We love books and reading and one of the things we’ve looked at is how to make books meaningful for kids. Here are some suggestions:
It is important that children have access to a lot of good books. Some children have limited interest in books that are available to them. Other children may have difficulty holding a book or turning book pages and may require adaptations in order to focus on the print instead of the motor aspects of the activity. Sometimes the fastest way to get books that are meaningful and accessible to a child with a disability is to make them. Here are some tips for creating books for children that may have difficulty with book handling as well as some pointers for making personalized and engaging books.
- To make turning pages easier, place temporary foam “fluffers” on the corner of each page. Fluffers can be made out of cardstock, scraps of paper or cut-up make-up pads. The material can be clipped to the corner of each page in order to increase the space between pages .
- Clear packing tape can be used to reconstruct books, bind book pages and quickly laminate ripped pages.
- Create an engaging book out of food boxes: Save the boxes from the child’s favorite cereals, cookies, and crackers. Create a book by flattening the pages and using clear packaging tape to bind the boxes together.
- Sensory books: Fill re-sealable freezer bags about halfway with items such as dried macaroni or oatmeal. Then remove the excess air from the bag, and seal the bag with clear packaging tape. Finally, bind the pages ( zip lock baggies) with more clear packaging tape.
- Making themed zip lock bag books is a great way to increase engagement in reading. Some theme examples: food books (uncooked macaroni, cereal, oatmeal, dried peas, flour, salt); nature book ( dirt, different plastic bugs, sticks, leaves, rocks); pet food books (dog food, cat food, birdseed, fish food).
- Personal experience books: Make a “my day” book to chronicles key events in the child’s day (i.e. I eat breakfast). Take pictures of the events and mount them in a small picture book.
Happy bookmaking!
