APH News: March 2016

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Read on to learn about these new products – now available!

• APH Winter Wonderland Sale
• New Downloadable Manuals Available
• NEW! Building on Patterns: Second Grade, Unit 5 and Unit 7
• NEW! All Aboard! The Sight Word Activity Express
• NEW! Orientation & Mobility for Wheelchair Users With Visual Impairment or Blindness
• APH Braille Book Corner

Louis Braille Book Unveiling

A close-up of Louis Braille’s first published braille codebook, 1829.

APH Board Chair Barrett Nichols, Board member Judge David Holton, and Andrea Holton view the book.

APH staff Gary Mudd, VP; Mike Hudson, Museum Director; and Craig Meador, President, talked about the significance of this Louis Braille artifact.

The APH community gathered on Thursday, February 11, to celebrate the arrival of the “Procede” at the Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind. Procédé pour écrire les Paroles, la Musique et le Plain-chant au moyen de point, was written by Louis Braille. Embossed at L’institution des Jeunes Aveugles in 1829, it was the first publication of the Braille Code. Purchased by APH from a New York bookseller, it is one of only six copies of the book known to still exist. Given the intimate living and working conditions at L’institution des Jeunes Aveugles, it is hard to imagine that every copy of the book did not at some phase of production pass through the hands of its author.

The celebration had a distinctly French feel. The French national flag flew from the flagstaff atop our 1954 administration building. APH President Craig Meador introduced and thanked the donors that helped raise the $95,000 needed to acquire the book. Museum Director Mike Hudson and Vice President of Public Affairs Gary Mudd shared the history and significance of the book in a moving tribute to Braille’s impact.

“Here, at APH, we can trace the true beginnings of literacy, the beginnings of a revolution that has changed the way we think about people with physical limitations, and more importantly, the way they think about themselves,” said Mudd.

The “Procede” will be on temporary exhibit in the APH Museum through the end of March. It will then be removed in order to prepare for re-installation in a revised and revamped exhibition of “First Books” in 2017. For more information, contact the APH Museum at 502-895-2405 or museum@aph.org.

Dorinda Rife Joins APH as Vice President

APH is happy to announce that we have selected Dorinda Rife as our new Vice President of Educational Services and Product Development. Rife, the current Executive Director of the Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB), joined APH in February. Prior to her current role, she served as the Executive Director of National Educational Programs at Perkins. Rife has served on the APH Educational Products Advisory Committee and has been an Ex Officio Trustee for many years. She has an outstanding reputation as an educator and has designed teams and programs that use both innovation and research-based practices in their services for students. Rife has a history of partnering with agencies, companies, and universities and is well respected for her leadership style.

Here is a short introduction, using Rife’s own words:

“I am an educator and administrator in the field of visual impairment and blindness, and a long-time supporter of APH. My career began in 1982 in secondary education and transitioned to special education two years later. As a new vision educator, I headed out to my first student assessment armed with an APH Light Box and Level I Materials, as well as a blue carton containing the Diagnostic Assessment Procedure (DAP). Brand new and inexperienced, I felt strangely confident carrying tools that I had learned to use as a student teacher and that were considered state-of-the-art. APH and I have grown up through the years, moving into the digital age and enabling our students to participate alongside their sighted peers with graphing calculators, downloaded tactile graphics, and electronic textbooks. I am eager to apply what I have learned to support and grow APH’s mission.”

We are very fortunate to add Dorinda Rife to our team and look forward to our future working with her!

MARCH 25TH DEADLINE to Enter APH InSights Art Competition!

Girl with a Pearl Earring
Johannes Vermeer, 1665

2016 is the 25th anniversary of the APH InSights Art Competition and Exhibition. Open to students in kindergarten – high school and to adults who are students or independent artists, this international juried competition has received thousands of entries over the past twenty years. Please spread the word among your artistic students and friends that the rules and entry forms for this year will be available in February. Deadlines are March 25, 2016, for students, kindergarten through twelfth grade, and April 1, 2016 for adults. If you would like to have a copy emailed to you, contact Roberta Williams rwilliams@aph.org

APH Museum Readers Theater presents, "The Mousetrap"

The APH Museum Readers Theater Troupe will present its fifth season, Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19. This year’s production is Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.” The plot features a motley group of characters, an isolated house in the country, and a surprise twist ending.

