Books I love...

I am so excited to share this idea with everyone! I'm gonna show you how you can make super cute storybooks for your family. Check this out...

I have been using this company to help me launch my Family Literacy Project. The focus of the Family Literacy Project is to use personal family stories to empower family activities and family time. I have been doing it with preschoolers and thought about how I could use this for my students and their families.

Have you ever noticed that the things they make for children with visual impairments are usually pretty bulky and not cute? I have. In fact, whenever I make things for my students I make sure that they are stylish (without being visually overwhelming, of course). I like to put flowers or baseballs to decorate the labels and items I make.

Here are some fun ideas from my Family Literacy Project:

Swatch books-
-Use a swatch book to make sequence books. For example, a “how to” book on following directions. Each page uses a picture with written directions of each step.
-Make a book for a specific topic: Nature book that can go out onto the field during a science lesson.
-A portable dictionary of pictures, themes or words.
-My fave idea with swatch books are to use them as pre-teaching tools for my low vision students. I show pictures of each step or of each place that we are going to visit.

Playing cards (Not just for playing anymore!)-
-Make a custom made memory game
-Each card can be customized to have a family or school fact printed on it!
-Make your own sight words

-Hole punch them and use them as sequence cards. You can add Braille labels and make them accessible, too!

Storybook ideas:
· Teachers can make a community books specific to the school community. Use pictures of the town police and library buildings to teach about the community.
· School rules/policy books. Make a book about what it’s like to be part of your school using pictures of your centers, teachers and school yard.
· Teach language by taking pictures and putting the words in different languages (you can highlight the different languages using different fonts, sizes & colors).
· Communication dictionaries: feelings & emotions, manners, basic requests, etc.
· Concept books: weather topics, science, community, yearbooks & art books—plus much more!

I have found that I can add Braille labels to almost any of these projects. Plus I can make them in large print. The one thing I really like about making things with this company is that I can save and share the templates that I make! All my projects are archived and are professionally produced. I got hooked and now this is my fave new hobby :)

The best part of this being my hobby is that I can sell it at a discount price! FYI, I do this on my own time and not part of my professional job. If you would like to order anything, email me and I will help you get the workshop pricing. The website only shows the retail price.

Not only are these great little finds for making customized books for my students, I have also scrapbooked all my years as a deafblind teacher and made a scrapbook with no mess or trips to the scrapbook store!

These projects look like they are time consuming but they aren't! You simply upload pics, drag and drop them into your templates (or you can start from scratch)

Here's the information:
http://www.yourstorybookboutique.com/
robbin.keating@gmail.com

Watch the demo: http://www.heritagemakers.com/studio/tutorial.cfm

Some pics of demo products:

(I didn't include student projects because I don't like to publish

student projects without consent from families)

Playing cards that be customized by the card

Wire bound books

Scrapbook pages, 5x7 book & calendar