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Also Available from APH!
More accessible books for children and information for parents on developing early literacy skills
Some On The Way To Literacy books feature real textures.
APH offers a variety of books created especially for young children with visual impairments. These feature touchable (tactile) illustrations and both braille and large print text, meeting the needs of many types of readers.
Visit the APH online shopping site to learn about:
On the Way to Literacy Storybooks —tactile illustrated books for children 3 to 5 years of age, featuring real objects, textures, molded images, and raised outline images as illustration; books are also colorful for a child with some vision or typical vision.
Moving Ahead Tactile Storybooks —tactile illustrated books for children 4 to 7 years of age, featuring raised line drawings and symbols to represent story characters and events.
Molded images are featured in some On the Way books.
Most books include a storyboard with Velcro® attachments for the story characters.
Alphabet Scramble—an alphabet book for braille readers, but with colorful pages and large print letters for other readers; lines of repeating letters to feel across the page with a rhyme for each—for children 4 to 7 years of age.
APH also offers materials for parents to help them support their child’s learning. Click below to see these materials at the APH online shopping site:
On the Way to Literacy: Early Experiences for Children with Visual Impairments—a handbook giving parents and teachers information they need to support their child, from birth, in developing the skills he/she will need for literacy. Early communication and language, concept development, learning through touch, experiences with books and writing, and bridging into reading are discussed. Suggestions for selecting appropriate books and how to read aloud are provided. Resources for learning braille and other topics are listed.
Discovering the Magic of Reading: Elizabeth’s Story—a video on DVD that explores sharing books with a young child with a visual impairment, from birth through the preschool years. Reading aloud and sharing various types of books are shown—commercially available children’s books as well as tactile books. There is a demonstration of how to use a story box. Criteria for selecting appropriate books are given.
The Littlest Pumpkin is an engaging print, braille, and tactile storybook.
Teaching Touch—a guide for parents and teachers giving insight into the needs of young tactile learners. It includes an experienced teacher’s strategies and real stories that bring important points to life. This guide helps parents or teachers encourage young children (ages 4-7) who are blind to become active explorers and readers of tactile graphics.
VIPS Video Library—from Visually Impaired Preschool Services, a series of videos on DVD for parents of young children who are visually impaired. These videos offer practical and proven techniques that foster the development of children who are visually impaired and blind, geared to parents and educators. All videos are approximately 12 minutes in length. Of special importance for developing literacy, the series includes Learning About the World: Concept Development, Hands-On Experience: Tactual Learning and Skills, and Power at Your Fingertips: An Introduction to Learning Braille.
Moving Ahead books offer print, braille, and embossed images.
Rolling Into Place—interactive storybook has a Velcro® ball that rolls along a path and Velcro® attachments.
Best for a Nest—tactile illustrated book featuring small textured symbols for story characters, colorful raised line drawings, and a storyboard with Velcro® attachments.