The “Story Time” Box
When I say “story time,” what comes to mind? Do you picture a teacher or librarian reading to learners who are sitting on a rug? Or maybe you think of bedtime, reading them a story before tucking them into bed. While these are both wonderful ways to picture “story time”, they aren’t and shouldn’t be the only images we think of. Shared reading or “story time” can happen anywhere and at any time.
Here’s the biggest reason we need to widen our literacy lens to include shared reading into our whole day. If we only open books during these specific, rigid windows, we limit our AAC users’ exposure to literacy and miss out on high-engagement moments throughout the rest of the day. The good news is that shared reading doesn’t require a designated “literacy block.” Today, we’re breaking down how to effortlessly weave literacy into the natural spaces of your entire day without adding more tasks to your to-do list.
Literacy in Transition Zones
While transitions might not be the first place you think of when looking for areas to add more literacy into your day, they are actually a perfect time.
- Why: Transitions (waiting for the bus, sitting in a waiting room, moving between activities) are often high-anxiety or high-boredom zones. Books provide a grounding focal point and a way to keep minds and hands busy.
- Actionable Ideas:
- Keep a “car book basket” for regular commutes or a book cart in transition areas of the home or classroom so learners can grab a book to read while they wait.
- Use short, high-interest digital books on a phone or tablet while waiting in lines, or bring a book bag filled with quick reads that you can easily share if the waiting is longer than expected.
- AAC Modeling focus: Go, Wait, Stop, Open, Look.
Environmental Print & Functional Reading
- Why: Literacy isn’t just found in the pages of a book. It’s all around us. Pointing out letters and words in the environment allows learners the opportunity to interact with them in multiple environments.
- Actionable Ideas:
- In the Kitchen: Read the steps of a recipe together while making a snack, or point out logos on cereal boxes, juice cartons, etc.
- Out and About: Point out stop signs, grocery store aisle markers, or giant billboards.
- AAC Modeling focus: Eat, Make, Big, See, Stop.
Play-Based Reading (Bringing Books to the Toys)
- Why: Meeting the learner where they are already regulated and happy. By bringing the book to them, you take away the frustration that might come from moving away from a preferred activity to reading. By bringing a book directly to their preferred toys, you are utilizing the sensory anchors we discussed in week 5 to pair high-interest concepts with natural language.
- Actionable Ideas:
- Bringing a book about construction vehicles directly into the sandbox or rug where they are playing with toy trucks.
- Read one page that matches what the toys are doing, giving language to their play that matches the book.
- AAC Modeling focus: Words like Up, Down, Crash, More, Like.
The “Routine Planner” Reminder
In week six of this shared reading series we talked about shared reading at home and shared a “home routine planner” highlighting a variety of ways that you can add books into specific routines to integrate literacy throughout the day. While you may be able to incorporate some of these into your classroom or therapy session, others may be only for routines at home.
However, using this mindset that you can incorporate literacy into all parts of your day, think about the different routines and activities that are staples in your classroom or therapy sessions. What books could you incorporate into that routine? Could you add in an extension activity to further the learning even more? This repetition with variety freebie may help you get your creative juices flowing.
Building beyond story time
If you’re feeling motivated and ready to start embedding literacy throughout the day but feel like you could still use some more guidance, my my e-book, Shared Reading with AAC users, gives tangible examples and ideas on starting and implementing shared reading throughout your day. And, because embedding literacy throughout the day is much easier when you don’t have to spend hours prepping the materials, I’ve got some ready to go sensory based literacy kits available in my shop that will make planning and prepping a breeze.
Before you go, share in the comments: What is one routine in your day where you could easily slip in a 2-minute story?
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