  LESSON ONE: LETTERS a-z, PUNCTUATION, CAPITALIZATION, HYPHEN, PARAGRAPHING

SECTION 1:  LETTERS A - J
Part I:  Explanation

1.  INTRODUCTION
    You may wish to take notes during each introductory section of the lessons
in this program.  Appendix A of the accompanying manual has student materials
to assist you in note-taking.

1.1  Braille is a system for tactile reading and writing.  The characters are
formed by combinations of six raised dots within a braille "cell".  The dots
are arranged in two vertical columns of three dots each.  For teaching
purposes, the dots are numbered.  Starting from the upper left corner and
proceeding downward, they are 1, 2, and 3.  Then continuing in the upper
right corner and moving downward, the dots are 4, 5, and 6.

                              1      4
                              2      5
                              3      6

1.2  A simple braille character consists of from one to six of these dots, 
occupying one full cell.  Grade One braille has one-to-one correspondence
between a cell and a print character.  Grade Two, or contracted, braille is a
kind of short-hand where single cell or two-cell contractions represent
strings of print characters.  These will be introduced in later lessons.


2.  THE BRAILLE ALPHABET

2.1  The first ten letters of the alphabet are formed by using the upper and
middle dots (dots 1, 2, and 4, 5).  Each letter is shown with its correspond-
ing dot numbers in parentheses to the right.  Beneath each print alphabet
letter shown below, notice its corresponding braille representation.  To the
left of each braille letter is a full braille cell (dots 1 through 6) which
have been provided in this lesson to give the beginning braille students
proper perspective on the dot positions within the braille cell. 

  a (1)       b (1-2)        c (1-4)      d (1-4-5)      e (1-5)

  f (1-2-4)   g (1-2-4-5)    h (1-2-5)    i (2-4)        j (2-4-5)


3.  USING COMPUTER KEYBOARD AS A BRAILLE-WRITER

3.1  You use only six computer keys for braille.  Each key corresponds to one
dot.  As with a braille writing machine, you create a braille character a dot
at a time by pressing and releasing from one to six keys AT THE SAME TIME.
The keys are as follows.

    keyboard letter           s  d  f    [space bar]    j  k  l
    braille dot number        3  2  1    [space bar]    4  5  6

The spacebar works as usual.  In writing braille, only one space is used
between sentences, unlike the two spaces found after periods in print.

3.2  To begin brailling, place the fingers of your left hand on the s, d,
and f keys; your right-hand fingers on the j, k, and l keys.  Remember to
press ALL the keys needed for a braille character AT THE SAME TIME BEFORE you
release the keys.

3.3  The program automatically makes the adjustment from braille-writer to
type-writer, although in the beginning you will probably have to concentrate
when moving between the braille-to-print and the print-to-braille exercises.

3.4  The proof reading section gives you braille that has errors in it.
These errors may be misspelled words, spacing errors (for instance, we will
be using two spaces between words until we begin writing phrases and
sentences purely as a teaching/learning strategy.), or simply badly formed
braille.  Simply move the cursor with the arrow keys, delete the character(s)
that are in error, and then type in the corrections.  If you have difficulty
figuring out the braille text, you will find the text of the proof reading
exercises in the student lesson materials for reference.  For additional
hints, please refer to accompanying manual, the section titled "How To Use
This Program".

This concludes the Introduction to Braille and Letters a - j section.  When
ready, press Esc to return to the Submenu.  


Part II:  Print to Braille Exercises

In the following exercises, please leave TWO spaces between words.  This is
done until we get to phrases and sentences for easier viewing.

