots • Braille symbols containing dots in the upper portion of the cell • Braille symbols containing dots in the left portion of the cell Examples • Easy—b a c m • Moderate—H e n o • Difficult—Q j

12. AFB Research Report (cont.) • Confusers • Mirror images • Cells with a one or two dot difference • Symbols that occupy only the lower half of the cell • Symbols that occupy only the right side of the cell • Symbols with multiple meanings based on their position within a word

13. Alphabetic and Contracted (ABC) Braille Study • Compared literacy skills (reading, writing, and spelling) of those who initially learned contracted braille versus those who initially learned uncontracted braille • 5 year longitudinal study • Students were enrolled in local education agencies or specialized schools in the U.S. and Canada • 38 students who were in grades K–4

14. ABC Braille Study (cont.) • Reading Achievement • Only about half of the students maintained or showed expected growth in achievement in vocabulary, spelling, and reading level • Over half of the students were below grade level in reading as measured on the Basic Reading Inventory • A higher number of contractions is statistically related to higher achievement in the Basic Reading Inventory in each grade from 1st to 4th

15. ABC Braille Study (cont.) Reading Vocabulary (Brigance)

16. ABC Braille Study (cont.) Independent Reading Level (Basic Reading Inventory)

17. Principles of BOP • Teaching braille reading and writing is more powerful (and more appropriate) than teaching the “code” of braille. • Joining the reading and writing educational effort encourages academic achievement • Understanding reading and writing in a broad sense brings our students in line with their classmates • Maintaining standards for teaching reading supports literacy development

18. State of the Field • Instruction varies widely • Debate: Teaching braille vs. Teaching reading through braille • Debate: Role of the teacher of students with visual impairments • Debate: Level of direct instructional support given inappropriately high caseload numbers and geographic challenges • Continuum of educational services

19. Issues in Teaching Braille Reading and Writing • Braille is a native writing system, not a language. • The way we (adults with established reading and writing skills) learned braille may confuse us. • Braille is a “mysterious thing” for some people. • Our teaching backgrounds are varied. • There is a “mystery” about teaching reading. • Braille instruction for people who already know how to read is different from teaching braille reading and writing.

20. Back to BOP

21. Features of BOP • Teacher directions that refer to a single student • Current educational terminology • Introduction of all contractions by the completion of Second Grade • Suggested activities for working on concepts • Assessment forms and a cumulative record form to accompany the check-up lessons for each unit • Lesson monitoring record sheet to accompany the lessons for first and second grades • Ideas for incorporating technology and Expanded Core Curriculum in the lessons

22. Features of BOP (cont.) • 5-day sequence • “Materials Needed” section • Colorful Student Textbook covers with tactile drawings that relate to each unit • Raised-line drawings, charts, graphs, and maps

23. Educational Content • Comprehensive language arts program that includes of braille writing, spelling and creative writing • Engaging stories • Many opportunities to read continuous text • Comprehension activities that prepare students for state-wide testing • Strong emphasis on fluency • Braille knowledge section which addresses issues unique to braille such as terms and rules

24. Educational Content (cont.) • Oral vocabulary and concept development activities • Guided tactile graphics activities • Inclusion of homework activities that emphasize concept development and family involvement • Assessment procedures including passage miscue and Dolch words

25. Weekly Sequence

26. Weekly Sequence • Helps balance components of a comprehensive literacy program • Demonstrates the importance of daily, direct instruction • Provides support to ensure comprehensiveness of reading and writing program • Aligns the BOP literacy curriculum with many similar curricula for students learning to read through print

27. BOP Materials • Teacher’s Editions (print or braille) • Student Kits • Student Textbook(s) • Lesson and Unit Assessment Materials • Worksheets (First and Second Grades) • Lesson Monitoring Sheets (First and Second Grades) • All-in-one Student Kit for BOP Kindergarten, separate unit kits for BOP First and Second Grades • Reference Volume comes with each Unit 1 Teacher’s Edition (First and Second Grades; also available separately) • Posttest manual and consumables

28. KindergartenBOP Themes • Reoccurring Themes • Body Image • Senses • Feelings • Things Around You • Things You Can Ride • Things You Can Do • Colors and Color Associations

29. First GradeBOP Themes • Unit Themes • Things in my yard or neighborhood • People and places in the community • Common animals and insects • Things at school • Folktales, fables, fiction, and non-fiction • Problem solving

30. Second GradeBOP Themes • Unit Themes • Humor • Community Helpers • Family and Friends • Sports, Recreation and Leisure • Science: Weather, Plants, Seasons • Science: Animals, Insects and Environment

31. UEB Teacher Supplements All student materials were updated to UEB in 2015-16. • Teacher’s editions for BOP are not updated to UEB. • Free, downloadable supplements for the existing teacher’s editions with information on what changes for UEB • Teacher’s Edition • Lesson Monitoring Sheets • Assessment Checkup Forms • Use the supplements to mark up the teacher’s editions

32. www.aph.org/manuals/#bop

33. Building on Patterns Progress • A full field test and expert review of a new BOP Pre-K curriculum started in the fall of 2016 and concluded in May of 2017. • Changes are being finalized based on feedback • Work on Kindergarten, Second Edition, is underway. • Virginia Writing Team added for revision of Kindergarten. • BOP website is under construction and will include Scope and Sequences.