Hadley

Contracted Braille Workshop 21:

Shortforms Set 3

Opening

Hadley presents Contracted Braille, Workshop 21: Shortforms, Set 3.

Page 1

To begin, make sure you have your braille workbook with you.

If you don’t already have one, call Hadley at 847-784-2816 and we’ll mail one right out to you.

Let’s look at the next set of shortform words.

Feel the braille in the top left corner of the page.

These are the words, “quick,” “letter,” “good,” and “blind.”

Above the middle line are four rows of braille. Let’s read them together.

The first row is the word “quick.”

Now, let’s read the second row.

This is “letter.”

The third row says, “good.”

And the last row is the word “blind.”

Below the middle line, you’ll find a row of words.

Let’s read these words together: “letter,” “quick,” “blind,” “good.”

Turn the page.

Page 2

Feel the braille in the top left corner of the page.

This is “quick,” q-k.

Above the middle line are four rows of braille.

As you read the braille and work through the activities on these pages, use the Pause button or spacebar to pause for as long as you need to.

Then, select the Play button or press the spacebar again to hear the feedback for that item.

Read the four rows and find which one has the word “quick.”

If you found “quick” in the second row, that’s right!

Below the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

Go ahead and read the words in the first row and find which word is “quick.”

If you said “quick” is the second word, you got it!

Now, read the next row and find the word “quick.”

This time it’s the third word.

How about the third row?

In this row, “quick” is the second word.

Finally, find “quick” in the last row.

It’s the last word.

Move to the next page.

Page 3

Feel the braille in the top left corner of the page. This is the word “letter,” l-r.

Above the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

Which row says, “letter?”

If you said it’s the first row, you found it!

Below the middle line are four more rows of braille.

Read the words in the first row and find “letter.”

“Letter” is the first word.

Now, read the second row and find the word “letter.”

Did you say it’s the last word? That’s it!

Next, find “letter” in the third row.

This time it’s the third word.

Finally, where’s “letter” in the last row?

It’s the second word.

Turn the page.

Page 4

Feel the braille in the top left corner of the page. This is “good,” g-d.

Above the middle line are four rows of braille.

Read these four rows and find which one has the word “good.”

Did you find it in the third row? That’s right!

Below the middle line, you’ll find four more rows of braille.

Read the words in the first row and find which word says, “good.”

The second word says, “good.”

Now, the second row, which word is “good?”

This time, it’s the third word.

Which word says, “good” in the next row?

In the third row, it’s the last word.

Finally, give that last row a try.

If you said the last word is “good,” you got it!

Go to the next page.

Page 5

Feel the braille in the top-left corner of the page. This is the word “blind,” b-l.

Above the middle line are four rows of braille.

Which row says, “blind?”

Did you pick the last row? That’s it!

Below the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

Which word in the first row is “blind?”

“Blind” is the third word.

Now, read the second row and find the word “blind.”

Here, it’s the last word.

Where is “blind” in the third row?

If you said it’s the second word, you got it!

Finally, find “blind” in the last row.

It’s the third word.

Turn the page.

Page 6

Feel the words “quick,” “letter,” “good,” and “blind” in the top left corner of the page.

Near the top of the page, you’ll find three braille sentences.

Once again, use the Pause button or the spacebar to stop the audio for as long as you need to complete an activity.

Then, select the Play button or press the spacebar again to hear the feedback.

Read all three sentences and then we’ll look at some questions.

Now, let’s look at a few questions about what you read.

In this story, how did someone share their ideas?

If you said in a quick letter, you got it!

What are two things we know about the person who wrote it?

She was a woman, and she was blind.

When should the person go to the library and why is this good advice?

They should go today because it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. Great reading!

Now, let’s do something else with this passage.

Read sentence 1 again, and this time find how many shortform contractions are used and which words they are.

If you said there are seven shortforms in this sentence, you found them all!

The shortforms are, “quick,” “letter,” “blind,” “said,” “good,” “either,” and “today.”

Now find the shortforms used in sentence 2.

Sentence 2 includes, “must” and “tomorrow.”

Finally, read sentence 3 and find which shortforms are used.

This one has “letter,” “neither,” “good,” and “should.”

If you’d like to go through the activities on this page again, you can always select Replay.

And if you have any questions, reach out to a braille expert. We’d love to help!

Move to the next page.

Page 7

Feel the word “quick” in the top left corner of the page.

Near the top of the page, you’ll find three columns with four words in each column.

Read all three columns and find which one has the words in this order: “quote,” “question,” “quick,” “quite.”

If you pick the middle column, you’re right!

Now, move down the page to find six numbered phrases.

Read the first two phrases and find which one is brailled correctly to say, “a good quick letter.”

If you picked sentence 2, you got it!

