Picture Books for Blind Kids? Yes!
You know that National Braille Press provides print/braille picture books for children, but have you ever really thought about what that means? It means that a traditional picture book, which is normally only accessible to sighted kids, can now be enjoyed by everyone in the family. Sighted parents, siblings, grandparents can read the print while visually impaired children can be introduced to and eventually follow along with the braille. Wonderful!
But if that’s the point… then why the pictures? Many visually impaired children won’t be able to see those pictures at all, so why not just provide print and braille on bound paper and forget about the images?
Because pictures matter! Visual cues in picture books enhance the story and encourage discussion and questions, which in turn enhances early literacy. Without the pictures, much of the storyline is lost. So how can we make sure our blind children have as much access to the pictures in their books as they do to the text?
That’s where NBP’s new program, Great Expectations, comes in! Through Great Expectations, parents and caregivers can learn how to describe pictures to visually impaired children and also how to read out loud in a way that expresses the feelings and emotions in the story. It’s really not that hard once you get started… and it’s so much more fun! Watch this adorable video below to learn more:
Starting with popular and fun children’s pictures books in print and braille, like their first Great Expectations book Dragon’s Love Tacos (a New York Times Best Seller), the program also provides other ideas to bring each featured book to life. On their website you can find:
Songs
Crafts
Tactile play
Body movement activities
Social play
And so much more!
All related to the topic of the program’s featured books! Using multi-sensory play, you can learn how to present the whole story to your child!
Learn more about the program by visiting the Great Expectations website!
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