Resources for Teaching Your Kids About Braille

Is it not amazing that humans can learn to read with their hands? January 4^th is World Braille Day and the perfect time to explore these resources for teaching your kids about braille.

Brail for Kids

World Braille Day is on Louis Braille’s birthday, the inventor of the braille form of communication.

Humans are pretty amazing. Should the Lord see fit for any one of our senses to be taken from us (for He gives and takes away, yet blessed be his name), our other senses are heightened in some sort.

They even can find new ways of communicating.

Those without sight are more in tune with their hearing, they pay attention to it – also to what they can feel and touch.

Louis Braille

Louis Braille (born in 1809 in France) became blind after a car accident in his childhood. When he was only 15 years of age, he created his very own code based on another writing system.

Braille was based on Charles Barbier’s night writing intended for night-time battlefield communications. Evolving over time, the braille system has become easier to read and is now used in many countries all over the world.

What is braille?

Braille is a six-dot finger-tip reading system with sixty-four possible combinations that represent alphabetic and numerical symbols using those six dots. The dots even can represent musical, mathematical, and scientific symbols.

Did I mention that, although braille is not a specific language, it is a code that can be translated into many different languages (including English, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Arabic, Italian, and Hebrew)? It is pretty amazing.

On January 4^th we can celebrate the importance and impact of communication through Braille. It also is a time when we celebrate the accessibility, rights, and independence of people who are visually impaired or blind.

Braille for Kids

• Sharing the Braille Code with Sighted Children | National Federation of the Blind
• Reading and Writing Braille (A Brief Overview) | BrailleWorks
• How Braille Is Taught and How You Can Help | Family Connect
• What is braille? | Sight Scotland
• Braille facts for kids | Kids.Kiddle
• Teaching Children About Blindness | The Chaos and the Clutter
• From Printed Material to Brailled Material | Paths to Literacy
• Is Braille Relevant? | Perkins School for the Blind eLearning
• Teaching Braille to Young Children | Paths to Literacy
• Sources of FREE Braille Books | Paths to Literacy

Teaching Braille

• Braille Designs: Creatures | Paths to Literacy
• Beginning Braille Tracking Worksheets to Emboss | Paths to Literacy
• Braille Designs: Ships! | Paths to Literacy
• Braille Learning Pack FREE | Simple Living Creative Learning

Braille Alphabet Printables

• All About Braille Printables: Bingo, Spelling Practice, Braille Alphabet Cards | Just Lottie
• Back to School Braille Printable Activity | Emily Bosl
• Braille Design of Nemo | Paths to Literacy
• Numbers Braille worksheets 0 – 100 | Patchimals
• Braille Alphabet Worksheets | Patchimals
• Kindergarten Sight Word Reading Books | Paths to Literacy
• UEB Braille Flashcards for Contracted Braille Practice | Sensory Sun

Braille Activities

• Braille Activities for Children | Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness
• Helen Keller Craft and Braille Activity | Little Owl’s Teacher Treats
• Well That Just Cracks Me Up! Egg Activity | Paths to Literacy
• Spin and Move! | Paths to Literacy
• Developing Strong Hands Make Good Readers | Paths to Literacy
• Braille Alphabet Poster & Activity | Joyful Learning – Megan Joy
• Distance Learning – Braille Activities | Katie Stokes

Activities for Teaching Braille

• DIY Braille Feely Blocks – Sensory Fun | MontessoriSoul
• Braille Rap Song | Paths to Literacy
• Fun Braille Flashcards Activity | Teacher Created Resources
• Braille Cell with a Muffin Pan Activity | Vision Flora
• Touch & Feel Counting Cards Activity | Teach Me Mommy
• DIY Braille ABC Cards | A Different Kind of Vision
• LEGO® Braille | Behance
• Braille Sundae | A Different Kind of Vision
• LEGO Braille Alphabet – Three Blind Mice STEM Activity | JDaniel4’s Mom
• Make Your Own Braille Alphabet Tubs | WonderBaby

Braille Games

• Fast Braille online Braille translator 
• 10 Best Braille Games for Kids | Everyday Sight
• A Braille Basics App for Kids! | APH.org
• Five Websites That Teach Kids About Vision Impairments | Veroniiiica
• Contraction Go Fish! | Paths to Literacy
• Challenge Card Game: Practice Braille Reading Skills While Having Fun! | Paths to Literacy
• Roll and Read | Paths to Literacy

Games to Teach Braille

• FREE online Grade 2 Braille Translator | BrailleTranslator.org
• Pre -Braille Games | Out of Sight Teaching
• BrailleBlox: An Electronic Emerging Braille Game | Perkins School for the Blind eLearning
• Tactile Bingo | Paths to Literacy
• Apple A Shortform Braille File Folder Game | Paths to Literacy
• Braille Bee Spelling App | WonderBaby.org
• That’s My Name! A Name Game for Braille Readers | Sensory Sun
• Braille Matching Game: Supporting Braille Objectives | Paths to Literacy

Braille Videos

• Learning braille with Jessica and Isabella | RNIB
• Invention of BRAILLE – Language of The Blind – The Dr. Binocs Show | Peekaboo Kidz
• What is the Braille System? | Don’t Memorise
• Invention of Braille | The OpenBook
• Braille Song Videos | Paths to Literacy
• Teaching Braille Reading & Writing Videos | Perkins School for the Blind eLearning

Hellen Keller Printables

• Helen Keller Unit Study and FREE Printables
• Helen Keller Lesson Plans | Sight and Sound
• I Am Helen Keller Mini Unit Study | As They Grow Up
• Helen Keller Notebooking Page | Homeschool Helper Online

In Conclusion

I am sure that those who are blind would have found their way through life and flourished as they are now. Yet, what blessing braille is. As we know it, Braille has become an essential form of communication, education, mode of expression, ability to convey an opinion, and social interaction with those all around the blind community.

So, help your kids celebrate this system of communication that helps so many people in our world today.