Braille – Class 4 English Chapter 6 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 4EnglishChapter 6NCERT book: Santoor - English Class 4

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 6 of the NCERT Class 4 English book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 6: Braille

Introduction

"Braille" tells the true story of Louis Braille, a boy from France who became blind as a child and later gave the world a way of reading through touch. The chapter builds empathy for people with blindness or low vision and teaches the past continuous tense (was/were + -ing).

What's in this Chapter

Louis Braille's story.

Long ago in France, three-year-old Louis was playing near his home while his father, a blacksmith, worked nearby. A sharp tool pierced his eye. He became blind in one eye, and soon the other eye was affected too, so he became totally blind.

In 1819, at the age of ten, Louis joined the Royal Institute for Young Blind Persons in Paris. There he learnt letters using wood, cloth or pins arranged in pincushions.

An army man, Capt. Charles Barbier de la Serre, had invented "Night Writing" – raised dots and dashes that soldiers could "read" with their fingers in the dark. It was too difficult and not a success.

Louis, now a teenager, became interested in it and simplified it. He gave the world the Braille alphabet. "Thus, a blind person taught the world to see."

About Braille.

Braille is a method of reading through touch; there is one Braille symbol for each of the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

Braille needs more space because letters cannot be written too close together, so a Braille book is thicker than a printed book.

People with sight can learn Braille too.

Key Ideas

A difficulty can become a strength; Louis turned his blindness into a gift for millions.

Reading can happen through touch as well as sight.

We should help classmates with low vision (for example, large-print notes).

Protect your eyes: be careful with sharp tools and firecrackers.

Language Learning

Past continuous: actions that went on for some time in the past.

- One person/animal: was + -ing – "Louis was playing near his home."

- More than one: were + -ing – "The students were writing in their notebooks."

Change present to past: "I am sleeping" → "I was sleeping"; "The dogs are barking" → "The dogs were barking".

Listening: the consonant cluster 'spl' – splinter, splash, split, splendid (with spoon, spin, speak, space).

Picture story: Tarandeep was feeding squirrels and sparrows; the birds were sitting on the clothes to stop them falling in the wind.

Activities from the Book

Touch game: close your eyes, feel an object and describe its shape and size.

Write words (cat, man, boy, jug, your name) in Braille using bindis.

Press shapes into paper with a matchstick and feel them with eyes closed.

Find out about the nearest resource centre for people with blindness.

Words to Learn

Braille – a reading system of raised dots (ब्रेल लिपि)

blind – unable to see (दृष्टिहीन)

blacksmith – a person who makes things from iron (लोहार)

pierced – went into, made a hole (चुभ गया)

pincushion – a small pad to hold pins (पिन रखने की गद्दी)

invented – made something new (आविष्कार किया)

simplified – made easier (सरल बनाया)

touch – feeling with fingers (स्पर्श)

low vision – weak eyesight (कम दृष्टि)

Tips for Parents & Teachers

Make raised-dot letters with glue drops or bindis and let children feel them.

Talk about the white cane and why it helps people with blindness.

List eye-safety rules together (no pointed toys near eyes, stay away from firecrackers).

Practise "was/were + -ing" by asking "What were you doing at 7 o'clock?"

Common Mistakes

"The students was writing" – use were for more than one.

Thinking Braille is only for blind people – sighted people can learn it too.

Thinking Louis invented Night Writing – he simplified Barbier's Night Writing into Braille.

💡 Key Learning Points

✓Louis Braille lost his sight at the age of three when a sharp tool pierced his eye.
✓He simplified Barbier's 'Night Writing' and gave the world the Braille alphabet.
✓Braille is reading through touch, with one symbol for each of the 26 letters; Braille books are thicker.
✓We should be kind and helpful to people with blindness or low vision and protect our own eyes.
✓Past continuous: was + -ing for one, were + -ing for more than one.

👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

→Start with a blindfold touch game so children feel what it is like to 'read' by touch.
→Show the Braille alphabet chart and let children make letters with bindis or glue dots.
→Discuss the white cane and ways to help classmates with low vision.
→Have children list eye-safety precautions after discussing the firecracker news example.
→Practise the 'spl' words by repeating each 3–4 times.
→Use timeline words (long ago, yesterday, last night) to introduce the past continuous.
→Use the Tarandeep picture story to practise was/were + -ing.

📋 Assessment Questions

Can the child tell how Louis Braille lost his sight and what he gave the world?
Can the child explain why Night Writing failed and why Braille books are thicker?
Can the child write a short word in Braille using the chart?
Can the child change present continuous sentences to past continuous correctly?
Can the child suggest ways to help a classmate with low vision?

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