Hit F1 to continue.
     abide      ice      fee      facade      hide
     adage      jade     decide    cage      abaca
     cab        jig      decade   fad    hag    ibid

Part III:  Braille to Print Exercises
     badge  cafe  gage  face  beef
     cab  dad  aid  bid  dice
     cad  fig  abide  gaf  jade

Part IV:  Proof Reading Exercises
     egad  dab  abide  fade
     badge  hide  jog  gaffe


SECTION II:  ALPHABET LETTERS K - T
Part I:  Explanation

1.1  The second ten letters of the alphabet are formed by adding dot 3 to
each of the first ten letters as follows:

    k (1-3)      l (1-2-3)      m (1-3-4)    n (1-3-4-5)   o (1-3-5)

    p (1-2-3-4)  q (1-2-3-4-5)  r (1-2-3-5)  s (2-3-4)     t (2-3-4-5)

1.2  Continue on to practice exercises in this section to practice typing
words that contain letters a through t.  Remember to place TWO spaces between
the words in these exercises.  

This concludes the information section on Alphabetical Letters k - t.  When
ready, hit the Esc button to return to the Submenu.


Part II:  Print to Braile Exercises
     kimono      sedate      subcommittee
     nonmetallic     prerequisite      petticoat
     respect     secret      tadpole
     maharaja      legislate     pocket
     kids       mobile      obtuse       polite
Part III:  Braille to Print Exercises
     kaleidoscope  llama  mitosis
     knothole  plaid  equidistant
     onomatopoeia  reptile  tropical
     setback  tomato  silk
     laboratory  notice  prices

Part IV:  Proof Reading Exercises
     professional  renunciate  quiet
     kidnap  remake  massage


SECTION III:  ALPHABET LETTERS U - Z
Part I:  Information

1.1  The remaining six letters are formed by adding dots 3 and 6 to the first
five letters (however `w' is a special case) as follows:

         u (1-3-6)      v (1-2-3-6)      w (2-4-5-6)

         x (1-3-4-6)    y (1-3-4-5-6)    z (1-3-5-6)

1.2  In this unit we introduce sentence 'tongue twisters'.  From that point
on, please use the standard spacing of one space between words, treating
it as a sentence.  Also, do not capitalize in print any formal names in the
practice exercises, as we have not yet discussed the braille capitalization
symbol.  You will have 10 screens' worth of exercises in this unit.

This concludes the information section on Alphabetical Letters u - z.  Press
Esc when ready to continue on to the practice exercises.

Part II:  Print to Braille Exercises
     emit       fickle      gazelle      haunt
     improve    yodel       kayak        lettuce
     mature     nebula      obscure      plane
     quake      relax       salute       tempo
     uncle      vanilla     wagon      xylem
     blue     black     bug      blood     zodiac
     a critical cricket critic
     sly simian sips slimy soda
     buy a toy boat
     lazy llama loves lovely lion


Part III:  Braille to Print Exercises
     crumb  duck  yogurt  zombie
     explore  freeze  guess  horizon
     item  joke  koala  liquefy
     muscle  nickel  optics  puppet
     qualify  rocket  spooky  tribe
     unite  view  wombat  xenon
     slim sam slid sideways
     ron watts runs rat races
     old oily ollie oils oily autos
     pete piles pails on pots

Part IV:  Proof Reading Exercises
     tell me a few jokes
     ride a big black horse
     nice cotton quilts
     pretty rosebud vase
     play a cornet or ukulele
SECTION IV:  PUNCTUATION, SINGLE LETTER CAPITALIZATION, APOSTROPHE
Part I:  Information

1.  PUNCTUATION

      period (2-5-6)   comma (2)   question mark (2-3-6)   apostrophe (3)

1.1  The order and spacing of braille punctuation signs should follow that of
the print copy, except in specific cases which will be discussed later in
this module.  Leave only one space, or cell, following braille puntuation.

1.2  EXCEPTIONS:  When an abbreviation in print is shown as the initial
letters of two or more words, each followed by a period, these letters should
be brailled unspaced from one another on a single line, regardless of their
spacing in print.

2.  SINGLE-LETTER CAPITALIZATION
2.1  In braille, a single capitalized letter is indicated by placing the
capital sign (dot 6) immediately before the letter to be capitalized.  This
sign is peculiar to braille and is known as a composition sign.

