“If a child isn’t proficient in reading by 3rd grade, their HS dropout rate is 4x higher. So I’m trying to develop a system to help blind children develop literacy as soon as possible. If you think about it, books for young children are picture-driven, with very few words per page. So it’s tough for blind kids to really participate. So we recommend pre-reading activities to build the scene before the story begins. If you’re reading Goldilocks for example, take the child to the kitchen first, allow them to feel where the scene is going to be set. If the story is about a lamb, get a fluffy towel, so they can feel what a lamb looks like. It’s all about making the reading process as experiential as possible, so blind children can place themselves in the story without the aid of pictures.”