Giant Textured Beads with 
   Pattern Matching Cards 

                              Tips and Activity Ideas  

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) Giant Textured Beads with Pattern Matching Cards comes with two large sorting trays, 12 plastic beads and a set of 36 pattern matching cards.

APH: https://www.aph.org/
Catalog #: 1-03778-00

The following tips and activity ideas are in addition to the learning materials and instructions that accompany the product.  We hope these ideas will be helpful as you use your textured beads.

Tips for Use

•	Beads can be sorted by color, using Color Star: APH Catalog # 1-03952-00, and then strung on the provided string. Color Star is a talking device that identifies the color of an object.  Color Star works by placing the device close to the bead, and as you press the button down, the device says the color.    
      Tips for Use (continued)

•	Pattern Matching Cards included with the set can also be used to sort as a learning enhancement either by texture or color.

•	Pattern Matching Cards fit nicely in the provided sorting tray with the corresponding bin to hold the plastic bead.

Activity Ideas

•	Use with the following APH items for more exploration of color identification and enhanced learning of textures: 	
										APH Catalog #
o	Color Star               					1-03952-00
o	Giant Textured Beads                                         1-03780-00
o	Flip-Over Concept book                                      1-08829-00 
o	Match Sticks                                                        1-08157-00  
o	Puzzle Form Board Kit                                        1-03721-00

Activity Ideas (continued)

•	Incorporate use of color into the day:  
o	Create a color themed menu, for example serve sliced tomato, avocado, cheese and blueberries for an afternoon snack plate. Lunch or dinner could include a colorful salad seeing how many colors you can incorporate, for example spinach, cherry tomato, purple cabbage, and red onions.

o	Have a sing-along singing songs with a color theme such as “Blue Moon” and “Yellow Submarine”.  Look up and print free song lyrics at https://www.lyricsfreak.com/ or find them on YouTube and sing along.

        APH Resources
•	On line APH Catalog: 
https://www.aph.org

•	MCB/DDS APH Federal Quota Account Information & Order Form: https://www.focusonvisionandvisionloss.org/aph-federal-quota-account.html

					   Developed by: Ruth Bokulic, O&M Assistant
                			   Edited by: Georgia Wattendorf-Guiney, M.Ed., COMS
                                                            Sandra Faulkner, Administrative Assistant 							  Lisa DiBonaventura, MA, COMS

   Please also see MCB/DDS Partnership “Focus” resources:
               https://www.focusonvisionandvisionloss.org/recreation.html