Next, read sentences 3 and 4 and see which phrase is brailled correctly for “neither blind man.”

Sentence 3 is correct.

Finally, read the last two phrases and find which one is brailled correctly.

Number 6 correctly says, “must write a good letter again tonight.”

Turn the page.

Page 8

Let’s look at four more shortform words.

Feel the braille in the top-left corner of the page.

These are the words: “friend,” “little,” “children,” and “first.”

Above the middle line are four rows of braille. Let’s read the first row together.

This is the word “friend.”

Now, let’s read the second row.

This is “little.”

The third row says, “children.”

And the last row says, “first.”

Below the middle line is a row of words.

Let’s read these words together: “little,” “first,” “friend,” “children.”

Go to the next page.

Page 9

Feel the braille in the top left corner of the page. This is “friend,” f-r.

Above the middle line are four rows of braille.

Which row has the word “friend?”

If you said it’s in the last row, that’s right!

Below the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

Read the words in the first row and find which word is “friend.”

If you said it’s the second word, you got it!

Now, read the second row and find the word “friend.”

In this row, it’s the third word.

Where is “friend” in the third row?

This time, it’s the second word.

And now, find “friend” in the last row.

It’s the last word.

Turn the page.

Page 10

Feel the braille in the top-left corner of the page. This is “little,” l-l.

Above the middle line are four rows of braille.

Which row has “little?”

Did you find it in the first row? That’s it!

Below the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

In the first row, which word is “little?”

“Little” is the second word.

Next, read the second row and find “little.”

This time it’s the third word.

Now, find “little” in the third row.

If you picked the first word, you found it!

Finally, find “little” in the last row.

In this row, it’s the last word.

Move to the next page.

Page 11

Feel the braille in the top left corner of the page.

This is the word “children.” It uses the ch groupsign and the letter n.

Above the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

Which row has the word “children?”

If you said the third row, you got it!

Below the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

Read the words in the first row and find “children.”

“Children” is the third word.

Now, read the second row and find “children.”

Did you say it’s the second word? That’s it!

Go to the next row and find “children.”

In this row, it’s the last word.

And finally, find “children” in the last row.

This time it’s the first word.

Turn the page.

Page 12

Feel the braille in the top left corner of the page. This is “first.” It uses f and the st groupsign.

Above the middle line are four rows of braille, which row says, “first?”

If you found it in the second row, that’s right!

Below the middle line, you’ll find four rows of braille.

In the first row, which word is “first?”

“First” is the third word.

Now, read the second row and find the word “first.”

Did you say the last word? Then you got it!

Next, read the third row and find “first.”

This time it’s the second word.

Finally, find “first” in the last row.

It’s the first word.

Go to the next page.

Page 13

Feel the words “little” and “quick” in the top-left corner of the page.

In the five rows near the top of the page, you’ll find five uncontracted words.

As always, you can pause for as long as you need for an activity, whether you’re reading or thinking through your answers.

Then, select Play when you’re ready.

Read the top row. What is the shortform for “letter?”

If you said lr, you’re right! Lr is the word “letter.”

Now read the second row. What’s the shortform for “children?”

Children is the ch groupsign and n.

What should the braille be for the third row?

This one is f and the st groupsign for “first.”

Now, give the fourth row a try.

This should be gd for the word “good.”

Finally, what is the shortform for the last row?

This one is fr for “friend.”

Now, move down the page to find six more rows of braille with phrases.

Read rows 1 and 2 and find which one is brailled correctly.

If you said row 2, you’re right! The words “blind” and “friend” are both shortforms.

Next, read the third and fourth rows and find which one is correct.

Row 3 is right. The words “children” and “first” are both brailled correctly here.

Finally, read rows 5 and 6 and choose which one is correct.

5 is correct because “quick” and “little” use the right shortforms.

Turn the page.

Page 14

Feel the words “good,” “friend,” and “blind” in the top left corner of the page.

You’ve learned that shortforms can be used as parts of longer words, as long as the longer words are standing alone and appear in Appendix 1.

However, for the shortforms in this workshop there is an exception to this rule.

These shortforms can be used in longer words only if the shortform is at the beginning of the word and only if the shortform is not followed by a vowel or the letter y.

Let’s look at some examples in the three rows of braille near the top of the page.

Read the first row, which shows how to braille the word “friended.”

Notice the word “friended” cannot use the shortform fr for “friend” because the next letter is a vowel.

When fr is followed by the ed groupsign it makes the name “Fred.”

Now, read the second row.

In the name “Goodacre,” the word “good” must be spelled out because it’s followed by the vowel a.

Finally, take a look at the last row to see how the word “blinding” should be brailled.

In “blinding,” the shortform for “blind” cannot be followed by i-n-g.

Bl followed by the ing groupsign spells the word “bling.”

