Using TACK-TILES® to Build Braille Literacy Skills

My son Liam is 7 years old and will be starting 2nd grade this school year.  He is deafblind, uses tactile American Sign Language and is a braille reader.  

I love TACK-TILES®.  I have often been asked how we used Tack-Tiles with Liam in the "beginning".  I decided to write a quick post about our experience with Tack-Tiles and why I love them.  When Liam was first learning to read and write braille, his TVI at school began using Tack-Tiles with him. (We were very blessed that our set happened to be donated to Liam's TVI to use with Liam.) The Tack-Tiles were often sent home as homework.  

What are TACK-TILES®?

How Can TACK-TILES® Be Used to Develop Braille Literacy?

TACK-TILES® served as a great bridge for us from "big" braille to regular sized braille. The TACK-TILES® were very motivating for Liam! He loved working with the tiles and his braille skills improved at an incredible rate. At school they first used the tiles for letter recognition practice, then eventually began with word work, followed by sentences. They used it to support the curriculum he was using for reading and writing in school as well. They used the tiles for Liam to practice reading and also Liam was able to build words (writing) himself! The wonderful thing was that something just "clicked" when Liam started using the TACK-TILES® -- he understood that the "dots" had meaning. He could build words and phrases and he could read! And he could write! That is powerful! Eventually Liam moved from the TACK-TILES® to regular sized braille which was our end goal. TACK-TILES® were an instrumental part in Liam's braille journey.  

Using TACK-TILES® to Do Braille Homework

Video include captions for Liam's signs.   (Be sure to turn on closed captions -- "CC".)

• Using a small plastic bowl, I place all of the tiles needed for Liam to create one sentence. 
• I dictate a sentence for him to write.
• Liam then finds the letters needed to create the sentence himself on the Tack-Tile board.  
• After he finishes writing the sentence, he then reads it.

From the Perspective of the TVI

Liam's TVI, Joe, also shared his experience of getting started with Tack-Tiles.

 

A smart person, whom I’m unable to quote once said, “You can’t argue with success.”

 

TACK-TILES®, pictured here, provided a strong and lasting bridge to braille for one young man with deafblindness. Here’s how the story began. 

 

I received an email from a colleague that was retiring. The email was sent on a list-serve and basically asked the question, “Who can make the best use of this product in America?” Write your response. I responded with my young man’s story and before I knew it, I had purchased TACK-TILES® from a teacher for a nominal fee. 

 

It was an exciting time from the very beginning. This kid was a tactile machine, but had little interest in regular braille that was presented to him via braille labels. So here we are with a five year old and we took off together. 

 

Now, I need to explain that this young man is not reading braille sounds. He is reading braille shapes. From the very beginning our mission was to introduce real objects and have him associate the shapes that make up the word with the tactile sign. 

 

We started with words that were of interest to him and not based upon any reading program. OK, so it wasn’t rocket science. What does he like? Snack time  became the best reading time and we simply started with words like cookie, cracker, blueberry, and so on. Other beginning words were mom and dad and other important words and functional words.