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VIDBE-Q Volume 64 Issue 2
read, we introduced a model of a horse, real mint, a real rose, a Derby
fascinator, and a balloon as we read sentences about these objects, all of
which are important to the Derby. The students were able to pass them
around so they could get a better look, touch, and even smell each object.
We observed the students being much more interactive and intrigued
during this group session than without objects. Not only did it increase
engagement, it was easy to do. Between the team, we had the items we
chose to pair with the text around our home, which made it easy and free.
All it took was a simple conversation of who would bring what to group.
During this time, Erin was participating in a reading academy, a
course put on through a collaboration between our school district and a
local university. One requirement was completing an inquiry study using
some of the techniques learned in the class and implementing them with a
group of students. Vocabulary building was one of the five pillars of literacy
instruction that underpinned the class, so the natural choice for this project
was to study the use of tactile items to build vocabulary in our specialized
population. Before beginning the inquiry study, Erin searched for research
in the fields of speech pathology, visual impairments, and education, and
found no research on the efficacy of story boxes for building literacy skills in
our population.
