Tactile Books & Book Bags

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated May 27, 2024
A book without tactile illustrations for a student who is blind is like a book without pictures for a sighted student. Creating tactually interesting books is important to foster an interest in reading. There are some simple ways to make books accessible to all students. Creating tactile books and book bags is a fantastic way to make reading accessible and engaging for students who are blind or have low vision. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating these resources:

Tactile Books

  • Selecting Books: Choose existing children's books or create your own based on classroom themes or experiences.
  • Planning Pages: Keep pages simple with simple sentences and consider using braille and print for accessibility. Plan out the content for each page.
  • Page Material: Obtain sturdy paper or cardboard for the pages. APH offers a Tactile Book Building kit that includes covers, pages, and binders. If you don’t have access to APH quota funds, obtain heavy cardboard pages or use plastic rug hooking mesh from a craft store. Books can be made in different shapes and sizes too, but consider the amount of braille and textures or objects on the page when determining the size.
  • Adding Braille and Print: Add braille and print to each page. Ensure there is enough space for both and that the page. Avoid handwriting and opt for computer-generated print as it will improve legibility. It is ideal for the book to be able to be read by sighted peers or siblings in a shared reading experience.
  • Selecting Textures: Collect a variety of textures and objects to represent the content of each page. Save materials in a texture bin for future use.
  • Attaching Textures: Attach textures and objects to the pages using appropriate adhesives such as glue gun, rubber cement, glue stick, or double stick tape. Alternatively, attach objects with beaded or zip ties.
  • Binding: Choose a binding method such as yarn, binder rings, spiral binding, or a three-ring binder to bind the pages together.

Book Bags

  • Selecting Objects: Choose objects related to the story or theme of the book. These objects will enhance the reading experience and provide tactile exploration.
  • Preparing Bags: Obtain small bags or containers to hold the objects. Label each bag with the corresponding book title or theme.
  • Introducing Objects: Before reading the story, allow students to explore the objects in the book bag. Discuss how these objects relate to the story and encourage tactile exploration.
  • Using Objects: During the reading of the book, encourage students to interact with the objects as they encounter them in the story. This helps reinforce understanding and engagement.

​By creating tactile books and book bags, you provide students with meaningful and multisensory reading experiences that promote literacy development and engagement. These resources cater to the unique learning needs of students who are blind or have low vision, fostering a love for reading and learning.

More Book Ideas

  • A texture book. You can use the "Giggly Wiggly" book from APH or create your texture book with pages for different textures (sticky, smooth, fuzzy, etc.).
  • A counting book. Counting books can be made and varied by using different themes.
  • ​A birthday book. A birthday book can be created to help the student celebrate their birthday.
  • A shape book. A shape book can be created featuring a different shape per page or just focus on one shape.
  • A themed book. Create a book about the current classroom theme with facts the class has learned.
  • ​Experience books (recalling a trip to the store, a vacation, a visit, etc.)
  • An "All About Me" book. Include personal information about the student that they need to learn.

ECC Instruction

The ecc
teaching strategies
compensatory skills
Concept DevelopmentAlternative CommunicationEmergent Literacy​Access Print
​Pre-Braille ​Braille Code​​​Braille Formatting
​Braillewriter​​Slate & Stylus​​Tactile Graphics​Nemeth Code​Access Classes​Abacus ​Organize​​Study Skills​Time Management​​​​Listening Skills
assistive technology
social skills
Self determination
sensory efficiency
Sensory Input
​​​Sensory Areas & Rooms​​​
​Auditory ReadinessVisual Efficiency Skills​Optical Device Instruction​Tactual Efficiency​Tactile Readiness ​
Independent Living
​ Eating & Table MannersClothing IdentificationTelephoneFood PreparationMoney & BudgetService Agencies​SafetyHygiene & GroomingPersonal HealthHousehold Skills​​Shopping & Consumerism
Orientation & Mobility
Recreation & Leisure
career & vocational