Alphabetic Reading Strategy and Braille: Error Analysis and Instruction

Abstract

The perceptual unit in braille reading is the six-dot braille cell, out of which a number of sixty three combinations of dots, compose the corresponding characters of the Greek braille code. Since the perceptual unit is so small, braille readers apply the alphabetic reading strategy due to sequential nature of the braille code. Therefore, researchers in this study hypothesized that students with visual impairments would perform equal number of phonological type errors in the first as well as in the second half of the words while reading by touch. Thirty students were invited to participate in the present study to read by touch a number of selected texts in braille. In turn, the authors recorded the participants’ phonological type errors because only fingers are responsible for this error category. The results did not reaffirm the research hypothesis. A significant number of phonological type errors in the second half of the words were attributed to the fatigue because of the sequential reading. Additionally, results indicated that the alphabetic strategy is used by the students with visual impairments from their early childhood education with no significant alterations until high school. Finally, based on the results, the authors discuss potential implications in instructional strategies for braille reading.