Braille
Readers Are Leaders Contest
18th Annual Contest for Blind Youth 2000 – 2001
Sponsored by the
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children and the
National Association to
Promote the Use of Braille
Purpose of Contest
The purpose of the annual Braille Readers Are Leaders
contest is to encourage blind children to read more Braille. It is just as
important for blind children to be literate as it is for other children. Good
readers can have confidence in themselves and in their abilities to learn and
to adapt to new situations throughout their lifetimes. Braille is a viable
alternative to print, yet many blind children are graduating from our schools
with poor Braille skills and low expectations for themselves as readers. They
do not know that Braille readers can be competitive with print readers. This
contest helps blind children realize that reading Braille is fun and rewarding.
Who Can Enter the Contest
Blind school‑age children from kindergarten through the
twelfth grade are eligible to enter. The student competes in one of five
categories.
The first category is the print‑to‑Braille
beginning reader. This category is for former or current print readers who
began to learn and use Braille within the past two years. This includes:
(1)
formerly sighted children who became blind after they mastered print.
(2) partially sighted print readers who are learning Braille.
(Kindergartners and first-graders are not eligible for the print‑to‑Braille
category.)
The other categories are grades K‑1,
2‑4, 5‑8, and 9‑12. Students in ungraded programs should
select the category which most closely matches the grade level of their peers.
Prizes for the Contest
First‑, second‑, and third‑place winners are
selected from each of the five categories. All winners receive a cash prize, a
special certificate, and a distinctive NFB Braille Readers Are Leaders T‑shirt.
In each category first‑place winners receive $75, second‑place
winners $50, and third‑place winners $25. Students who place fourth and
fifth in each category will receive Honorable Mention recognition and a special
T-shirt. All contestants receive a Braille certificate and a ribbon for
participating in the contest.
Awards are also given to the ten contestants,
regardless of category, who demonstrate the most improvement over their
performance in the previous year’s contest.
To be
considered for the Most Improved Braille Reader award, the contestant must enter
the contest for two consecutive years and cannot be a winner in the current Braille
Readers Are Leaders contest or any previous one. Winners of the Most
Improved Braille Reader award receive $15 and a T‑shirt.
Schools are encouraged to schedule public
presentations of the certificates. Alternatively, presentations may be made in
the classroom, at the local National Federation of the Blind Chapter meeting,
or in some other appropriate setting. Members of the National Federation of the
Blind will award the certificates and other prizes whenever possible.
Schools for the Blind
In addition to the individual prizes, one or more specialized
schools for the blind will receive a cash prize of up to $200 for outstanding
participation in the contest. All of the schools for the blind with students
participating in the contest will receive recognition in Future Reflections, the National Federation of the Blind magazine
for parents and educators of blind children.
Teacher
Recognition
Special recognition and a certificate will also be given to a
teacher who has demonstrated excellence in the promotion of Braille literacy
through support of the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest.
Rules for the Contest
Winners will be chosen based on the
number of Braille pages read. The one who reads the largest number of Braille
pages will be the first‑place winner; the second largest will be the
second‑place winner; and so forth. The completed contest entry form
should be received by the judges no later than February 15, 2001. Contestants
must submit with the entry forms a print list of the materials read (see back
of entry form). Entry forms without
this list will be returned to the sender.
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, 2000, and February 1, 2001; (2) filling out and sending in
the contest entry form in an accurate, complete, and timely fashion; and (3)
assisting the student in finding Braille materials to read for the contest.
Teachers, librarians, and parents may serve as certifying
authorities. The certifying authority must be prepared to cooperate if the
contest judges have questions or need additional information about an entry.
All decisions of the judges are final.
For more information contact:
Mrs. Barbara Cheadle
National Organization of
Parents
of Blind Children
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
(410) 659-9314 ext. 360
nfb@iamdigex.net
Contest Entry Form
Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
November 1, 2000, to February 1, 2001
Mail entry form after February 1, 2001 to:
Braille
Readers Are Leaders Contest
1800
Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Grand total of
pages read___________
Student’s Name______________________________________________________
Birthdate______/____/____ Age__________
Grade_____________________
Address____________________________________________________________
City_____________________________ State__________ ZIP____________
Parent’s Name____________________ Phone H
(___)___-____ W (___)___-__
School Name___________________________________ Phone
_______________
Address___________________________City____________State____
ZIP______
Certifying Authority Name ____________________________________________
Position: Parent [
] Teacher [
] Librarian [
]
Address_____________________________________________________________
City_________________________ State____________
ZIP_______________
Phone H
(____)______-_______ W (____)______-_______
Please send certificate and ribbon to:
STUDENT
[ ] SCHOOL [ ] CERTIFYING AUTHORITY [ ]
YES [
] NO [ ] Did you enter last year’s contest
(1999-2000)?
Category: (Check only one)
[
] Beginning Print-to-Braille
This category is for
print readers who began to learn
and use Braille within the past two years. Kindergarten and First Grade
children are not eligible for this category. Please give month and year Braille
instruction began:
[ ]
Kindergarten and First Grade
[ ] Second through Fourth
Grades
[ ] Fifth through Eighth
Grades
[ ] Ninth through Twelfth
Grades
If you should be a winner, what size T-shirt
would you require?
(circle one) Children’s: S (6‑8) M
(10‑12) L (14‑16)
Adult: S (34‑36) M (38‑40) L (42‑44) XL
Name of
Student:_______________________________________________-
Book
title/Magazine article # of Pages
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
______________________________ __________
Total # of pages __________
To the best of my knowledge this student did read these
Braille pages between the dates of November 1, 2000, and February 1, 2001.
Signature of Certifying
Authority______________________ Date____________
Common Questions
1. When do I mail in the contest form? Mail the completed form in between February 1 and February 15, 2001.
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, if your certifying
authority will verify that you read those pages.
4. Can I count my Braille textbooks? No.
5. Can I count textbooks if they are not the textbooks I am now
using for my regular class work? Yes.
6. What if I don’t finish reading a book? Can I count the pages that
I did read? Yes.
7. Can supplemental reading books to beginning reading series be
counted for the contest? Yes.
8. 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.
9. Can I count title pages, tables of contents, Brailled
descriptions of illustrations, etc.? Yes.
10. 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 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.
11. 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. To request the NFB
Selected Literature for Blind Youth order form, call or write National
Federation of the Blind, Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21230.
12. Can I read the same book more than
once? Yes, but up to three times only.
Schools for the Blind
2000 - 2001 Braille Readers
Are Leaders Contest
Residential or specialized
schools for the blind which promote the Braille
Readers Are Leaders Contest among their students are eligible to compete
for a cash prize of up to $200 and national recognition for outstanding
participation in the contest. No one criterion is used to determine which
school or schools receive the cash award(s) and/or recognition. Factors that
the judges consider in making this decision include:
Ö The percentage of the student body (total and academic)
participating in the
contest.
Ö Quality of
material read by participating students.
Ö Total
number of pages read by participating students.
Ö Improvement
in quality and quantity of participation over a previous year’s
performance.
Ö Number of national winners.
Ö Creative
ways in which the contest is used to promote Braille literacy and a love of reading among the participating
students.
You can help your school get
full consideration for the cash award and/or recognition by returning this form
to Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest,
1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
Name of School_________________________________
Address_______________________________________
City, State, ZIP_______________________________
Total number of students enrolled:_______________
Number of students enrolled
in an academic program:____________
(Students who are learning to read and write in any medium.)
Number of students
participating in this year’s contest:___________
School telephone number and
other information you wish to provide:___________
Signature and title:
__________________________________________-