Tactile Storybooks in the Classroom

We’ve been prepared a unique program for visually impaired elementary students. Through our "Tactile Storybook Experience", we had a fun and interactive time with the students. We also allowed them to explore braille content, which many students were already interested in.

This experience turned out to be even more meaningful than we expected.
Now, we'd like to share the highlights of this memorable event with you.

01_ Ding-dong! Class is in session! The first activity: 'Tactile Storybooks'

Jun and Gabin smiling brightly as they experience a tactile storybook.

The teacher asks each student to share their thoughts about the tactile storybook.

"The first class, the tactile storybook experience, is over!

Now, the teacher has a question for you. Are you ready to share your thoughts?"

Jun: (Smiling brightly) "It was soooo much fun! I hope we can read it again next time!"

Gabin: (Clapping hands) "It was a story I knew, so I could enjoy it even more!"

Jun smiling while answering questions during the interview.

Have you listened to audio storybooks before? How was it different from just listening to audio compared to touching and listening with a tactile storybook?

Jun: "It was way more fun than just listening! Being able to touch it helped me understand the story better, and I really liked that!"

Gabin: "I love listening to storybooks at home. But touching it while listening made it even more fun than just hearing it!"

 Gabin shyly smiling while reading The Fox and the Sour Grapes story.

​Oh, I see~ Can you tell us which part of the story you remember the most?

Jun: "I remember the part with the fox the most. It was fun imagining what it looked like!"

Gabin: "I liked counting the grapes, just like when the teacher reads it to us. Counting them one, two, three... it felt like I was really touching the grapes!"

Students Enjoying the Experience of Aesop's Fable 'The Fox and the Sour Grapes'

02_ The second session: Learning Text

(Left) A student's hand touching alphabets displayed on the Dot Pad.
(Right) A student touching alphabets on the Dot Pad while trying to write it on paper.

Do you know the difference between braille and print?
Braille is a script that allows visually impaired people to read with their fingertips,
while print refers to the regular characters we see and read with our eyes.

How was it studying letters and its braille in print using the Dot Pad?

Gabin: "Today's print experience was so cool! I was really curious about the shape of 'L', and it was simpler than I thought. It’s really fascinating. It was so much fun!"

Gabin's hand touching the alphabet displayed on the Dot Pad.

​03_ The third session: Listening to the teacher's story

“Hi, I’m Kwon Sung-jin, the homeroom teacher for 1st and 2nd graders at Incheon Haekwang School. I wanted to share why I applied for the Tactile Storybook Experience.

Unlike most kids who can easily read and listen to storybooks, my students have fewer opportunities to do so. They mostly rely on audio materials. Students who have learned braille can read storybooks on their own, but those who haven’t are usually limited to just listening.
That’s why I’ve always wished there were more braille storybooks available.

So, I applied for this experience to give my students a chance to enjoy more tactile storybooks and have a richer, hands-on experience.”

Have you faced any challenges while teaching visually impaired students?

When I teach shapes, I like to connect them to everyday objects that students are already familiar with. For example, instead of just describing the shape, I’ll say, "This shape feels like this object you’ve touched before," so they can recognize it more easily.

But teaching colors is a whole different story. It’s a bit more challenging since students haven’t experienced every shape or object out there. Sometimes, I have to point to familiar items around them and say, "This shape is kind of like this object." But even that has its limits because their experiences are naturally limited.

When it comes to colors, it’s even more abstract. You can’t physically "experience" a color, so I have to explain it using sensory descriptions. For instance, I might say, "The ocean feels cool, so we think of it as blue. Blue gives off a cool feeling." I try to take this sensory-based approach so they can connect the idea of color to something they can relate to.

What are the pros and cons of using the Dot Pad for teaching?

“There are definitely some challenges. When I’m teaching shapes, I try to connect them with familiar objects that students have already experienced in their daily lives.

For example, instead of just describing a shape, I’ll say, ‘This shape feels like this object you’ve touched before,’ so they can relate it to something they already know. But it’s not always that simple because students haven’t experienced every shape or object.

Colors are even trickier. Since you can’t really 'touch' a color, I have to explain it in more abstract ways. For instance, I might say, ‘The ocean feels cool, so we think of it as blue. Blue gives off a cool feeling.’ I try to use sensory descriptions like that so students can understand colors in a way that makes sense to them."

​So, you got to see the tactile storybook experience with us this time. How did you feel about it?

Honestly, I tried making a tactile storybook myself, but it was way harder than I expected. You have to simplify the pictures so people can recognize them by touch. If you just use pictures from regular storybooks, only parts of the image can be felt properly, so I had to edit them a lot, and that wasn’t easy. This time, we made the images as simple as possible, and I was really happy to see the students enjoying it and getting more interested.

Usually, I just show them the same story again and again, and surprisingly, they still love it. Even if it’s a story they’ve heard before, they find it fun, almost like it’s something new. I noticed that the more they hear it, the better they understand it. At first, they might not realize it’s supposed to be a bear, but after hearing the story a few times, it starts to click for them.

Of course, no matter how much we simplify the pictures, it’s still not easy for them to figure everything out by touch alone. For example, they might recognize a round shape as a head, but figuring out the eyes, nose, and mouth takes a bit more time. But what’s really cool is that after doing it a few times, some students figure it out faster than others and start helping their friends. It turns into a natural learning experience, which is amazing to see.

For adults who are blind, they usually use devices like Hansone to access braille information, but we don’t recommend those for younger kids. It’s better for kids to actually interact with braille directly and learn through hands-on experience, instead of relying on a device too early.

That’s why I really like using the Dot Pad. It’s a tactile display device that’s more focused on touch rather than just text or braille. So, instead of using Hansone, we actively use the Dot Pad for tactile experiences and learning. It’s a much better fit for kids, and they seem to really enjoy it!

​Students and teachers posing for a photo, each holding a Dot Pad displaying their name written in tactile characters.

Session 4: "Listening to the stories of our Joon and Gabin."

At the back of the classroom at Hye Kwang School, there's a message from the "Dreams of Hye Kwang School" wall that reads, "I want to learn a lot," written in both braille and text.

We’re curious about the "future dreams" of our Joon and Gabin!

Joon: "I don’t have one yet. Right now, I’m more interested in exploring the Dot Pad at school. I’m hoping to discover my dream through the Dot Pad."

Gabin: "I want to be a Daiso store owner, an ice cream shop owner, and a pianist! I’m actually taking piano lessons right now!"