Rhyming Dust Bunnies

Teacher Hints - Before the Student Reads the Story:

• Before reading the story, explain what “dust bunnies” are:  Dust bunnies are small balls of hair, dust, and lint that are formed by static electricity.  Dust bunnies are typically found under unswept beds or furniture.  (If it is appropriate for your student, show the “dust bunny/lint clump” that is in the child safe pill bottle.  As always, closely supervise young children when showing them small objects such as a dust bunny.)

• Introduce the vocabulary words with the student (Use brailled index cards; see “vocabulary words” under Activities listed below).  When reading/listening to the story, ask the student to clap each time he/she comes to a vocabulary word.  Be sure to prompt the student if he/she misses a vocabulary word in the story!

• Read an easy book like Rhyming Dust Bunnies multiple days in a row with a beginning braille reader.  Depending on the student’s current reading abilities, the first day, the teacher may read the book, asking the student to follow along.  When reading the rhyming words, ask the student to read the first letter of the word and to give the phonetic sound of that letter.  Help the student to figure out the rhyming word. (Initially the teacher may want to slowly sound out the word and have the student put the sounds together to create the word.  (Example:  “ffff”  pause “ar”  = “far”).  The next day, read the book again asking the student to read all the rhyming words and adding on some of the repetitive words/phrases if possible.  The next day, encourage the student to read most of the book, helping as needed.  Rhyming Dust Bunnies is a simple book that the student will partially memorize after reading only a few times.  Repetitive reading a “familiar” book encourages speed, fluency, and comprehension; the young reader will also feel proud when he can “read” a book successfully.

• Prediction Question:  There is a felt star on the top right hand corner in the print/braille/tactile book.  When on this page, the teacher should stop and ask the “prediction” question.  General prompt, “What do you think is going to happen?”  If the student needs a specific prompt, “What do you think will happen when the vacuum cleaner is on?”  

• Transcribers Notes:
  • Grade II Braille in the illustrated/print/braille book corresponds with the print.  Grade I Braille is used in the print/braille/tactile book.  *Due to teacher request, this book kit has an additional version with Grade I used in both books.
  • In the tactile version of the Rhyming Dust Bunnies, each dust bunny points to a braille word.  The rhyming words are randomly placed on the page.  The Dust Bunny hand(s) will point to the rhyming word, making it easier for the student to find the braille word on the page.  Bob is a different color and texture to help distinguish him from the other dust bunnies.  Bob is also different from the model dust bunnies.  (Bob is smooth.)  

Activities:

• Vocabulary Words:  introduce vocabulary words prior to reading the story!
  • Rhyme – words that have the same ending sound.
    • Hog- pig
    • Mug- cup
    • Pat- quick gentle touch (“pat on the head”)

*When reading/listening to the story, ask the student to clap each time he/she comes to a vocabulary word.  Be sure to prompt the student if he/she misses a vocabulary word in the story!

 

 

• Sequence Cards:  Introduce the sequence cards after reading the story 

Students place three tactile/brailled sequence cards in order of the story.  (1.  We are Ed, Ned, Ted and Bob.  2. Look out, there’s a broom!  3. Vacuum cleaner – help?)

 

 

• 
  Sweep up Rhyming Words:  (four model dust bunnies, broom and dust pan)

Teacher says a word (“car”) and student has to think of rhyming word.  If he thinks of a correct rhyming word, he can sweep a “dust bunny” into the dust pan.  If he cannot think of a rhyming word, then the dust bunnies are “dumped” out (onto the desk or into a pretend trash can).  Teacher gives another word (“cat”) to rhyme with.  Start with rhyming words that were in the story and move to new words.  Can use the song to prompt student, “I’m thinking of a word and it rhymes with “at”, it starts with “ppp”, the word is ____!” (The student should fill in the blank – “pat”.) Repeat song using different words.

 

*This game also encourages “realistic play”; sweeping concept can be followed up by using a real broom and dustpan in the housekeeping center.

 

 

• Rhyming Word Family Book:  (small spiral hardcover notebook with pages removed; rhyming “-ed” word family)  

Student moves each Velcro letter in front of the “-ed” to create a new rhyming word (Ted, Ned, red, fed, bed, led).  The braille is on the bottom of the wooden tile; the top of the tile is slightly rounded.

 

 

• 
  Trash Can Rhymes:  (small wire trash can and braille letter squares)

This is a similar activity to the Rhyming Word Family Tree Book.  The word ending is “-an” with braille letters to create these words: ban, can, Jan, ran, fan, man, pan, ran, tan, van).  The Velcro letters have braille in the upper left hand corner.  The student places the Velcro letter in front of the “-an” to create the new word.  Once the word is read, the student can place the letter inside the trashcan.

 

 

• Word Whammer: (commercial game by Leap Frog with braille modifications)

 

Teacher initially chooses two letter word endings and places those letters in the Word Whammer’s last two spots.  Teach the student to locate the flat side (or the bumps on the flat side) of each 3-D letter.  The flat side/bumps should be positioned on the bottom (or closest to the student).  This will help the student quickly and correctly position the letter into the game. The student should be encouraged to choose letters that create a new word.  When the letter is inserted into the game and pushed, if a word is created, the new word will be said and a song will begin.  (Example: The teacher may choose the ending “-an” and the student can choose the beginning letter “c” to create the new word “can”.)