Ten Black Dots: An Adapted Book (and FREEBIE!)

Where exactly does my time go these days? I looked at the clock ten minutes ago and it said 2 P.M. Today, my original thought was to share with you adapted books I previously made this past spring for my kiddos. I was stopped in my tracks when I was notified that the floor in my classroom was just waxed and still drying. So, I pulled two of my favorite teacher skills from my hat: flexibility and improvisation.

Making more adapted books has been in the works since the school year ended. Today, I transformed my paperback copy of Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews into an adapted version for my students!

I started by making a list of symbols to print from Boardmaker. The skills I targeted for this book were matching to sample (i.e. match the symbol of the train to the train in the book), counting through 1:1 correspondence, and identifying numerals 1-10.

Then, I continued by cutting the book apart (don't worry... this part was painful for me too, at first) and laminating. I choose to do this because it makes the book more durable. I also rebind the book for this purpose.

I wanted to include 1" black dots to be used as manipulatives throughout the book. The students in my classroom are grades K-2, so 1:1 correspondence is something important for us to practice. Looking back, I should have laminated the black cardstock before sending it through my Cricut (yes, I laminate everything). It would have been nice to have a 1" hole punch but my paper cutter worked just fine, too.

Next, I laminated and cut my Boardmaker symbols. I prefer putting Velcro material on my symbol cards; that way, when the student interacts with the book using the symbol card, it stays in place. A tip of advice I frequently give is to have a pair of scissors specifically for cutting Velcro. (I cut my Velcro strips in half to conserve resources.) Do it at home. Do it at school. Do it wherever you cut Velcro! Note the amount of gunk accumulating on my Velcro-cutting scissors. 

I continued by placing the Velcro squares inside the book and on the back of the symbol cards. A tip one of my professors in undergrad gave me is to have a uniform way of mounting Velcro. That way, all of your resources are compatible. Before this, I remember the dismay I felt when attempting to stick two soft-sided pieces of Velcro together, from two different resources. Mayer Johnson recommends placing the hard (hook) side on the surface and the soft (loop) side on the card; this yields easy cleaning with a toothbrush for the surface side, if ever necessary. Either way, I recommend choosing a uniform method that works for you!

Next is rebinding. I use my binding machine because I like the finished product.

Finally, something I learned from a fellow blogger (The Autism Helper) is to bind a blank sheet of laminated card-stock to the back cover of the book. This makes an easy storage flap for the symbol cards! I also used Velcro to attach a baggie for the black dots to the inside of the back cover.

Although not the simplest method, I try to make my books as durable as possible. My students really enjoy interacting with the books once they are adapted!

For being such a dedicated follower, I give to you the Boardmaker symbols to turn Ten Black Dots into your own adapted version! Enjoy! Download it quick, though, this one may only be free for a limited time.

Ten Black Dots Adapted Book Symbols

Happy Teaching!

Kortnie C.