The play is performed by actors using braille scripts in a traditional readers theatre format. In readers theatre, there are no costumes, stage blocking, or makeup, and minimal lights. The Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind created its braille theatre program in 2012 with William Gibson’s “The Miracle Worker.”

The nine cast members come from the Louisville area. Four students from the Kentucky School for the Blind will present a prologue that sets up the play. They will also handle the sound effects, including a radio broadcast, crowd voices, and other special effects. A wind machine, known as an aeliophone, is being constructed (the play takes place in the midst of a terrible snowstorm.)

Admission to “The Mousetrap” is free, but reservations are required. Due to some adult content—this is Christie at her finest—the program is recommended for ages 12 to adult. For tickets, contact Katie Carpenter at (502) 899-2213 or kcarpenter@aph.org. Readers theatre is an inexpensive and fun way to involve people of all abilities in local theatre and celebrate braille literacy. If you are interested in advice to form your own local group, contact the APH Museum at museum@aph.org.

Still a Few Weeks Left to Participate in the Unforgettable APH Star Contest

The Spring 2016 deadline is approaching for the Unforgettable APH Star Video Contest. Over 4 wonderful years, we have seen kindergarten students, high school kids, teachers, and adults from all over the nation describe and share information about their favorite APH product. This year, we’d like to see you in action!

The contest guidelines are simple: Upload a video telling us about your favorite APH product, and become a star! The first place contest winner will receive a $150.00 cash prize. The second and third place winners will receive $75.00 and $50.00 respectively. All participants will also be entered into a random drawing for $25.00 Amazon.com gift cards.

The Spring 2016 contest deadline is April 13, 2016. You can find detailed information at archive.aph.org/contest. If you need assistance uploading your videos or have any questions, please contact Maria Delgado at mdelgado@aph.org.

This contest is open to students, parents, teachers, administrators, rehab instructors, and all APH customers.

REGISTRATION NOW! “Tailoring the Reading Experience” Library Conference in Louisville, August, 2016

APH is proud to co-sponsor the conference "Tailoring the Reading Experience to Meet Individual Needs," August 11-12, 2016, in Louisville, Kentucky. This is a satellite meeting of the prestigious World Library and Information Congress 2016 (WLIC) sponsored by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The Louisville satellite conference will immediately precede the full WLIC conference, which is being held in Columbus, Ohio.

Keynote Speaker Announced!

We are pleased to announce that Kevin Carey, Chair, Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) Group, will be a keynote speaker. The multifaceted Carey is a journalist, playwright, poet, broadcaster, and business innovator.

Find out more about this exciting conference and register today for Tailoring the Reading Experience!

Episode Five of TGTV Now Available!

APH’s Fred Otto has created the fifth episode of the fun video series “Tactile Graphics TV.” This episode in the series focuses on the concept of “obligation.” Enjoy Fred’s unique sense of humor and his tactile graphics expertise as you learn how to create great graphics for your students!

NEW! Accessible Tests Resource Center

APH’s new President Craig Meador envisioned an online Accessible Tests Resource Center. Director Debbie Willis accepted the opportunity to make valuable test-related data/information/resources available for use by test publishers, item developers, accessible media producers, test takers who are blind or visually impaired, their parents, guardians, teachers, school administrators, test administrators, and a variety of assessment personnel and test teams across the country. Communications Department Director Scott Blome, Webmaster Malcolm Turner, and Social Media Specialist Paul Ferrara agreed to create this new sub-site of our APH website, to check content for logical flow and accessibility, and to incorporate information provided onto the site, while adding interesting graphics-based information to enhance readability of the text-based information.

At this time, there are 25 major categories that focus on the topic of Accessible Tests. The list of categories include accessibility, accommodations, assistive technology, common core standards, expanded core curriculum, federal and state laws and guidelines, NAEP and major/minor consortia, position papers, research, resources, and more. For the new site’s official launch scheduled to take place on Friday, March 4, 2016, the Accessible Tests Resource Center project team has focused on six categories which are accessibility, educational policy, expanded core curriculum, NAEP and major/minor consortia, position papers, and resources.

In order to make this new site as comprehensive, up-to-date, and valuable as possible, Director Debbie Willis is asking for your involvement. There is a form included on the new site that can and hopefully will be used by you and others to provide your comments, data, ideas, information, resources, suggestions; relevant photos, graphics, and quotes for interest and readability; to ask questions; to express concerns and/or test-related needs; to recommend additional major categories and/or subcategories; and very important, to submit your own contributions such as documents, presentations, webcasts, videos, resources, photos, etc.

