Bookstart Additional Needs

There are two packs: Bookstart Touch Baby (0–2 years old) and Bookstart Touch Toddler (3–5 years old). Each pack has a touch-and-feel book and guidance around sharing books with children with vision impairment. 

• Find more Bookstart Touch books
• Discover books to share in our book recommendations and bookfinder
• Visit the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) website
• Visit Clearvision Project – a postal lending library for children and young people with vision impairment

This pack is available for children aged 3–5 who have disabilities that impact on or delay the development of their fine motor skills. Each pack includes a book, a finger puppet, and a guide to using your finger puppet and reading with children. 

• Discover more Bookstart Star books

Please note that books contained within the packs may differ from those pictured.

The ages for gifting the packs above are a guideline and may vary depending on each individual child’s need. We would urge professionals to consider the needs of each child and gift an additional needs pack when you feel it is appropriate. 

Bookstart additional needs packs are gifted by a number of different professionals. We know that every setting is slightly different depending on location, organisation type and local authority. If you need any support or guidance with gifting your Bookstart additional needs packs, please get in contact with your local Bookstart Coordinator. 

• Discuss the content of the pack with the family 
• If gifting the pack as part of a session, you could read the story to get a feel for the child’s interest and concentration level, and gauge if the language and pace are correct. This also models to the parents/​carers how to adapt and read the book. The tactile books can be used during extended activities 
• Use your knowledge of the child’s interest, abilities and developmental level to decide which pack would most suit the child 
• Don’t be afraid to change the words in the book when modelling to the parents 
• Ensure parents/​carers understand why book sharing is important, no matter the age or ability of the child 
• Signpost other services which could support your families 
• Not all packs are suitable for all children. Get to know the contents of each pack and how these could work to support the particular child you are working with 
• Encourage parents/​carers to use other materials to bring the stories to life, like water sprays for rain 
• Keep it fun! 

Shared reading is essential to giving every child the best start in life. Relationships are the basis of children’s development, and there is compelling evidence that shared reading helps nurture these vital connections. 

Evidence shows benefits for both children and adults. Shared reading: 

• Encourages interaction, joint attention and attunement, helping caregivers connect with their child 
• Increases caregiver warmth, sensitivity, and positive caregiving behaviours, helping to strengthen the bond between child and caregiver 
• Reduces caregiver stress, promoting co-regulation and providing a predictable and calm activity for children and caregivers to enjoy together

Important principles for shared reading, particularly for children with additional needs, are: 

• Normalising variation and giving caregivers permission to try what works for them, e.g. ​“Every child is different, try what works for you” 
• Making reading feel easy, emphasising that book sharing is flexible and that sharing just one picture or page is enough 
• Prioritising enjoyment, connection and warmth over reading the story ​‘word for word’ 
• Encouraging child agency by going at their pace, letting them interact with the book, and responding to their interests 
• Supporting caregiver confidence by encouraging them to notice small signals of interest and enjoyment, for example smiling, looking at or touching the page, and playing with the book 

Read more in our bonding and attachment briefing.