Making and Using Page Turners
By: MaryAnn Demchak
Page turners and page fluffers are both simple adaptations that make it easier for an individual to turn pages. This tip sheet focuses on page turners. ( An earlier Tips for Home and School sheet focused on page fluffers.)
While page fluffers are placed between pages to create a space for easier page turning, page turners are attached to the page and extend out beyond the page. The individual then turns the page using this extension. The page turners are placed on the pages of the book in a staggered sequence from top to bottom or bottom to top. For example, you might place a binder clip as a page turner at the top of the page. Using chip clips The next clip might be placed slightly below the first clip; the next clip slightly below the second clip and so forth until you have placed a page turner on each page.
A wide variety of items can be attached either permanently or temporarily and used as page turners:
- Popsicle or craft sticks that are cut to a 2-3 inch length
- Binder clips of various sizes
- Small chip clips
- Small magnetic clips for holding papers on a refrigerator
- Large paper clips
- Index tabs
- Pony tail loops
- Rubber bands
- Loose leaf paper rings
- Clothespins
- Small Post-it notes
- Felt or thin craft foam cut into strips
Because some of the items that can be used as page turners might be heavier than others (e.g., large binder clips), they might be more appropriate for durable books such as board books used with young children. Other materials such as the index tabs may not work very well with board books, but are Using index tabs great for any type of paper book. Other materials (e.g., pony tail loops) can be used with any book.
Page turners can be attached temporarily or permanently. Items such as binder clips, chip clips, magnetic refrigerator clips, and clothespins can be added and then removed easily from any book. Such easily removable page turners are great to use with library books where you do not want to permanently attach a page turner. Other page turners (e.g., large paper clips) might be hot glued to a page and thus become permanent. In other instances you might add Velcro Using craft sticks to a page and then the opposite Velcro to the page turner (e.g., Popsicle or craft sticks, pony tail loops). The Velcro allows you to attach the page turner, but to remove it if it is no longer needed. Once the page turner is removed, the Velcro remaining on the page then acts as a page fluffer. You can also make Popsicle/craft sticks into temporary page turners by gluing a large paper clip to the back of the stick. You then use the paper clip to slide the page turner onto the page.
Can You Buy Page Turners?
One kit from Augmentative Resources comes with 10 clear vinyl triangle pockets lined with magnets to slide onto the corner of each page (intended for paper books, not board books). You touch the end of the magnetic rod to black area on the magnetic page corners to turn pages. There are a variety of other page turners available online.