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Some “Dos” and “Don’ts” for Creating Experience Books

By Mary Ellen Pesavento (2009)

DO create a book based on the child’s experience, thinking about what is both interesting and relevant to the child:

  • a favorite routine
  • a favorite outing
  • a favorite toy
  • a favorite person
 DON’T adapt a commercially available book. Experience stories should:

  • be personalized and relevant to the child.
  • reflect a real experience in a child’s life, or focus on a child’s interest.
 DO use vocabulary and develop concepts relevant to the child’s own experience.

  • Keep it simple.
  • Keep it meaningful.
 DON’T clutter the story with too much information.

  • Focus on the child’s experience.
  • Include details important to the student.
DO write words (and braille if appropriate) on each page so individuals who are reading the book with the student use the same vocabulary each time the story is read. DON’T focus on having the child read the text. Generally, students using experience books connect with the objects placed on each page.
DO use objects relevant to the child’s experience.

  • In a book about mealtime, a child who uses a spoon may have a spoon on the page. A child who is tube fed, however, may have a piece of surgical tubing.
  • Use objects the child will recognize and that represent ideas or concepts from the child’s perspective.
 DON’T use miniaturized objects.

  • Focus on the child’s experience.
  • Determine what the child interacts with during the activity