BookBags

Choose a suitable book – one that has rhyme, rhythm and repeated phrases or action is ideal. The story should not be dependent on the illustrations.

What to put in a book bag:• A copy of the book

• Items featured in the text. Where possible use real items eg a plate, a fork etc. Models of animals or insects are fine as long as you explain to the child that they are a ‘toy’ or a ‘model’ – not the real thing. As the models may also not be to scale you may need to explain this, eg. a horse is taller than a pig.

• ‘Fiddle cards’. These are little cards, small enough to fit in the hand, that have key words from the story brailled onto them. There would usually only be four or five cards per book. The child can hold on to the cards as you read the story. The cards can be cut into shapes to help discrimination if necessary.

Suggested activities for using a book bag:• As you read the story the child can hold/

point to the objects as they are mentioned in the text

• Encourage the child to re-tell the story using the items as prompts

• Encourage the child to put the objects in the order that they are mentioned in the book.

• Encourage the child to make up his own story using any of the prompts

Using fiddle cards:• Encourage the child to hold one fiddle

card as you read the story. Make sure he knows what word he is holding. Ask him to help you read the story by ‘reading’ his card at the appropriate stage of the story.

• Put the fiddle cards in order of how the words will appear in the story and ask the child to pick up the card when you say it (as you read the story).

• Have the child match the fiddle card with its object.

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