This article continues the “Digital Photos Help Special-Needs Children Learn” piece, which is one of the most-read on IDK.
Home-made picture books are a brilliant way to teach children with special needs about their home life and the world around them.
It doesn’t matter how these books are used, how they’re made, or how many you use: the main thing is that new words and concepts are learned!
Separate picture-books can be made with the option of labeling peoples’ names, everyday items, places you go often, etc.
Some possible examples using digital photos:
- Individual pictures of family members, and their homes for context
- Pictures of everyday people or items, such as parents, childminders, clothes, bed, teddy, schoolbag
- A “where are we going” book for school, the doctor, a birthday party, the library, a holiday, etc
- Holiday pictures with activities like swimming, making sandcastles, football, playing with friends, etc
- If your child has to go into hospital, pictures can explain what to expect
After making a “family album”, you could do a “school book” with teachers’ and classmates’ pictures and names – or a “friends” book for playdates.
Photos in this case can simply be sized and printed on laser paper – there’s no need to buy photographic paper for your prints.
Internet clip-art can also be used in your books or printed out for pinning up at home – remember, a picture speaks a thousand words …
