TSBVI Outreach Consultants Kathi Garza and Deanna Petersen presented a one-hour webinar called Story Time: Creating Meaningful Experience Stories With Your Students.
When we create experience stories with children, we build literacy skills while supporting the development of deeper connections with others and an interest in reading. Experience stories empower children and teach them to find joy in reminiscing. This session focuses on various ways to create and use experience stories in a variety of formats
Why Experience Stories?
Experience Stories are:
stories written about a meaningful, multisensory experience from the perspective of the child/student.
high interest
rich with the child’s own vocabulary and interests
include many teachable moments
Concepts
Language
FUN!!!
Symbols
Slide shows a picture of a spoon, a picture of a cafeteria tray with the word “cafeteria” on it, a tactile symbol for cafeteria, a card with the word “cafeteria” printed on it, and a card with “cafeteria” written in braille on it.
Formats
Experience stories can be made in many formats.
Conversation Box – finished box as experience story
Book Bags or Book Boxes
Carpet Strip – calendar review as experience story
Book – using symbols, pictures, signs, and/or text
Recording/Video
Digital Experience Stories – Digital Recorder, Zoomtext, BrailleNote, JAWS, Pictello, PenFriend
Five Key Components of Instruction to Make Learning Meaningful
Component 1 – Anticipation
The ability to predict what will happen next
Having something to look forward to
Component 2 – Motivation
Individual perception affects what is motivating
Activities based on preferences and choices
Participation with a trusted partner
Component 3 – Communication
A reason/purpose to communicate
Multiple meaningful communication forms
Shared topics of interest, turn taking, and conversations
Building connections
Component 4 – Confirmation
Affirming communication attempts and actions
Feedback on progress attempts and success
Knowing the results of actions
Knowing when an activity is finished
Component 5 – Reflection
Remembering past experiences
Contemplation and processing
Careful consideration of complex information
How to “do” experience stories
The Setup:
Determine child’s likes, preferences, experiences
Determine the format(s) – what will be meaningful and interesting for the child
Have an experience together, or help student reflect on a prior experience
Collect symbols during the experience
Building the Story:
Create the story together – include both “good” and “bad” experiences
Read and re-read – use symbols and context to build language and concepts.
Social stories as experience stories – pre-teaching, previewing something that will happen