Tactile for Tots

What people are saying about ‘Where’s My Ball?’

Where’s My Ball? A Hands-on Book helps teach children how to interpret tactile illustrations that represent real-life objects
Where’s My Ball? A Hands-on Book

Tactile for Tots > ‘Where’s My Ball?’ > How to order ‘Where’s My Ball?’ > What people are saying about ‘Where’s My Ball?’ Survey

What people are saying about ‘Where’s My Ball?’

Parents:

“The excitement on his face showed me that his books didn’t have to be oversized. He still to this day carries the book around with him, and it is still the first book we read at bed time – in fact, he has it down pat and he ‘reads’ it to me, and has me feel the different textures!”

“My son really enjoyed holding the tennis ball while reading the story.”

“It was interesting to see him feel the picture and make sense of it.”

“My son really enjoys the book, whereas he usually has no interest in being read to.”

“My daughter loves books generally, but this was an idea I had never considered for her. She has quite a bit of vision but is also very tactile, so it’s a good combo for her.”

“To be honest I had never even thought of building tactile/texture books…I thought it was just wonderful and I really appreciated both the included book and prop, as well as the tactile book suggestions!”

“He just loves it. I never thought that he would be interested so soon.”

Professionals:

“I like the suggestion that you should allow the child to handle and explore real objects before you introduce them to tactile representations of the objects. I think this is so important because I see this mistake A LOT. Even teachers who have worked with children with low vision seem to forget that we must introduce real objects first as a tactile representation is a much more abstract concept…Reading can be so much more than just literacy which is very important but you can be really creative and get a whole bunch of learning in there. The alternative activities are also a nice touch for parents.”
Tara Tompai
Orientation and Mobility Specialist
CNIB

“When a child can actively participate in reading with hands-on experiences to accompany written words and verbal descriptions, he develops many new concepts necessary for overall cognitive growth. Language skills develop rapidly as the reader experiences real objects and the words that describe them. Motor skills required for efficient braille reading are developed as the reader explores both braille and tactile information. The young reader begins to learn that a wide variety of information is available through sense of touch.”
Lucia Hasty, Chair
Tactile Graphics Committee
Braille Authority of North America

“I have been making tactile books as part of my day at W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind (Brantford) for the past 25 years. It has been wonderful working with these great kids and watching them grow up loving to read.

Last year a Grade 8 teacher came to me and said ‘The students from your program can read maps, graphs and diagrams easier and with more accuracy than the students who missed your program.’
Congratulations on your Tactile For Tots kit. There are a lot of little tots that will be sending thank-yous to you and your team when parents share this kit with them.”
Jackie Goodall
Educational Assistant/Tactile Specialist
W. Ross Macdonald School