Visit the new site at archive.aph.org/accessible-tests/. Project staff looks forward to hearing from you. Thank you in advance for your help and involvement with the new Accessible Tests Resource Center site on the APH website. The Project Team hope this new site will prove to be valuable to you and others involved in developing or adapting standardized tests, providing accessible media and/or tools and assistive technology, and administering and interpreting assessment results of test takers who are blind or visually impaired.

Who Will Be the Braille Challenge® 2016 Teacher of The Year for Excellence in Braille Instruction?

Parents, teachers, students and administrators—celebrate the important role teachers of the visually impaired play in the lives of children! Each year the Braille Institute of America honors one very special teacher of children who are blind or visually impaired for their commitment to braille literacy. The awardee earns a trip to Los Angeles to attend The Braille Challenge Finals awards ceremony, plus earns a cash prize and an Apex 32 Notetaker, generously provided by this year’s major prize sponsor, Humanware.

This is your chance to reward your most dedicated TVI! The Teacher of the Year will be nationally recognized and will take part in The Braille Challenge Finals Awards Ceremony on June 17-18, 2016. Nominations will be accepted through March 25, 2016. Criteria for nomination include letters of recommendation, classroom samples, and a curriculum vitae.

For more information, go to http://www.brailleinstitute.org/braille-challenge-homepage/teacher-of-the-year.html or visit the Braille Challenge website at www.braillechallenge.org. You can also contact Christine Pak, (323) 663-1111, Ext. 1321, or cgpak@brailleinstitute.org.

Field Testing Opportunities

Hop-A-Dot Mat

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is currently seeking field evaluators for the Hop-A-Dot Mat that encourages active learning of the braille cell configuration, braille alphabet, numbers 0-9, and spatial concepts. Put braille learning into motion for your young child/student by selecting from a variety of suggested games and activities to be enjoyed with sighted peers and family while building braille awareness. Although tailored for young children (with adult supervision), the Hop-A-Dot Mat has potential use with older students and adults who are beginning braille readers. Some of the games include: “Spin-A-Letter,” “Build-A-Cell,” “Two-Cell Rock,” “Pop-A-Cell to Hop-A-Dot,” “Braille Cha Cha Cha,” “Build-A-Number,” “Letter Twist,” and “Name that Dot.” As a field evaluator, you will help define ideal target populations and extended applications of the product.

The prototype set of materials includes the following:

• (2) Hop-A-Dot Mats (red frame with yellow numbered dots and a blue frame with yellow numbered dots); the mats are made from durable, washable, and safe EVA foam. Each removable braille dot has a dot number printed on one side and is twice the thickness of the mat frame so that each braille dot can be tactually located. Each Hop-A-Dot Mat is stored in a color-coded, durable carrying bag.
• (1) Print/Braille Alphabet Spinner
• (1) Set of Tactile Dice
• (4) Pop-A-Cells
• (1) Activity/Game Guide

Field testing will be initiated in late March 2016 and extend through the end of May 2016. Ideal field test sites will be able to use the Hop-A-Dot Mat with multiple students with visual impairments and blindness. The number of prototypes is limited. Field test sites will be chosen based upon location, type of educational setting, number of students per site, and age/grade level of students. Teachers/parents who have not field tested for APH in the past are especially encouraged to participate. All evaluators will be asked to complete and return a Product Evaluation Form and related student outcome data by the end of the field test session.

If you would like to be considered as a field evaluator of the Hop-A-Dot Mat, please forward the following information to Karen J. Poppe, Tactile Graphics Project Leader, at kpoppe@aph.org:

• Your full name
• Your professional title
• School or Agency Name
• Type of setting (e.g., Residential, Resource, Itinerant)
• School or Agency mailing address including city, state, and zip code
• Your preferred reading medium (print, large print, braille, electronic)
• Email address
• Best phone number to reach you
• Number of your students who are able to participate
• Short explanation for your interest in wanting to field test this product with your students

Talking Protractor App

APH is seeking field evaluators for the Talking Protractor app. Talking Protractor is an iOS app designed for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Its purpose is to give students who are blind or have low vision a protractor tool that provides more accurate measurements than existing braille and large print protractors. The app allows students to measure angles in two ways. First, students can place an angle over the screen of a device and trace along the rays of the angle. The app records locations of the rays and then calculates the angle formed by the rays. Students can also choose to measure angles by rotating their devices. With its built-in gyroscope sensor, the app can tell students how much their devices rotate and report angle measurements in both degrees and radians.

