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Activity and strategy

Apple Book

This tactile book can help beginning readers to explore different textures and shapes

Sparkly apple

The Apple Book was made for students who benefit from tactile exploration of various types of materials in regards to one particular object.  This is based on a curriculum that focuses on a monthly unit on the object, color, textures and scents.  In the month of September, we work on apples, the color red and the apple scent.  The visual target does not move or change size, it is consistent throughout the book.  One apple per page is ideal for students with visual impairments, in order to reduce visual clutter.  The use of an actual apple is used for distinguishing the difference between the pages in the book, the scent and the taste of the apple.

Materials

  1. Heavy white cardstock for pages
  2. Three binder rings
  3. Glue gun
  4. Scented markers
  5. Pipecleaners
  6. Placemat
  7. Red and green balloons
  8. Cinnamon stick
  9. Pine
  10. Felt
  11. Flannel
  12. Plastic tablecoth (sheeting)
  13. Glitter
  14. Shiny paper
  15. Shiny tubing for texture
  16. Velvet
  17. Corrugated paper
  18. Sticky foam paper for leaves

Sample Pages

Balloon apple
Balloon apple
Felt apple
Felt Apple

Flannel apple
Flannel Apple
Nature apple
“Natural” Apple  (Cinnamon Stick, Pine and construction paper)
Pipecleaner apple
Pipecleaner Apple (rough)
Plastic apple with raised glue lines
Smooth Apple (plastic sheeting)
Scented marker apple
Scented Apple (using scented markers)
Sparkly apple
Sparkle Apple
Tube apple
Shiny Apple
Velvet apple
Velvet Apple
Woven apple
Bumpy Apple (using a placemat)

Variations

Every month you could expand to keep it consistent throughout the year while only changing the object, color and scent for that month.

Examples are: 

  • Apples for September
  • Pumpkins for October
  • Brown leaves for November
  • Silver/gold decorations for December
  • White snowballs (circles) for January
  • Pink hearts for February
  • Green shamrocks for March
  • Yellow lemons for April
  • Blue flowers for May
  • Purple grapes for June
tactile apple book collage

 


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