Quick lesson: Audio books that excite learning for disabled pupils

Learners at Milimani Primary School special needs section use audio and video books, gadgets that boost learning and make it more interesting. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard]

It’s 2.30pm and Jane Chesire is guiding her pupils through a story telling session. But this is a unique lesson; it is not Ms Chesire or the pupils telling the stories.

She walks around the entire classroom, helping each pupil to log into a tablet-like gadget from which they listen to the stories.

From the portable audio books, the visually impaired pupils of Nakuru’s Milimani Primary School’s special needs section can listen to songs and attend lessons for mathematics, science, English and Kiswahili, which they are programmed for.

“This is what we do in the afternoon when pupils are tired. It is more interactive because each pupil decides on what they want to listen to,” says Ms Chesire.

The pupils can now understand nuances of languages as the audio books read the words out loud.

“The learners in my class are very active. They always want to know what is happening and are excited to attend lessons,” says the teacher.

The audio books are given to the learners according to their level of understanding. Those in grade one, for example, are provided with gadgets with literature that suits them.

There are 17 children in grades one and two at the school. Among them are autistic and amputees whose learning ability has tremendously improved.

Chesire says the moving library helps children, who would otherwise be left out of education, to learn fast and easily.

“I am happy that children with visual impairments can now access library services. I encourage more schools to get these audio books, which not only improve learning but also boost pupils’ esteem because they are able to operate the gadgets by themselves,” she says.

The outreach programme by the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) Nakuru was also intended to introduce students with visual impairments to technology.

KNLS Librarian Purity Mutuku says she received 500 audio and video books from a well wisher in 2014. Mutuku says the books are taken to the schools by a specially trained librarian.

“The audio and video books have broken monotony of using braile material. The library decided to reach out to children with special needs because they rarely come to the library. We are happy because we are able to put a smile on their faces as the books have broken the monotony in learning,” she says.

The audio books make important literature and educational texts available to learners.

“Audio and video books take learners through the human body parts and basics in mathematics like addition and subtraction as well as the alphabet,” says Mutuku.

She says listening to audio books stimulate them to become more interested in classroom learning and makes them practise reading.

Besides Milimani Primary School, the services are also provided at Ngala School for the Deaf, an institution that exposes learners to seeing what they learn in books.

The librarian urges parents to take their children to the library to access these learning materials.

Nakuru County Education Director Isaac Atebe said the government will increase budgetary allocation to special needs education.

“Children and schools with special needs are given additional funds to enable them purchase learning materials,” says Mr Atebe.

He says this year, the government allocated transitional infrastructure funds to help build more classrooms, laboratories and dormitories. Some schools received up to Sh10 million for infrastructure.

Atebe says apart from academics, the government sponsors and encourages learners with special needs to participate in sports, music and drama.

Several secondary schools in Nakuru are integrated to admit special needs students. They include Nakuru Boys, Pangani, Menengai, Nakuru Girls and Jomo Kenyatta Boys.