1. SEE ME, FEEL ME,
TOUCH ME, HEAR ME:
Adapting Books for Divergent
Learners
Judith.Schoonover@loudoun.k12.va.us
Sally.NortonDarr@loudoun.k12.va.us
Get technofied !
VSTE 2008

2. The Right to “Read”
All individuals, regardless of their
abilities, have the right to access
print materials in order to learn,
increase leisure time activities,
vocational success, and overall quality
of life.

3. Objectives
Participants will…
• Identify alternatives to traditional
text to support divergent learners
• Name at least three software
applications that can be used to
create access to print
• List options for expanding literacy

4. Adapted Books for
Divergent Learners
• Emergent readers
• People with a print disability who
cannot access information from
printed text due to:
– Visual disabilities
– Physical disabilities
– Cognitive/sensory disabilities
– Language barriers

5. UDL
Provide print access to all learners that
follows the Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) framework:
• Multiple means of representation
• Multiple means of expression
• Multiple means of engagement

6. Adapted Books=Access
• Reading • Matching
• Writing • Comparing
• Listening • Selecting
• Talking • Organizing
• Thinking information
• Interacting • Remembering
• Language • Comprehending

7. Adapted Books Can…
Increase student participation by:
• Modifying text language
• Presenting visual representations
• Providing alternative page layouts
• Increasing ease of
use

8. Choose Books With…
• Format that provides a variety of
input:
– Visual, Cognitive, Content, Language
• Props potential
• Clear, simple graphics
• Easily adjusted text
• Repetitive or predictable lines
• Rhyme or rhythm
• Familiar, meaningful context

9. Technology Can Help
• Variety of presentation types
• Add, delete, and rearrange content
• Insert Web art, photos, scanned images, or
create drawings
• Incorporate sound and videos
• PhotoAlbum
• PowerTalk
• AutoSummarize (non-fiction)
• Readability Scores
• Text-to-Speech

10. Copyright
Copyright allows the creation and
use of books in an alternate format
solely for the purpose of making this
book accessible to persons with
disabilities. When adapting a book,
one should also have a copy of the
original book.

11. See Me
• Visual interest or rebus enhanced
text
• Size of book
• Font type/size
background color
• Font and background color
• VISUAL contrast
• S p a c i n g and layout

12. Feel Me
• Add textures
• Props
• Removable icons/story illustrations
• Miniatures
• Vary construction materials
• Flexible structure and display

13. Touch Me
• Create spaces between pages of a book to
increase physical access
– Page fluffers
– Weather stripping
– Clothes pins
• Add tactile “interest”
• Braille
• Stabilize
– Book holders
– Velcro book open to mat

14. Hear Me
• Repetitive lines in text
• Manually or digitally insert sounds
• Noisy props
• Talking photo album
• Voice output devices
• Text to speech
• Convert text to portable audiofiles

15. Expansion Activities
Scaffold and color code!
• Role playing
• Stick props
• 3-D props
– masks, costumes, miniatures
• Songs
• Graphic organizers
• Sequencing
• Puzzles

16. Extending Books
• Print hard copy of electronic books
• Expand book to an interactive format
• Create individual activities/worksheets to
address specific concepts & IEP skills
• Share PowerPoint books with home

17. Book Club
• An activity to support teachers in
creating adapted books
• Provided “raw materials” such as
digital and print versions of scanned
books, easel, talking photo album, etc.
• Included examples of supplemental
activities across the domains
• Met to share and exchange ideas

19. Use Adapted Books With…
Adapted books can be used by themselves, or
with assistive technology ranging from:
• low-tech homemade devices
• switches
• voice output communication aides
• Braille and large print materials
• sign language
• environmental control units
• adapted props, and much more

20. You are limited only by your
imagination
We acknowledge and appreciate the inspiration provided to us by the Assistive Technology
Team of Jessamine County, Kentucky and their “Buckets of Literacy” (TM)