Reading Braille

Each Braille letter sits in a small box called a cell. A cell has room for six dots, in two columns of three. We number them like this: down the left column, dots 1, 2 and 3; down the right column, dots 4, 5 and 6. A letter is made by raising some of the six dots.

On page 60 of your book, Santoor, the word 'Cat' is done for you, with bindis for the raised dots. c is dots 1 and 4, the top two dots. a is dot 1 alone, the top left dot. t is dots 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Here are the other letters you need for page 60, from the chart on page 56: m is dots 1, 3, 4. n is dots 1, 3, 4, 5. b is dots 1, 2. o is dots 1, 3, 5. y is dots 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. j is dots 2, 4, 5. u is dots 1, 3, 6. g is dots 1, 2, 4, 5.

A word takes one cell for each letter, in order. 'Man' needs three cells: m, then a, then n.