To participate in this field test, field evaluators should have an iPad 3 (or above) running iOS 8 (or above). Evaluators will be asked to use the Talking Protractor app with math students with blindness or low vision. They will then complete and return a product evaluation form at the end of the testing period. Field test sites will be selected based upon geographic location, number of available students, and type of instructional setting. The field test will begin in March and be completed by the end of April 2016.

If you are interested to serve as a field evaluator, please provide the following information:

• your name, title, school/agency, and type of setting (e.g., residential, itinerant);
• type of iPad you will use during this evaluation and the version of its iOS operating system;
• number of available students with ages, grade levels, and primary reading media indicated;
• your preferred reading medium for evaluation materials and evaluation form (regular print/large print/braille/electronic); and
• your complete contact information (phone number, mailing address, and e-mail address).

Please send this information to Li Zhou, Core Curriculum Project Leader, at lzhou@aph.org by March 20, 2016. You may also contact Li at 800-223-1839, ext. 424. Thank you!

Building on Patterns, Second Edition, Prekindergarten

APH is pleased to offer an exciting field test opportunity for Building on Patterns, Second Edition, Prekindergarten. The prototype for this curriculum includes many features that make the series user friendly, appropriate for inclusive preschool settings, and accurately geared toward building literacy skills in preparation for kindergarten. The prekindergarten level includes the following:

• Lessons that are grounded in popular fiction and nonfiction books for young children
• Introduction and reinforcement of alphabet knowledge
• Support for early tactile exploration of reading and writing activities
• Opportunities to explore fun and interesting tactile graphics
• Parent Letters for each lesson to encourage family participation
• Support for assessment of learner’s progress and acquisition of literacy skills

The lessons and activities are similar to those used in other preschool-level curriculums.

For this field test, we seek 50 tactual learners

• who are less than 5 years old at the start of the field test,
• with or without prior exposure to braille,
• with or without medically diagnosed additional disabilities,
• who will not be enrolled in kindergarten during the 2016-17 school year, and
• who may or may not live in English-speaking homes.

Field testing will begin at the start of the 2016-17 school year, with periodic progress/feedback reports due during the school year and an evaluation due at the end of the school year.
If you are interested in becoming a part of this effort to help ensure that APH truly meets the needs of preschoolers and TSVIs, please send the following information about your student or students and yourself to Sara Lee, slee@aph.org, by April 29, 2016.

A downloadable form to fill out and email for the information below is located here: archive.aph.org/files/research/Field-Evaluator-Form-for-BOP-2nd-Ed-PreK-listed.docx.

Student Information

• Child’s Age
• Tactual Learner?
• Additional Disabilities Diagnosed?
• English spoken at home?
• Service Delivery Setting (center-based, itinerant, residential, etc.)
• Please describe the child’s eye condition(s) and level of functional vision.
• If applicable, describe the child’s additional disabilities.

If you have other students, please provide this same information for them.

Teacher Information

• Your full name
• Your professional title
• Your certifications and degrees
• How long you have been teaching students with visual impairments
• School or Agency Name
• Type of setting (e.g., center-based, residential, resource, itinerant)
• School or Agency mailing address including city, state, and zip code
• Your preferred reading medium (print, large print, braille, electronic)
• Email address
• Best phone number to reach you
• Short explanation of your interest in wanting to field test this product with your student(s)

Old Dominion Seeks Participants in a Study

Enter for a Chance to Win a $50 Gift Card!

The Department of Human Movement Sciences at Old Dominion University is conducting a study involving the validation of (2) surveys to explore the beliefs of adults with visual impairments toward physical activity and sedentary behaviors. To conduct this study, Old Dominion University needs the participation of adult aged individuals (ages 18 and over) with visual impairments. This study asks participants to complete an online survey consisting of 41 questions that should take approximately 20 minutes. All responses will be anonymous and confidential.

All participants who complete the online survey will have the option to enter a drawing to win one of two $50.00 gift cards. If you, or someone you know, is interested in participating in this study, please follow the link below: http://goo.gl/forms/EDPNw9jBjQ. Please share this link if you know others who would be interested.