To write “blinding,” “blind” must be spelled out using the in lower groupsign.

When in doubt, check Appendix 1.

Now, move down the page and find four more rows of braille.

Read the first row and choose which is the correct way to braille the word “goody.”

Appendix 1 may be helpful here.

If you chose the second way to write “goody,” you’re right, because the word “goody” is on the Appendix 1 list.

Now, check out the second row and choose which is the correct braille for “blindly.”

The first way is correct, using the shortform for “blind.”

The shortform is not directly followed by a vowel or the letter y.

Next, let’s look at the third row and choose how to braille “blinded.”

This time, you cannot use the shortform for “blind.”

Bl followed by the groupsign ed is the word “bled.”

Finally, which word is brailled correctly in the last row?

Here, the name “Goodall” cannot use the shortform for “good” because this shortform cannot be followed by a vowel.

These rules can be tricky. If you have questions or you’d like more practice, you can always call to chat with a braille expert.

Move to the next page.

Page 15

Feel the words “good,” “little” and “children” in the top left corner of the page.

Near the top of the page are three rows of braille.

Each row has the same phrase, brailled two different ways.

Read the first row and choose which phrase has the correct braille.

Did you choose the second phrase? That’s it!

Which phrase is correctly brailled in the second row?

This time, it’s the first phrase.

Finally, which phrase is correctly brailled in the last row?

It’s the second phrase.

Now, continue down the page to find four numbered sentences.

Read all four sentences and then we’ll look at some questions about the shortforms.

Now that you’ve read them all, which two sentences use the shortform for the word “children?”

In sentence 2, “children” is used as part of the word “grandchildren,” and in sentence 3 it’s part of the word “stepchildren’s.”

Which sentence uses the shortform for “quick?”

If you said sentence 4, you got it!

“Quick” is used as part of the longer word “quickly.”

Which sentence uses the shortform for “good,” and which one requires that “good” needs to be spelled out?

“Good” is part of the longer word “goody” in sentence 3, but it’s not part of “Goodall” in sentence 1. Can you explain why?

The shortform for “good” is not used in “Goodall” because this shortform cannot be followed by a vowel.

But it is used in “goody” because this word is found on the shortforms list in Appendix 1.

Turn the page.

Page 16

Feel the word “proofreading” in the top left corner of the page.

Here’s an exercise to practice your proofreading skills using everything you’ve learned so far.

Let’s go through each sentence one at a time and look for the errors.

Start by reading sentence 1, which should say, “Will you go to that store to get more meat for dinner?”

But it has four errors. Let’s look at the four errors in this sentence.

The first word says, “Lord,” dot 5-l. But it should use the alphabetic wordsign for “will.”

Next, the word “more” should be contracted using its alphabetic wordsign.

The third error is in the word “meat.”

Here it uses a dot 1, but it should be dot 2 for the ea lower groupsign.

And the fourth error in this sentence is in dinner. The in should be contracted.

Now, let’s try sentence 2, which should say, “Without it, I will need to come up with a new recipe.”

There are four errors in this sentence.

The first word, “without,” is missing the final t.

When the ou is used as a groupsign in this word, it must have a t after it to make the word “out.”

Next, the word “it” should be contracted using the alphabetic wordsign.

Also, the word “I,” (this is the letter i) is missing its capital letter indicator.

Finally, the ed in “need” should be contracted.

Next, find the three errors in sentence 3, which should say, “I do not prefer most meatless meals.”

First, the second word should be a d for “do,” rather than an f.

Second, the word “most” should be m-o and the st groupsign.

And the last error in this sentence is in the word “meatless.”

The less final letter groupsign should be dots 46-s.

Dots 56-s is the ness final letter groupsign.

Finally, read the last sentence, which should say, “How many times each week do you choose a meatless meal – maybe a salad?”

There are five errors in this one.

First, the second word should be dots 456-m for “many,” instead of dot 5-m, which is “mother.”

In the fourth word, the ea groupsign cannot be used at the beginning of a word. So those letters must be spelled out in “each.”

The third error is in the word “choose.”

Here the first symbol is dots 3-4, when it should be dots 1-6.

The next error in this sentence is the punctuation between the words “meal” and “maybe.”

The braille shows a hyphen, but it should be a dash using dot 6 dots 3-6.

Finally, the ending punctuation for this sentence should be a question mark, but here it’s a closing quote.

Those are really tricky!

If you’d like to go through this page again, you can always select Replay and practice it as many times as you’d like.

When you’re ready, select Next to complete this workshop.

Completion

Congratulations! You’ve learned eight more shortform words.

If you have questions about using these shortforms, or anything else you’ve learned in these workshops, reach out to a Hadley braille expert at 847-784-2816. We’re happy to help!