    EXAMPLES:       Jack          Santa Fe                  DeKalb

 Rules Specific to the Capital Sign:

1   The capital sign must immediately precede the letter to which it applies.
    If a capital letter is preceded by an apostrophe, the apostrophe must
    precede the capital sign.

    EXAMPLE:        O'Reilly

2   Capitalization of abbreviations should follow the print copy, EXCEPT when
    the abbreviation consists of the initial letters of two or more words,
    each followed by a period.  These letters should be brailled unspaced and
    on the same line, regardless of their spacing in print.  This does not ap-
    ply when a person's name is written in intitials.  Personal initials sepa-
    rated by a space in print should follow the same spacing in braille and
    need not be brailled on the same line.  When personal initials are written
    unspaced in print, they must appear unspaced in braille and on the same
    line.

    EXAMPLES:   Dr.          etc.         p.m.                A.C.L.U.

                Mr. A. C. Ross                  J. F. K.

3  APOSTROPHE

3.1  If a capital letter is preceded by an apostrophe, the apostrophe should
be written before the capital sign.  The capital sign must always immediately
ately precede the letter to which it applies.

     EXAMPLES:    O'Hara          

3.2  There are rules regarding the use of apostrophes with numbers.  These
will be discussed when numbers are introduced.

This concludes the information section on Punctuation.  When you are ready,
press Esc to return to the Submenu.


Part II:  Print to Braille Exercises
     Aunt Patricia, may I visit next week?
     A black cat makes Madge crazy.
     Jiri wants my old desk.
     I want scissors, buttons, nuts, bolts, plus screws.
     Jill ate a huge apple pie.
     He sang a sad, old melody.
     Did Olive call Kunio or Kate?
     He is an unhappy man.
     Bill visits my family approximately once or twice a week.
     My son is on a U.S. Navy sub.
     Emilio gave Molly fruitcake.
     Is my video tape faulty?
     Gee!  My new vehicle canvas top doesn't repel sleet!
     I guess Mr. Pilizza sups on salads.
     Petros wants a pomegranet, apple fruit salad.

Part III:  Braille to Print Exercises
     Is Kelly afraid?
     Abraham does love my poetry.
     Aunt Judy, may we see Bozo?
     I want an exotic bird.
     Pick up two milks.
     Does Jim MacDonald want my old boots?
     Mia wants two bananas, five apples, or six oranges.
     Lake Wannassee is unbelievably calm.
     Zack loves jazz music.
     A polygon is a geometric figure.
     Akhil, a musician, may play a flute, drums, or a cello.
     Aunt Nora's son flies home next week!
     Give me back my Santa Clause suit.
     Huge feet may trip Big Bird.
     Visitors may view local flora, fauna, or wild life on a trolley.

Part IV:  Proof Reading Exercises
     Did George buy dog food at DeKalb Pet Supply?
     O.M.C. Buick sells, trades, or fixes trucks.
     He gave all spectators a balloon ride.
     Cranky crocodiles provide crazy clues.
     My Dodge truck set me back big bucks.

SECTION V:  HYPHENS AND PARAGRAPHING
Part I:  Information

1.  HYPHEN

      The hyphen (braille dots 3-6) is used to divide words between lines
(syllabication) and to separate the components of compound words.  When
dividing a multiple-syllable word between lines or pages, division may be made
ONLY between syllables.  Consult a good dictionary for proper syllabication.

     EXAMPLES:    ex-          bud-          ig-          pas-
            claimed          get        norant         sage        

1.1  General Rules About the Hyphen:

1    The hyphen must never begin a new braille line.

2    The hyphen may be used to indicate omitted letters in a word.  Use an e-
     qual number of hyphens, unspaced, as omitted letters.
     EXAMPLE:    Mrs. G---   (Grey)           --put   (in)

1.2  General Rules About Syllabication and the Hyphen:

1    As a general rule of braille, utilize the maximum number of spaces on a
     braille line whenever possible.  When there is room on a braille line for
     one or more syllables and a hyphen, the maximum amount of syllables
     should be brailled on that line as space will allow.