Treasures From the APH Libraries

The APH Barr Library supports research initiatives at APH, while the Migel Library is one of the largest collections of nonmedical information related to blindness in the world. Although the collections do not circulate, arrangements can be made to use the materials on-site. In addition, an ongoing digitization effort means APH will continue to make materials available through the online catalog at http://migel.aph.org.

From the Migel Library: Blecharczyk, Mitchel A. Surgical Technician Training, Medical Department Replacement Training Center: Class Materials. Ft. Harrison, IN: U.S. Army Medical Corps, 1944. Manuscript.

The Migel Library has recently digitized an inclusive, handwritten collection of medical training notes from World War Two. The collection begins with a complete schedule of classes at Fort Harrison, Indiana. It lists Nursing, Math, Medical Aid, Material Medica, Medical Administration, and Anatomy and Physiology. Detailed notes are collected from each section, often with the date and instructor noted. Following more than 240 pages of notes, each test that was given and graded in the training is organized, along with handouts on terminology. The collection closes with a medical department ID card, “special orders” from August 9th, 1945, and a picture of the class having just practiced giving each other casts. This item is available at Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/usarmymedictrain00mitc

From the Barr Library: Karlsson, Gunnar, and Anna-Karin Magnusson. A Phenomenological-Psychological Investigation of Blind People’s Orientation and Mobility. Stockholm: Dept. of Psychology, Stockholm University, 1994.

This philosophical report strives to determine the necessary dimensions involved in the purposeful mobility of the blind. Rooted in the phenomenological assumption that people are actively creating meaning in the world, the study begins with an analysis of consciousness as intentional. Nine congenitally blind subjects, four adult blind subjects, and two sighted subjects participated in the study. One of the conclusions is that a fundamental aspect needed for successful, purposeful mobility is that the individual possesses an orientation-comprehension, or an understanding of a special spatial context between the individual’s starting point and other locations. Another result was that the risk that one will not succeed in orientation, or that one will become disoriented, is greatest in the known environment, because other aspects of the experience, not related to orientation, consume too much mental energy.

APH is working with the Internet Archive to digitize portions of the M.C. Migel Library. Search the phrase “full text” to find these items at http://migel.aph.org. The digitized texts are available in a variety of formats, including DAISY, Kindle, EPUB, PDF, etc.

Contact Library staff: library@aph.org, 800-223-1839, ext. 705

Celebrate APH Quick Tips Day!

It’s hard to believe that it’s March, isn’t it? It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the Winter Holidays. Now, suddenly here we are at that time of year when there is an utter dearth of special days to celebrate, right? WRONG! March has a TON of holidays!

The month begins with National Pig Day on March 1st. On March 17th, we celebrate Submarine Day—although we at Quick Tips HQ are divided on whether it’s a day to go underwater in one or eat one… Then there’s that yummy day on March 23rd, National Chip and Dip Day! That’s just to name a few! There happen to be a plethora of March holidays!

Our personal favorite is on the 26th, Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. Let’s take the liberty of making THAT day APH Quick Tips Day! Indeed!

How will YOU celebrate APH Quick Tips Day? Here’s the perfect celebratory activity: Watch lots of Quick Tips! You can start your marathon by viewing the four most recently posted at archive.aph.org/quick-tips/:

• NIMAC, Part 2 – Find out from Johanna Argo how the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) works!
• My List – Find out about “My List” which is a tool that helps you organize your search results in the Louis Database!
• Searching Louis – Liz Schaller provides the easiest way to search the Louis Database of accessible materials!
• Other Louis Resources – In our final Quick Tip in the Louis Database series, we check out how to access some yet-to-be-discussed Louis resources.

If you really want to get into the Quick Tips spirit, feel free to create your own video and/or come up with a great idea for a Quick Tip topic, and send them to kisham@aph.org!

Here’s wishing you and yours all the brevity, information, and APH-centricity of the Quick Tips season!

Social Media Spotlight

Our presence on Pinterest continues to grow! We now have 23 boards, including our two newest, "APH Sale Items," which describes featured sale items, and "Deafblind," which contains resources which may be useful for deafblind individuals or those who work with them. Check out our sale items board at https://www.pinterest.com/aphfortheblind/aph-sale-items/ while our deafblind board is located at https://www.pinterest.com/aphfortheblind/deafblind/

"Like" APH at Our Facebook Page!

