Tammy Lessick is a consultant for Story Time Felts, a company that specializes in fun educational materials for children. She is the parent of a nonverbal child with autism who has sensory issues, and who benefits from learning with felt.
Benefits of Felt
Felt is an excellent material for children who have sensory issues, offering soft, quiet materials that can be easily manipulated. The multisensory activities offer a great way for children lean by doing while engaging the following areas:
- Visual
- Tactile
- Fine motor skills
- Sequencing
- Language and communication
- Emotions
- Life skills
Felt can be used in a number of different environments, including preschool classrooms, and many of the activities are ideal for children on the autism spectrum.
Tammy Lessick Interview
Tammy Lessick's insight can help parents develop a safe learning environment for their children using the felt or similar products. Tammy has taken time to answer a few questions about the benefits of this type of learning activity.
What sparked your interest in felt boards and activities?
I was in search of a fun, hands-on, interactive learning activity that my son would enjoy. I found a couple felt set in a local school supply store, but they were geared toward girls with no educational value. I searched online and stumbled upon the company Story Time Felts. I fell in love with them. They are for boys and girls, creative and fun, educational, interactive and hands-on.
What type of sequencing activities can be used?
We have a line of Preschool felt sets that use sequencing to teach the alphabet, numbers, colors and shapes.
Can felt boards be used with social stories?
Yes. My favorite ones are the School Fun Toggle books for discussing situations in school and on the playground, the Food Guide Pyramid for teaching food choices and setting the table, and the Calendar Set for teaching the seasons, weather, months, and days of the week.
How can the activities promote imaginative play skills?
Each felt board set comes with stories that you can use the felt figures to tell. I also use the boards and figures to get my children to make up their own stories. It is always amazing to watch and listen to the new scenarios they come up with.
What other skills can the activities help develop?
You can use some of the felt boards to teach science and geography. The Ocean Set comes with 67 underwater type felt figures that make learning about life in the ocean fun. There is also a Rainforest set that you can use to teach your child and a U.S. Map set for teaching your child the different states and the history of the United States.
Do you have any favorite activities?
My favorite activity is the Finger Play Fun set. This set comes with a glove that you or your child can wear, as well as 56 figures that you stick onto your gloved fingers. I enjoy telling the stories that come with the set, but I love to sit and take turns with my children making up little stories.
More Information
Tammy authors the Autism Learning Felt, a blog that offers product reviews and giveaways of products related to autism.
