All children should be able to experience stories in an equal way. Lotte Meeuwissen researches the role of the other senses in the visually dominant world we live in. ‘Where is your nose?’ helps children to connect language to experiences they have through their sense of smell.
Inclusive reading table
The Dutch language has many words that help us express what we see. But it contains few words that describe what we smell. For example, the Dutch dictionary only has one official smell word, 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 impairments. It is important the smells are not there to merely entertain, but that they give new information to the story. This teaches children to be more critical and they realize 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. With the reading table, public programs and activities are developed for libraries and museums in the Netherlands in which all children, with and without visual impairment, can participate in an equal way.