We invite you to visit our Facebook page and "Like" us! You can find APH at these social media sites: Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest, and at our blog, Fred’s Head from APH.

APH Travel Calendar

March

March 2-5, 2016
SREE Conference
Washington, DC

March 3-4, 2016
North Carolina Conference on Vision Impairments & Blindness (NCCVIB)
Chapel Hill, NC

March 3-5, 2016
AFB Leadership Conference
Arlington, VA

March 8-11, 2016
Virginia AER, 2016
Virginia Beach, VA

March 9, 2016
Focus On Vision Impairment & Blindness
Norwood, MA

March 11-13, 2016
WCBVI 2016 Preschool Family Conference
Green Lake, WI

March 13-15, 2016
SOMA 50th Anniversary Conference
Chattanooga, TN

March 14-18, 2016
Legislative Visits on Capitol Hill
Washington, DC

March 16, 2016
Braille Blaster Training in the State Prison
South Dakota

March 20-23, 2016
ATP Innovations in Testing 2016
Orlando, FL

March 21-26, 2016
CSUN 2016
San Diego, CA

March 22-24, 2016
Kentucky (KAER) 2016 Conference
Berea, KY

March 29, 2016
University of AZ CIP Event
Tucson, AZ

March 31-April 3, 2016
New Hampshire 60th Anniversary State Convention & 2nd Technology Expo
Concord, NH

April

April 7-9, 2016
AOTA 2016
Chicago, IL

April 7-10, 2016
CTEBVI
Los Angeles, CA

April 11-15, 2016
Legislative Visits on Capitol Hill
Washington, DC

April 13-15, 2016
Dakotas AER
Aberdeen, SD

April 13-16, 2016
CEC Convention and Expo 2016
St. Louis, MO

April 22-23, 2016
Pacific Northwest AER
Spokane, WA

April 24-27, 2016
International Preschool Seminar
Pacific Grove, CA

May

May 1-3, 2016
Visual Aid Volunteers of Florida VAVF Conference
Orlando, FL

May 21-26, 2016
International Council on English Braille (ICEB) Sixth General Assembly
Baltimore, MD

June

June 20-22, 2016
CCSSO/NCSA Conference 2016
Philadelphia, PA

June 23-25, 2016
VidCon
Anaheim, CA

June 30-July 2, 2016
Visions 2016
Baltimore, MD

APH Winter Wonderland Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH’s Winter Wonderland Sale 2016, January 1—March 31. As always, first come, first served.

archive.aph.org/sale/

New Downloadable Manuals Available

Get the manual you need instantly! APH offers a selected list of product manuals available for free download (archive.aph.org/manuals/). You may print or emboss these as needed. We will continue to package hard copies of these manuals with their products and sell hard copy replacements.

Newly added manuals include:

• BOP UEB Supplements for Second Grade

NEW! Building on Patterns: Second Grade, Unit 5 and Unit 7

BOP Second Grade, Unit 5, It’s a Natural Thing

Student Kit–UEB: 6-78570-U5 — $179.00

Teacher’s Edition (includes Reference Vol.):
Print: 8-78471-U5 — $59.00
Braille: 6-78471-U5 — $189.00

Building on Patterns Second Grade, Unit 5 UEB Teacher Supplement

Important! Use the information in this free-of-charge supplement to mark up your teacher’s editions: http://archive.aph.org/manuals/#alpha-b

Replacement Items, Second Grade, Unit 5

Student Textbook–UEB: 6-78573-U5 — $45.00
Consumable Unit Assessment Packet (print & braille): 8-78476-U5 — $79.00
Monitoring Sheets (print & braille): 8-78473-U5 — $29.00
Worksheets Pack–UEB: 6-78574-U5 — $79.00

BOP Second Grade, Unit 7, Celebrate Books

Student Kit–UEB: 6-78570-U7 — $179.00

Teacher’s Edition:
Print: 8-78471-U7 — $59.00
Braille: 6-78471-U7 — $189.00

Building on Patterns Second Grade, Unit 7 UEB Teacher Supplement

Important! Use the information in this free-of-charge supplement to mark up your teacher’s editions: http://archive.aph.org/manuals/#alpha-b

Replacement Items, Second Grade, Unit 7

Student Textbooks–UEB: 6-78573-U7 — $59.00
Teacher’s Consumable Packet (print & braille): 8-78476-U7 — $49.00
Unit 7 The Binder: 6-78574-U7 — $59.00

Overview: Building on Patterns – UEB

APH is now offering UEB-compliant Building on Patterns (BOP) so teachers can continue to use the current Building on Patterns program while teaching Unified English Braille (UEB)! The student materials have been re-transcribed in UEB as needed and teacher supplements have been created inform the teacher about UEB changes.

