Fingerprint

What is Fingerprint?

Fingerprint is a program to introduce new readers to braille.

Fingerprint introduces braille symbols in units. When a new reader is using the Fingerprint program, it is important not to give that reader braille that uses braille symbols that have not yet been reinforced.

Here is some technical data about Fingerprint:

How does DBT support Fingerprint?

DBT can be used to help you produce customised reading and reinforcement materials for your student, by transcribing text to braille using only the contractions appropriate for the Fingerprint unit on which your student is working.

Note that DBT is not intended to be used apart from a structured curriculum and supporting materials designed by the developers of Fingerprint. These are available from the RNIB.

Nor does DBT automate special handling of punctuation marks and many indicators (e.g. the italic indicator). DBT can help you to prepare texts that automatically avoid the use of contractions. But avoiding other issues symbols not yet known to your student will mean sometimes avoiding certain symbols or text attributes in the source material. That is your responsibility. You can use the Unit listing below as a handy reminder of what has not yet been introduced to your student.

DBT can be used to help produce equivalent materials in both double-spaced and single-spaced versions.

Order of Braille Sign Introduction

There are 22 units, but no new signs are introduced in Unit 20.

The 26 letters are taught - but not in alphabetical order - in units 1-3.

Units 1-3:

The complete alphabet

Punctuation: full stop

Unit 4: (Plus the above)

Special signs: numeral sign

Wordsigns: all alphabetic wordsigns (e.g. "b" for "but" ... "z" for "as")

Unit 5: (Plus the above)

Contractions: and, st

Wordsigns: still

Shortforms: about, above, according, across, after, afternoon, afterwards, again, against

Unit 6: (Plus the above)

Contractions: th

Wordsigns: this, was

Shortforms: also, almost, already, although, altogether, always

Unit 7: (Plus the above)

Contractions: be (at the start of words)

Wordsigns: be, were

Shortforms: because, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond

Unit 8: (Plus the above)

Contractions: ch, sh

Wordsigns: child, shall

Shortforms: children, could, would, should, either, neither, first, friend, good, great, him

Unit 9: (Plus the above)

Contractions: ar, er

Punctuation: apostrophe

Shortforms: immediate, its, letter, little, much, such, must, necessary, o'clock, paid, said, perhaps

Unit 10: (Plus the above)

Contractions: the, ing

Shortforms: quick, today, tomorrow, tonight, together, your, blind, braille

Unit 11: (Plus the above)

Contractions: of, with, gh, wh, ble

Wordsigns: which

Punctuation: comma, question mark

Unit 12: (Plus the above)

Contractions: for, ed, ou, ow

Wordsigns: out

Unit 13: (Plus the above)

Wordsigns: to, by, into, enough, his, in

Unit 14: (Plus the above)

Composite signs: cannot, had, many, spirit, world, their, upon, word, whose, those, these

Unit 15: (Plus the above)

Contractions: ea, bb, cc, dd, ff, gg, en, in, con, dis, com

Unit 16: (Plus the above)

Composite signs: day, ever, father, here, know, lord, mother, name, one, part, question, right, some, time, under, work, young, character, through, where, ought, there

Unit 17: (Plus the above)

Composite groupsigns: ound, ance, sion, less, ount, ence, ong, ful, tion, ness, ment, ity, ally, ation

Unit 18: (Plus the above)

Shortforms: deceive, deceiving, receive, receiving, conceive, conceiving, perceive, perceiving, declare, declaring, rejoice, rejoicing, herself, himself, itself, myself, oneself, thyself, yourself, yourselves, themselves, ourselves

Unit 19: (Plus the above)

Punctuation: exclamation mark, colon, semi colon, speech marks, brackets, hyphen, dash, ellipsis, oblique stroke, accent sign (dot 4)

Special signs: letter sign (dots 5-6), italic sign (dots 4-6)

Unit 20: (Plus the above)

nothing new

Unit 21: (Plus the above)

Mathematical signs for: maths comma (dot 3), decimal point (dot 2), plus, minus, times, divide, equals, per cent, degrees (dots 3-5-6), mathematical separation sign (dot 6), pound sign (dots 1-2-3)

Unit 22: (Plus the above)

Punctuation: long dash (dots 3-6 four times), asterisk (dots 3-5 twice), dagger (dots 2-4-6 then 1-3-5)

Special signs: poetry sign (dots 3-4-5), capital letter sign (dot 6)

Shortforms (religious - used in old bibles, etc): Christ, God, Jesus, unto, faith, glory, grace, holy, saith

Fingerprint

AUTHOR: Nigel Berry, RNCB (1993)

PUBLISHER: RNIB

COMMENTS: A braille reading and writing course for newly-blinded adults. This is a self-instruction course which requires occasional tutorial support. It consists of eleven volumes of material and eleven audio cassettes. RNIB have produced Teachers' notes and tapescripts to help the teacher move around the course independently of the student.

This course was evolved over several years of teaching college students of average ability, so it has been well tested and it is thought that it could be of help to older adults as well. The materials consist of a teacher's manual, eleven training volumes together with a teaching tape for each. Self-help is encouraged but some direct teaching is also needed. Emphasis is laid on learning the correct use of touch and good techniques in writing. Good reading habits are encouraged by the provision of tracking exercises at the beginning of the scheme and the use of double spacing immediately followed by the same material in single spacing. This is intended to encourage fluent reading. Rules are introduced as they are needed. Words and sentences are followed by story paragraphs often involving the day by day activities of two people. At the end of each volume there is a page for timing speed and a twenty-sentence exercise.