Braille Readers Are Leaders

23rd Annual Contest for Blind Youth—2005-2006

co-sponsored by the

National Association to Promote the Use of Braille and the National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children, divisions of the National Federation of the Blind

 

 

Dates: November 1, 2005 – February 1, 2006

 

Purpose: The mission of the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest is to motivate children to read Braille regularly and frequently because:

·        Braille is fun and suitable for leisure reading, not just for academics.

·        Braille readers can be competitive with print readers in speed and fluency.

·        There is no special secret or mystery to becoming a good Braille reader. It just takes lots of practice, practice, practice, and more practice.

·        Braille literacy increases independence in daily living activities outside the classroom.

·        For low vision students, fluent Braille reading can be an effective, pleasant alternative to print reading.

·        Braille literacy increases opportunities for participation in the community.

·        Braille readers ARE leaders when they use their literacy skills to serve others.

·        Studies show that Braille skills established early in life increase the prospect for successful employment.

 

Who Can Enter: Blind or visually impaired Braille readers from kindergarten through the twelfth grade in the U.S.A. and Canada are eligible to enter the contest.

 

Categories: There are six categories: grades K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12, and Print-to-Braille. The Print-to-Braille category is for former or current print readers who are beginning Braille readers. This includes formerly sighted children who became blind after mastering print or partially sighted print readers who are learning Braille while they continue to read some print. Children who began to read Braille in kindergarten or first grade are not eligible for this category.

 

Competition, Awards, & Prizes:  All contestants receive a certificate and a ribbon in recognition of their participation.  Other awards and prizes include:

·        topTen  Awards:  All contestants in grades K - 12 may compete for this award which is based upon the total number of Braille pages of extracurricular materials read during the contest.  (See the “Rules of the Contest—Q&A” section for more details.) Sixty contestants, the top ten within each of the six categories, receive a certificate, a cash prize of $25, and a special winners t-shirt. There is no limit to the number of times an otherwise eligible student may compete for this award. 

·        Most Improved Awards:  A student is automatically considered for this award if he/she participated in the previous year’s contest and has never won an award from the contest.  Ten students are selected based upon the greatest percentage of improvement over his/her performance in the previous contest.  These winners receive a certificate, a cash prize of $25, and a special winners t-shirt. 

A contestant may receive the Most Improved Award only once but may continue to compete for other awards offered by the contest.

·        Braille Leaders Community Service Awards:  This award is restricted to students in grades 6 – 12.  Students who wish to compete for this award must fill out the special entry form, read a minimum of 500 Braille pages during the contest period, and submit a letter from someone in the community which describes the outstanding service the student performed in the community during the contest period. (See the special entry form for more details.)  No fewer than one and no more than five winners will be selected to receive a $50 cash prize, a special t-shirt, and a certificate. The winning letters will also be published in one or both of the NFB magazines, the Braille Monitor and Future Reflections.

·        Honor Roll Ribbons: These print-Braille ribbons are awarded to contestants who achieve the following levels of pages read: 500+, 1,000+, 4,000+, 8,000+, and 12,000+.

 

Rules for the Contest: All materials for the contest must be read between November 1 and February 1 of the following year (three months). See the “Rules of the Contest—Questions and Answers” section for more details.

 

Schools for the Blind: Schools for the blind that enroll students in the contest and promote the program and Braille throughout the program period, will receive a special certificate suitable for framing and public display.

        

Certifying Authority: The certifying authority is responsible for: (1) verifying that the student read the Braille material listed and that the material was read between November 1 and February 1; (2) filling out and sending in the contest entry form in an accurate, complete, and timely fashion; and (3) assisting the student in finding suitable extracurricular Braille books and other materials to read for the contest. Teachers, librarians, and parents may serve as certifying authorities.

 

Interviews: The contestant, certifying authority, and/or parent may be contacted for an interview if the contest judges have questions or need additional information about an entry. Judges may, based upon the information available to them, adjust the number of pages or disqualify a contestant. All decisions of the judges are final.