Note: You do NOT need to buy new Teacher Editions. Just download the free-of-charge supplements and use them to mark up your existing Teacher’s Editions: http://archive.aph.org/manuals/#alpha-b

We are also now packaging all the materials needed for a student in a “Student Kit.”

• Kindergarten Student Kit includes: Posttest Consumables, Textbook Assessment Check-up Forms, set of 7 Student Textbooks, and Color Me Book.
• First and Second Grade Student Kits include: Student Textbook, Worksheets Pack – UEB, Lesson Monitoring Sheets in print and braille, an Assessment Check-Up in print and braille.

The print and braille teacher’s editions and other posttest materials are sold separately.

Note: The English Braille American Edition versions of BOP are no longer available for sale.

About Building on Patterns

Building on Patterns (BOP) is a complete primary literacy program designed to teach beginning braille users all language arts — reading, writing, and spelling.

NEW! Student materials and posttest now updated for Unified English Braille (UEB).

The Building on Patterns series addresses phonemic awareness (ability to hear and interpret sounds in speech), phonics (the association of written symbols with the sounds they represent), comprehension, fluency, and oral vocabulary, all of which have been identified as important for reading instruction.

This program also addresses specific skill areas needed by the child who is blind, such as language development, sound discrimination, tactual discrimination, and concept development. Braille contractions are introduced from the beginning along with sound and letter associations. Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) Skills such as using tactile graphics and technology are also included.

BOP Second Grade builds on the components of BOP First Grade and contains additional activities.

New Features

• Timed reading in each lesson
• More independent reading suggestions
• Simplified lesson monitoring sheets
• Quick Read for silent reading and reading comprehension practice
• Special section with information on individual contributors (authors, illustrators, etc.) to BOP in each unit

BOP Second Grade includes more worksheets, part-word braille contractions, and other remaining literary contractions and symbols along with the rules to use them. The curriculum also emphasizes syllables and multisyllabic words, and the effect of certain letter combinations on vowel sounds. For optional map work, each lesson gives the foreign origin of at least one spelling word.

Recommended ages: 7 to 8 years and up.

Prerequisite: BOP First Grade or equivalent skills.

NEW! All Aboard! The Sight Word Activity Express

1-03558-00 — $269.00

Replacement Item

Magnetic Dry Erase Board Catalog Number: 1-03559-00 — $26.00

Get your student on the fast track to learning high frequency sight words and common nouns with this interactive and versatile set of magnetic print/braille labels!

All Aboard! The Sight Word Activity Express can be used for instruction and assessment of a student’s recognition of sight ("high frequency") words — the most commonly used words in the English language. The list of 220 words (prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs), plus 95 nouns or "picture words," was developed by Edward W. Dolch and is referred to as the "Dolch Basic Sight Word List." The words are categorized according to grade level: Pre-primer, Primer, First, Second, and Third.

All Aboard! includes print/braille magnetic labels of sight words and common nouns. The set of Contracted Braille/Print Magnetic Word Labels present the contracted braille version; these labels are identified by black text on a yellow background with a diagonal orientation cut in the upper right corner. The set of Uncontracted Braille/Print Magnetic Word Labels includes the uncontracted braille (letter-by-letter) version that utilizes a braille contraction in the "contracted" set; these labels are identified by black text on a white background with a curved orientation cut in the upper right corner. A set of print/braille Accessory Labels (e.g., noun, verb, contracted, uncontracted, one-syllable, two-syllable, short vowel, long vowel, etc.) accommodate a variety of sorting tasks; these labels are indicated by white text on a blue background with two opposite diagonal cuts. The accessory labels also include blank, white magnetic labels in a variety of lengths for creating additional word labels (if needed). All of the word labels can be securely stored and sorted in the binder (in order determined by instructor) using the provided Word Label Pocket Pages.

