We are trying something new! Attendance for our monthly sensory story times exclusively targeted to children with developmental disabilities was consistently low this past fall. Many factors are involved, including a wonderful abundance of new adaptive therapies and recreational opportunities in our community on Saturdays. I am truly so very excited to see all of these new opportunities available to children with disabilities and their families. Yeah! With these new opportunities in the community, though, comes the time for us to once again reevaluate our community's needs and how we can continue to meet and enrich those needs with our programming. Even though we might not be able to offer exclusive adaptive programs, all library events and programs can be made inclusive with adaptive tools (e.g. visuals, availability of sound cancelling headphones, inexpensive sunglasses to filter bright florescent lighting, alternative handouts in large font). Libraries can also have these accessibility services listed on their website to welcome people before their visit.
So what did we decide, you ask? We have moved the original adaptive Saturday morning story time (SENSEational Story Time) to Thursday afternoons after surveying some of our local special education directors to determine the best time (12:30 pm) and are opening this up to visiting school groups. Stay tuned for an update! These will be very similar to our multisensory outreach story times for the Wing Lake Developmental Center. We are also offering an adaptive and inclusive multisensory story exploration for children of all abilities, ages 3 - 7, once a month on a Saturday morning at 11 am. A much larger scale version of this program was welcomed by many of our young story explorers this past summer at our Book & Play: How to Catch a Star program.
Our first monthly Book 'N Play was held last month. Families explored the story We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. Here's a peek at some of the fun:
This month's story was LMNO Peas by Keith Baker.
Here's the plan:
1. Hello (Welcome families and talk about what Book 'N Play is)
2. Welcome Song (“The Story Time Ball”)
tune: "Wheels on the Bus"
(Roll ball back and forth to each child)The story time ball rolls back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth.
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
Let's see who it found. Hi ______!
Now roll it back to me.
(Keep rolling back and forth until each child has said their name.)
3. Yoga pose: Alphabet letter poses (A, B, C) I really like this set ABC Yoga Cards for Kids by Christine Ristuccia, which is also in our Alphabet Discovery Skills Kit.
4. Action Rhyme: “Alphabet Beat”
First clap your hands.
Then stomp your feet.
Everybody do the alphabet beat!
Apple, Apple, Apple - a- a- a.
Apple, Apple, Apple - a- a- a.
Wave your arms high.
Swing your arms low.
The alphabet beat is the way to go.
Blue, Blue, Blue - b- b- b.
Blue, Blue, Blue - b- b- b.
Move to the left.
Move to the right.
The alphabet beat is way out of sight.
Car, Car, Car - c- c- c.
Car, Car, Car - c- c- c.
Shout it out loud.
Whisper down low.
Now give a high five to a nearby friend.
This alphabet beat has come to an end.
source: Storytime Katie
5. Multisensory experience story: LMNO Peas
A: Astronauts – make arms in A-shape and “blast off”
B: Builders – each child add a block to the “building” (use large blocks)
C: Climbers – pretend to climb
D: Drivers – “drive" with circle bean bag steering wheels
E: Eaters – “pretend to chew”
F: Flaggers – wave ribbon “flags”
G: Gigglers – giggle and laugh
H: Hikers – walk or wheel around the room
I: Investigators – look around holding up hand "binoculars"
J: Jugglers – "juggle" imaginary balls
K: Kickers – kick feet in place
L: Listeners – listen with hand over ear
M: Miners – “dig” with hands
N: Neighbors – wave to “neighbor” next to us
O: Officers – hold up star badge (star finger puppets)
P: Peas – touch dried peas in bowl
Q: Quilters – touch quilt square
R: Readers – Read the letter “R”
S: Swimmers – make swimming motions
T: Truckers – honk “horn”
U: Underwater Divers – hand "goggles"
V: Voters – board with yes box or no box – kids can place a check on the yes or no
W: Weavers – weave yarn or string through loop
X: X-ray Doctors – look at x-ray overlays on light table (I finally got to use our cool "X-ray" overlays from Lakeshore Learning on the light table, and the kids loved these!)
Y: Yogis (do “Y” pose)
Z: Zoologists - brush wild animal puppet
6. Sensory play stations:
Discovery bin: find the foam letters in the dried peas (using strainers, large tweezers, and scoopers)
Light table play: colorful acrylic letters on light panels
Toy play: gluten-free playdough with letter stamps
Craft: make a tactile letter (first letter of name) – with large letter outline, foam shapes, pompoms, and googly eyes
(letter outline source: The Measured Mom)
And of course we had some of our alphabet puzzles, tactile braille letters, alphabet discovery skills kit, and toys from our Accessibility Support Collection available in the room to check out and continue the multisensory fun at home.
