Waar zit jouw neus?

Inclusive reading table

In the Dutch language there are many words that help us express what we see. At the same time only a few words exist to describe what we smell. For example, there is only one official smell word in the Dutch dictionary, namely: ‘muf’ (musty in English). This project teaches children to communicate more about experiences they have through their noses.

Giving smells a role in storytelling enhances both children’s enjoyment of learning and equal opportunities for children with and without visual impairment. It is important the smells are not there to merely entertain, but that they add new information to the story. This teaches children to read more critically and they realise that the smells are there for a reason.
You give children ownership and show that their imagination and interpretation matter.

The inclusive reading table brings children a multi-sensorial experience of a story. Children are all week welcome to smell, read (braille), and do inclusive crafts at the reading table. The reading table and activities are fully designed for children with a visual impairment. This way, all children can participate equally.