Blue magnetic sorting strips are provided in two lengths (10 1/2 x 1/2 inches and 8 1/2 x 1/2 inches) and are ideal for creating charts, diagrams, and tactile/visual guide lines for positioning the word labels on the included All Aboard Magnetic/Dry-Erase Board. The Teacher’s Guidebook provides activity suggestions. Use the provided Sight Word Assessment Checklist to keep track of the word recognition progress of an individual student. The accompanying CD-ROM provides accessible versions of the Teacher’s Guidebook and the Sight Word Assessment Checklist.

Notes: — A free-of-charge braille-ready file (brf) of the Teacher’s Guidebook is available for download at: http://archive.aph.org/manuals/ — A free-of-charge Microsoft© Excel© spreadsheet of the Sight Word Assessment Checklist is available for download at: http://archive.aph.org/manuals/

WARNING: Choking Hazard—Small Parts. Not intended for children ages 5 and under without adult supervision.

UEB Compliant

Recommended ages: 5 years and up (including adult braille readers).

NEW! Orientation & Mobility for Wheelchair Users With Visual Impairment or Blindness

Web-Based Publication: D-03490-ED — $4.99

Note: This online publication cannot be ordered directly using the APH Shopping Site. Please contact APH the Customer Service Department. Once ordered, you will receive an email containing a link to access the website. Please make sure to supply us with an email address on your order. This publication IS available on Quota!

This web-based publication helps O&M instructors learn how to train students who are wheelchair users to travel safely and effectively.

Follow Scott Crawford as he instructs a variety of adult wheelchair users—who also experience vision impairment—in the proper techniques to complete tight turns, enter and exit through doorways, trail sidewalks and curbs, ascend and descend stairs and escalators, and much more. Scott’s ability to analyze the environment and to solve mobility obstacles make this a must have educational tool.

This website shares techniques and strategies that are proven successful with clients/students in the rehabilitation setting. It does not suggest that any particular skill be taught in a particular method, and acknowledges that what works successfully with some students may fail with others.

The O&M for Wheelchair Users website includes 12-chapters with Q&A and True Story sidebars, plus 197 demonstration video clips. Each chapter has easy access to the top of the chapter, main menu, previous chapter, and next chapter.

Sample Video: Determining the height of drop-offs

System Requirements

• Internet connection. Because of the video content, you may wish to use a WiFi connection rather than a cellular data connection.
• Windows: IE10+ or Chrome 32+, Firefox 27+(may not support captioning)
• Mac: Safari 6+, Chrome 18+
• iPad and iPhone: Safari

Note: Firefox does not support html5 vtt captioning.

APH offers a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.

Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow several weeks for delivery.

Twice as Good: The Story of William Powell and Clearview, the Only Golf Course Designed, Built, and Owned by an African American
by Richard Michelson: T-N1966-60 — $13.00
Short biography of William Powell (1916-2009), who in 1948 was the first African American to build, own, and open a golf course–the Clearview Golf Club–for everyone, regardless of race. Discusses his childhood ambitions, hard work, service in the U.S. Army, and family life. Grades 1-4. *(AR Quiz No. 149504, BL 4.8, Pts. 0.5)

Pressure: True Stories by Teens About Stress
by Al Desetta: T-N1974-00 — $52.50
Teens share accounts about stress caused by family, friends, school, and increasing responsibilities. They describe what they are doing to help them relax and enjoy the moment and offer suggestions such as physical activities, writing, yoga, and meditation to release negative energy. Grades 9-12.

Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories Volume One: Where on Earth
by Ursula K. Le Guin T-N2088-30 — $135.00
Where on Earth explores Le Guin’s earthbound stories which range around the world from small town Oregon to middle Europe in the middle of revolution to summer camp. Companion volume Outer Space, Inner Lands includes Le Guin’s best known nonrealistic stories.

Stardust
by Neil Gaiman: T-N2093-10 — $90.50
In the sleepy English countryside, at the dawn of the Victorian era, the pursuit of a fallen star sends a lovelorn young man over the city wall and into another reality.

Our Souls At Night
by Kent Haruf: T-N2097-60 — $54.50
Seventy-year-old widow Addie Moore asks her neighbor Louis Waters to spend the nights with her in her bed to help with the loneliness they both feel. As the two talk in the night they become close, but they become the subject of gossip in their small town. Some Adult Content.

*Accelerated Reader quiz number, book level, and point value. For more information on the Accelerated Reader program, see the January 2006 APH News or www.renlearn.com/ar/