Tuesday, October 20, 2026
8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Workshop Summary:
Positive language learning experiences result when young children have access to books. Adapted books may include digital formats, simplified text, braille, interactive features, and tactile enhancements. Communication supports, manipulatives, and extension activities enrich shared reading, increasing engagement and comprehension. Adapted books can enhance expressive and receptive communication skills, and interactive literacy kits – combining a book, an adapted version, and toys, games, and activities – support reading, writing, listening, communication, fine motor skills, math, and more. This workshop explores ways to adapt books and create rich thematic units for young learners. Opportunities for brainstorming sensory stories and thematic units, and the creation of a number of low tech supports for adapted books will be embedded throughout the day. A digital resource folder will be provided.
Professional Development Credits:
IACET CEUs: 0.65
ACVREP CEs: 6.5
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will name three or more adapted book design features that can benefit young learners.
Participants will identify three or more ways technology can be used to assist in the production of adapted books.
Participants will recommend three or more resources in this workshop to learn more about adapting print to provide increased access for all.
Presenter(s)
Registration Options:
| Description | Workshop Fee | Register |
|---|---|---|
| 3-Day Conference Registration: (Workshop included at no additional cost with 3-day conference registration) | $0 | |
| Tuesday-Only Workshop Registration | $375 | Workshop Only Registration |
Materials Fee:
This workshop carries a $15 materials fee.Learn more About this Workshop
Presenter-provided Abstract:
The Literacy Bill of Rights (Yoder, D.E., Erickson, K.A., and Koppenhaver, D.A., 1997) states that “all persons, regardless of the extent or severity of their disabilities, have a basic right to use print.” The Literacy Bill of Rights includes “the right to interact with others while reading, writing, or listening to a text. Interaction involves questions, comments, discussions, and other communications about or related to the text.” The correlation between language development and literacy has been widely researched, acknowledged, and accepted. Positive language learning experiences result when all learners have access to books. Guided by the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), it is possible to provide access to facilitate meaningful participation in literacy experiences by adapting books to make them easier to physically manage, engage with, and relate to. UDL stresses that learning is more effective when information is presented in a variety of ways. Adapted books can take many forms including digital versions, simplified text, adding or eliminating pictures, braille, interactive features, and tactile enhancements. Adapted books can be customized to engage learners by altering access, content, and added materials. Providing communication supports and opportunities to make connections through manipulatives and extension activities enriches the reading experience and can result in increased comprehension.
Adapted books are ideal for shared reading. Describing, asking questions, encouraging participation, commenting, and use of targeted vocabulary in the form of pictures, symbols, and voice output devices helps model and teach learners expressive and receptive communication skills. For emergent literacy learners, an interactive literacy kit containing a book, an adapted version of the book, along with a combination of toys, games and activities relating to the book can provide exposure to reading, writing, listening, communication opportunities, fine motor, math, and more, giving learners lots to talk about. Lit Kits can provide a foundation for active participation and can be scaffolded to meet the needs of all learners by providing age-respectful language, literacy, and learning experiences.
This session will examine ways to adapt books and create rich thematic units as well as supporting shared reading for young learners. Participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences with adapting books. Opportunities for brainstorming thematic units, developing sensory stories to accompany selected books, and the creating a number of low tech supports for adapted books will be embedded throughout the day. A digital resource folder will be provided.