Setting the Stage for Tactile Understanding - American Printing ...

SHOWTIMEReal ObjectsSHOWTIME activities encourage the young child’s active exploration of realobjects and early concept development. This initial stage of tactile understandingbegins with the child’s direct handling and purposeful manipulation of objects thatcan be tactually perceived.The twelve real objects included in Setting theStage for Tactile Understanding were selectedbecause they are common objects that youngchildren encounter and become acquainted with intheir own homes. These objects are also of a sizethat can be maintained when they are laterpresented in thermoformed and raised-line formats,thus encouraging the gradual transition from threedimensionalshapes to abstract illustrations withoutthe interference or challenge of scale differences. Unlike objects and conceptsoutside the child’s realm of tactual experience (e.g., snowflake, mountain, giraffe),5 Showtime