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Introduction Basic Assumptions Literacy Rich Environment Managing the Classroom Environment Technology Integration Interactive Commercial Software Adaptations/Customization Assessment of Literacy Skills Performance Indicators Emergent Literacy Site Map

Adaptations That Support Literacy

Sub-Topics (Click on topic you wish to see) Introduction to Adaptations Page Turners Communications Display Book Holder Visual Adaptations Computer Adaptations Switch Activities Intellikeys Discover: Kenx

Adaptations that Support Literacy

One of the keys to successful acquisition of literacy is children's active participation in literacy activities. Children need to be actively involved in handling books and interacting with family members and teachers during reading time. Through the help of adaptations to materials or adaptive equipment, all children can participate in literacy activities. Activities can be easily customized to meet children's individual needs.

Children with disabilities as well as very young children who do not have the fine motor skills to turn pages can benefit from page turners, communication boards and aprons, and a book holder. Visual adaptations can also be made to make materials more interactive and appealing to young children.

ACTTive Technology article, “Adapting Literacy Activities for Young Children” by Linda Robinson http://www.wiu.edu/users/mimacp/wiu/articles/adaptlit.html

Page Turners

To make books easier for children to manipulate, adaptations can be made for page turning. Page fluffers, made by putting a large dot of hot glue in the upper right hand corner of the page, help hold the pages of the book slightly apart so that a child can slip his/her hand in between the pages to turn it (Musselwhite & King-DeBaun, 1997).

Other ideas for page fluffers can be found at the Creative Communicating website.

Ideas for page fluffers. http://www.creativecommunicating.com/storytime_tricks.html

Another page turning adaptation can be made using velcro.

1. Attach a small piece of velcro about mid-way down the page on the far right side.
2. Attach a velcro band around the child's hand so that he/she can touch the page and pull the page over the next one.
3. For books which have pop-up features, small ponytail holders can be glued to the movable part of the book. Children can then pull the holder to enjoy the pop-up part of the book.

	View Linda Burkhardt's site. http://www.lburkhart.com/
	"Making Your Own EZ to Turn Books"

An idea for "Making Your Own EZ to Turn Books" appeared on Illinois Assistive Technology Project's website in their “Ten Dollar Tech Ideas”. JoAnn Bayer from Springfield, Illinois, came up with this adaptation for herself, but it could also be applied to children's books.

Link to “Ten Dollar Tech Ideas”. http://www.iltech.org/ten_tech.asp

Communications Display

Since language development is an important part of early literacy acquisition, activities can be designed around software to encourage communication for children with disabilities. Communication displays can be used beneficially with all children. Figures from commercial software or customized programs can be printed and used on a board, book or apron for communication activities. Children increase understanding of early concepts about print when they use communication boards to act out stories (Musselwhite & King-DeBaun, 1997; Pierce & McWilliams, 1993).

Figures can be laminated and velcro attached to the back so that children can play with them and attach them to a board covered with special velcro-sensitive material.

An apron or vest can be made out of the same material so that figures can be attached easily. Children can retell a story as they place figures on the apron.

View Communication Apron PDF file.

Designing Dynamic Displays for the Beginning Communicators

This article by Linda Burkhardt, Special Educator, Technology Integration Specialist, provides ideas for creating activity based displays arranged consistently to meet individual children's needs.

Link to “Designing Dynamic Displays”, an article by Linda Burkhardt. http://www.lburkhart.com/handdd.html

Choice Boards

A choice board is a low-tech communication display that can be used to present choices for children. Patti King-DeBaun provides instructions for making one and ideas for using it during circle time, music and storytime.

Link to “Creative Communication”. http://www.creativecommunicating.com/storytime_tricks.html

Book Holder

Very young children learn literacy skills as they explore and manipulate books; however, keeping a book in place during reading sessions may be difficult for some children. A simple adaptation can be made by placing male velcro on the back of the book so that it will attach to carpet. If the room does not have carpeting, a small carpet sample can be used to hold a book in place.

A book holder can be made out of plastic piping to elevate a book to a comfortable eye level for children, as well as hold it in place (Musselwhite & King-DeBaun, 1997).

Once the book is attached to the stand, the child can look at the book and turn pages by him/herself. Storybook reading sessions can also be conducted with the book holder. This frees the adult's hands and arms to better support the child.

Visual Adaptations

Many children can benefit from visual adaptations to books and other reading materials.

• Pages from a HyperStudio or Intellipics book, or scanned pages from other books can be printed onto overhead transparencies. These can then be placed on a light box to help children with visual impairments see the pages. This adaptation may draw any very young child's interest to a story.
  
• Books can also be adapted with tactile material for all children, but especially those with visual problems. Very young children need a variety of sensory stimuli in order to construct knowledge about objects around them. By adding material to printed books, children will enjoy exploring the characters and learning more information about them through touch.
  
• An advantage to printing books from the computer is that you can enlarge the print and the images for children who have difficulty seeing the smaller size books.

Since young children's books often have repeating lines, it is natural to encourage children to repeat lines of text in a story. Children who are unable to speak the words could use a small communication device.The devices say the words for objects or choices when children press the surface.  There are a variety of such devices on the market, all having the capability of recording a phrase of speech which is then repeated with each press by the child.

Click to view EC-TIIS Workshop on "Adaptations"

Computer Adaptations