2    Do not leave any space between the last syllable on the line and the hy-
     phen.

1.3  General Rules About Compound Words and the Hyphen:

1    When a hyphen appears at the end of a print line and the word cannot be
     found in the dictionary either as a compound word or as one word, treat
     the word as a compound word and retain the hyphen.

2    Do not leave a space before or after the hyphen in a hyphenated compound
     word.

     EXAMPLE:    self-image

3    A space should be left after the hyphen in a disconnected compound word.

     EXAMPLE:    five- or six-piece set

2.   PARAGRAPHING

2.1  Begin each new braille paragraph in the third cell, or space, of a new
     line (hit the space bar twice).  A blank line should never be left
     between paragraphs, unless a break in thought is indicated in the print
     copy by means of extra line spacing.

2.2  When the print copy ignores normal paragraph indentation and uses
     all capital letters in the first few words, the braille copy should
     ignore this format and use normal braille paragraph indentation and
     capitalization.

You have completed the information section concerning Hyphen and Para-
graphs.  When you are ready to proceed to the practice exercises press Esc to
return to the submenu.

Part II:  Print to Braille Exercises
     Does Kelsey play peek-a-boo?
     Sun-Li, take my back pack.
     Ivan is a five- or six-trip-a-week private guide.
     Mrs. R---- sang an old melody we all knew.
     Jim wants a big, sky-blue Cadillac.
     Did Claude lose a torn, blue-gray flannel coat?
     Footloose or fancy-free is my motto.
     Aunt Juanita sells home-made cookies.

Part III:  Braille to Print Exercises
     A positive self-image is extremely important at any age.
     A pale-gray bird sat on my doormat.  Tweet, tweet, tweet.
     Jim DuBuis ran pell-mell up Picasso Ave.
     I took five close-up pictures at my favorite exhibit.
     Is black-mail a felony?
     S-- Francisco is on a hilly bay.
     At six-fifty a bell tolls sadly.
     Vote pro-labor if we want secure jobs.

Part IV:  Proof Reading Exercises
     Did he dig a deep hole?
     Sam Mc Bride only drives fifty-five m.p.h.
     Jake doesn't give a d--n if we lose a game.
     Is a tall-tale a lie?
     Is O'Malley's picnic a mid-June or -July social?

SECTION VII:  SELF-TEST EXERCISES
Part I:  Information

                    It's a funny thing about life;
            if you refuse to accept anything but the best, 
                         you very often get it.
                                         Somerset Maugham

                               Good luck!

Part II:  Print to Braille Exercises
     Six boys did bicycle home.
     Katlyn wore a pretty rosebud hairclip.
     Did Romy buy a model plane?
     Quietly, he made a zigzag trail on ice.
     Does Mrs. V--- want any extra Coca-Cola bottles?
     I want all 3 fruit, e.g. oranges, apples, bananas.
     Mr. I. M. Dunn is a college graduate.
     Alexa, may I take five ties, two suits, plus twelve socks.
     A small dog gives Hilda joy.
     All circuits blew up at once.


Part III:  Braille to Print Exercises
     Cranky crocodiles provide a crazy clue.
     A black kettle sits on a dirty sill.
     A home-made quilt hangs on a hook.
     Dots, dots, dots, d---.
     Lake Acadia is unbelievalby calm.
     He plays a lovely lullaby on a piano.
     I saw Olaf drop six glasses.
     Dale gave Hannah a pretty rosebud vase.
     Vivid photographs hung on all walls.
     Is a five- or six-week policy valid?

Part IV:  Proof Reading Exercises
     Does he play jazz twice a week?
     Fruity yogurt is a diet snack I love.
     Zircon jewelry is my favorite.
     I hate a mid-April or -May coldspell.
     He took a swim at Blue-sky Bay.
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