"We're Going On a Bear Hunt": Accessible Ideas for Children with Multiple Disabilities

As part of the graduate coursework for Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities in the Teacher Preparation Program in Visual Impairments at the University of Kentucky, students were asked to complete four projects: Story Box, Picture Communication Symbols for Story Box, Tactile Communication Symbols, and Talking Book Project.

 

We are sharing them on Paths to Literacy and hope that others will use them!  Please add your comments at the bottom of the page.

---

• Story Box
• Picture Communication Symbols for Story Box
• Tactile Communication Symbols
• Talking Book Project

 

 

Each item was for the story bag to closely represent the real object. Although, so items were not actual items. Students will be required to have knowledge about bears. About their size and features so that they understand that the stuffed bear is not a representation of the actual animal itself. The grass is artificial grass, but very closely represents actual grass that no discussion will be required other than discussing possibly the different types of grass. The water that represents the river is accurate to demonstrate the feeling, just not the flowing. The kinetic sand has a “mud like” texture. I chose the kinetic sand rather than the actual mud for cleanliness. The sand is cleaner in the classroom and will not get students hands and clothing dirty, yet still has a texture as that of mud might. The sticks are limbs from a tree that introduces students to the actual sticks in nature. A discussion about different sizes of trees will be beneficial. The bag of snow is artificial. Its texture is similar to that of real snow as it is lightweight. Students will need to know that snow is usually very cold. The rocks represent the cave. Students will need to understand the location of caves, the temperature in caves, and the moisture and dampness within a cave, to fully understand what a cave is. For this activity students are introduced to a cave being created by rock. The two googly eyes may be difficult for students to understand. This object will require lots of introducing. Mainly these items are round and small as two eyes might be. Explaining to students that the googly eyes have to two smaller black circles within the larger white one that moves around represents the eyes pupils. The noise that the googly eyes make will help students recognize them when they shake them. The two pom poms that represent the two fuzzy ears are much smaller than those of bears, students will require this background knowledge. The door knob is an actual knob that students can become familiar with. The piece of fabric represents that of a cover from the bed. Students will not require much prior knowledge for the fabric. 

 

Implementing this into instruction will depend on each individual child. This could be used in multiple science lessons. This story applies to rocks, plants, animals, trees, weather, natural formations, structure of a home, specifically doors, stairs, and furniture. The structure of homes, furniture, and stairs builds the foundation for younger children learning the layout of different homes or different environments other than their own. 

 

The symbols I chose were:

 

For my board maker symbols I used a variety of contrasts with bold print on each. I also used multiple borders for them that would allow the print and picture to stand out. The first symbol, the bear shows up well on the yellow background, since the bear is a dark color it provides the contrast needed for a low vision student. The second symbol, the grass, has the bold border with a red background. The red makes the green grass show up well. The next symbol, crossing the river, was placed on a yellow background with a long dash-short dash border. I left the next symbol on a white background using a solid bold border. The white made the mud symbol easier to view. The forest symbol is also on a yellow background. This makes the green in the trees more vivid. The Snowstorm is on a red back ground. Since the snow is white, the red background makes it easier to view. Same with the cave symbol, as well as the nose and the bed. The googly eyes are two single eyes on a yellow background. The bear ears on white. And finally the door on yellow. 

 

Questions

1. What character are they hunting in this story?
2. What is long and wavy that they family must go through?
3. What is deep and cold?
4. What do they go through that is thick and oozy?
5. The family must go through a big, dark ______________.
6. Next, they go through a narrow, gloomy __________________.
7. Finally they find _____ furry ears.
8. The also see _____ googly eyes.
9. They become ___________ and run back home through their ___________.
10. They quickly run up the stairs and jump into ____________.