Boardmaker picture cards cover hundreds of activities in dozens of fields of interest. When choosing which picture cards to use, the teacher first considers the purpose that the cards will serve. A weekly trip to the library is an integral feature of public education. Special education students can be overwhelmed by the change in setting from the classroom to the library. Picture card communication can set the student up for a successful visit to the library. The Boardmaker user can target either rules-of-the-trip, or social stories for interacting appropriately with the librarian.
Student communication and behavior needs are always the impetus for creating an appropriate Boardmaker picture card board. If the student's primary challenge is walking safely to the library, then the teacher will focus on gathering and printing out picture cards that portray the desired hall behavior. If checking out a book from the library is the major goal for the student, the teacher will collate picture cards depicting the steps to checking out a book.
The Boardmaker database can be searched by topic, action, or specific item -- like the word "book." Teachers will be guided in how simple or complex to make the picture board by the academic level of the student. Single word/pictures may serve a pre-schooler, while a third-grader may be forming complete sentences through the help of the picture cards.
Boardmaker contains picture cards specifically for the library; bookshelves, a book, a computer, a library card, the librarian, a child reading a library book, magazines, and movies. Combining the library picture cards with verb cards and other grammar cards as needed to make complete thoughts can convey to the student rules for a successful trip to the library.