Get Ready for Summer: Book Idea for Children with CVI

Submitted by Diane Sheline on May 31, 2018

Make sure your student or child with CVI has a variety of literacy materials this summer that are relevant and enticing. The Yellow Bucket and the Red Shovel is easy to make and can be adapted, depending on the color of bucket and shovel you happen to have and your student’s CVI Range score.

Cover of "The Yellow Bucket and the Red Shovel" By Diane Sheline

This book may work well with students who:

  • Visually function in high Phase II (score above 6 on the CVI Range) or Phase III on the CVI Range 
  • Are able to use simple, two-dimensional images
  • Are working on identification of salient features
  • Are working on the concepts “Same” and “Different”
  • Are working on directional or positional concepts

Download a template and copy the shapes on brightly colored paper.  Use black cardstock for the pages of your book to make the targets stand out, or “POP”.  

For my student, I placed the words of the story on the back of the last page in the book.  Since my student benefits from reduced visual complexity in the array, I didn’t want the story lines on each individual page.

Back cover of book with text

Text of the story:

The red shovel is under the yellow bucket.  Can you find it?

The red shovel is over the yellow bucket.  Can you find it?

The red shovel is in the yellow bucket.  Can you find it?

 

For my particular student, after much exploration and play with the 3D bucket and shovel, I encouraged him to visually locate and touch the red shovel on each page as I read the story.

The red shovel is under the yellow bucket.

In addition, prior to reading the book, we talked about the salient features of both the bucket and the shovel.  When the book was introduced, the student was encouraged to identify those same salient features in the picture. 

The red shovel is over the yellow bucket.

My student is also working towards a better understanding of directional concepts including “over”, “under”, and “in”.  An optional activity might be to encourage the student to hold the shovel so that it points in the same direction as shown in the book.  
The red shovel is in the yellow bucket.
 
This book could be expanded to include additional fun challenges, such as counting multiple buckets and/or shovels or possibly flip the bucket so that it is turned towards the left, right or even upsidedown.  Consider adding a beach umbrella, if your student can tolerate the additional complexity.  
 
See my strategytosee website for additional ideas on literacy for students with CVI.  Enjoy the summer!
 
There are also lots more ideas from Diane on CVI and Literacy on Paths to Literacy!
 
Collage of summer book for children with CVI