 

Notification: Certificates, ribbons, and a winner’s list will be mailed to contestants on or about May 1. T-shirts and cash prizes will be mailed as soon as practical.

 

For more information contact: (Mrs.) Barbara Cheadle, President, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, (410) 659-9314, extension 2360 or 2361, <bcheadle@nfb.org>.

 

Questions and Answers—Rules of the Contest

 

1. When do I mail in the contest entry form and reading log? We suggest that it be mailed by February 15. Delayed or incomplete entries may cause the contestant to forfeit the right to compete for top prizes.

 

2. What if I didn’t know about the contest until after it began? Can I still enter? Yes.

 

3. If I enter late, can I still count the Braille pages I have read since November 1? Yes, but only if your certifying authority can verify that you read those pages.

 

4. What constitutes a Braille page? Each side of an embossed piece of paper is considered one page. If you read both sides, then you have read two pages. This is true even if there are only two Braille lines on one side.

 

5. Can I count Braille textbooks or other materials (encyclopedia articles, transcribed worksheets, etc.) I am required to read for schoolwork?  No.

 

6. Can I count books that I read for the Accelerated Reading Program?  Yes.

 

7. Can supplemental reading books to beginning reading series be counted for the contest? Yes.

 

8. Can I count title pages, tables of content, Brailled descriptions of illustrations, etc.?  Yes.

 

9. What if I don’t finish reading a book? Can I count the pages that I did read? Yes, but only whole pages.

 

10. Can I read the same book more than once?  Yes, but only under the following conditions: the student must be at an elementary (5^th grade or below) reading level; no book may be read more than three times; and the certifying authority must list or otherwise clearly identify which titles have been read more than once, how many times read (two or three) and indicate the number of Braille pages read at each setting.  Example: Frog and Toad 3x20 pages=60 pages; or Frog and Toad 2 times: 20+10=30 pages.

 

11.  Can I read the dictionary? No.  A Braille Menu?  Yes, but you must list the title of the restaurant menu and, again, only whole pages count. Example: “Legal Sea Foods Menu” 2 pages.  Cookbooks?  Yes, same rule applies—the student must read whole pages and must give the complete title of the book just as you would any other book listed.  How about the Bible or other religious books?  Yes, of course.  However, you must give a reference to the book(s) of the Bible you read (i.e. Proverbs, Matthew, etc.) AND you must read whole pages.  Please do not give chapters and verses read.  Acceptable—Bible, Book of Job: 20 pages.  Not acceptable—Psalms 8, 24, and 32.

 

12. I have to transcribe books for my beginning reader. Most of these books have only a few words on a page. If the print book has more pages than my Braille transcription, how do I count pages for the contest? For the purposes of this contest, the number of Braille pages counted per children’s picture book should never be less than the number of print pages in that book. This is so even if the teacher has transcribed the entire book onto one Braille page. To avoid confusion we suggest that the books be transcribed page‑for‑page, one Braille page for each print page, whenever possible.

 

13. What if I want to Braille other material for my student to read, such as recipes or instructions from a manual?  Maybe, maybe not. The judges must have enough information to satisfy any questions or concerns they may have.  For example: not acceptable—“chicken recipe,” 1 page; acceptable—Maryland Driver’s Test Manual, 2003 edition, published by the Maryland Department of Transportation, print pages 1-5: 12 Braille pages.

 

14.  I have trouble finding enough Braille material for my older students. Do you have any suggestions? Yes. The National Federation of the Blind has free Braille materials suitable for blind youth, including the Braille Monitor magazine. To request the NFB Literature Order Form (large print or Braille) contact: National Federation of the Blind, Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230; (410) 659-9314, <materials@nfb.org>.  You may also view the literature list on the NFB Web site at: <http://www.nfb.org/literature.htm>.