Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance and development of Braille reading (speed of reading) in blind children. As the subjects, 572 blind children from grade 1 to 9 in schools for the blind were used. They were given the Braille reading test (speed reading) devised by the author. The results of the investigation demonstrated that the speed of Braille reading increased quite significantly during the first four grades, and the high rate of development gradually redused after the 4th grade. The accuracy of reading Braille became increasingly higher until the 4th grade, and after that, it maintained the level of over 90%. In comparison with the reading speed of printed material with non-handicapped subjects, the time to read the same information was 3.2 to 4.3 as long. This results is similar to the study the author conducted in 1966. However, the higher performance level of first grade subjects in this study suggests that the earlier training had taken place in kindergarten.
