4 Different Ways to Prep and Use Adapted Books

With adapted books, you make them work for you and for the students in your classroom. You have options, and that's another part of what makes adapted books so great. Engaging, interactive, and versatile!

With each adapted book inside of Adapted Book Club comes a printable and digital option, perfect for helping you meet the needs of all of your students - virtually, in person, and simultaneously.

Today I want to share 4 different ways you can prep and use adapted books in your classroom or at home (parents, this is for you too!). You'll see I prepped the same book in all 4 formats so that you can really see the options you have for prepping.

If you want to see what supplies you'll need to prep first, start here.

If you would rather watch than read, here is the video on YouTube. If you're already an ABC member, the video is available inside the Academy.

Traditional Adapted Books

In the traditional adapted book world, you print and prep using lamination and velcro. While this is the most time consuming option, it's the most reliable and can be reused year after year.

Uses in the classroom:
• whole group: give each student a one or more answer pieces and allow them to interact with the story as you read it to the class. I like to do this at our guided reading table. 
• small group: great for use in centers, independent or teacher/para-directed, silent reading or extra reading time, a secondary or tertiary read throughout the week (after a whole group read), or send home in reading toolkits.
• classroom library: add adapted books to your classroom library or weekly/monthly bookshelf display.
• fine motor practice + hand-eye coordination: the, let's call is the pull and peel, of the velcro provides student the opportunity to practice pulling an answer piece off of the velcro and then adhering it to another piece of velcro inside of a box. Hand eye coordination too!
• comprehension: each adapted book comes with comprehension questions directly related to the story, so not only do students need to engage and listen during the story to answer each page correctly, they also need to engage and listen during the story to answer comprehension questions at the end of the story.

Mini Printed Adapted Books (2 options)

I love the printed mini adapted books! I had this AhA! moment to print adapted books in this format a few years ago when I wanted to use the Fire Safety Adapted Book in a last minute lesson plan change, but didn't have the book fully prepped. 

Instead of students velcroing answer pieces on and off of book pages, students simply glue the answer pieces into their book. 

My suggestion for printing the answer pieces so they fit inside of the mini adapted books is to print them at 50% of the original size.

You can read more about how to print the adapted books in a mini format here. Inside of the ABC Academy, you'll find a how to video for how to print the mini adapted books. 

 Uses in the classroom:
• last minute prep: printing adapted books in this format are ideal for last minute additions to your daily or weekly lesson plans, when you don't have time to laminate and velcro. Print each student an adapted book and you're good to go!
• take home lessons: this format is great to send home for parents to work on the skills at home with their child. You don't have to worry about the laminated book coming back - parents can keep this at home!
• substitute plans: emergency sub plans are a thing of the stressful past - all you've got to do is leave instructions for your co-teacher or the substitute to print off an adapted book in mini format and tada! Instant ELA lesson that'll keep the students engaged and actively working while you're away.
• fine motor lesson: ya'll know I am all in on working on fine motor, and the mini adapted books are the perfect way to add fine motor practice with cutting. Print and allow students to assemble their own books. Not only will it give them ownership over their learning, they'll be working on fine motor (cutting), sequencing (putting the pages in order to create the book), and then more fine motor (gluing!).
• school to home rapport building: when you send home a mini adapted book with a student, this gives the parents an opportunity to not only practice and read the book at home, but also begin a conversation with their child about the school day. 
• comprehension: same as with the traditional adapted books!

Digital Adapted Books

Distance Learning was the catapult needed to get all of the printable adapted books transformed into a digital adapted book option for all of us. And there are so many great ways to use digital adapted books too!

Uses in the classroom:
• whole and small group: in any way that a printable adapted book can be used, a digital adapted books can step in and be used in the classroom that way too. Centers, independent work, take home work (just send the parents the copy link or put the digital adapted book in the student's drive), whole group and small groups... you name it, you can do it!
• fine motor practice + technology etiquette: technology isn't going anywhere, and not only do digital adapted books give students an opportunity to practice fine motor skills by using technology, it also provides them a structured lesson to practice technology etiquette as well.
• last minute lessons, sub plans, school to home rapport... you name it, digital adapted books are there for you to make it happen.
• comprehension: you can use the digital comprehension questions at the end of each book, and then you also have the printable comprehension test option as well.

If you want to see a more in-depth look at how to use digital adapted books, you'll enjoy this video, which is also inside the ABC Academy.

 What is your favorite way to prep and use adapted books in your classroom?

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