When Sitthikorn Munglai's fingers traced the curves of a figurine in the book in front of him, he beamed with delight. It was something he had never experienced in his life.
Thongyoi Chiengthong, a teacher at the Bangkok School for the Blind, demonstrates 'Dueng Dueng Dueng Dueng' for her pupils. The book allows visually-impaired students to "see" the animals for the first time. Apichart Jinakul
"I felt different," said the visually-impaired student of The Bangkok School for the Blind. He was learning about the shape of animals he had never been able to see in the book Dueng Dueng Dueng.
"The figure emerged from a flat sheet of paper. It's different from the Braille I usually use for studying. My heart was beating," he said as he refused to stop enjoying this new entertainment.
Composed by teacher-turned-author Cheewan Wisasa, Dueng Dueng Dueng Dueng(dueng imitates the funny sound made by animals when they jump) has been modified by Thongyoi Chiengthong, a teacher at the Bangkok School for the Blind. She turned the story into the bas-relief book, allowing the visually-impaired students to "see" the animals.
Ms Thongyoi explained the animals chosen for the book had to be the jumping kind to go with the book's title.
"Children love the book because they can enjoy the actual animals curved out from the paper," she said, adding the students were trying to imitate the animal's jumps in class.
Accompanied by Braille text, the 10-page book features different kinds of animals with their unique physical features and characteristics. For example, a rabbit has long ears and a round short tail, while a frog has a round body and two big eyes but no tail. It's ideal for young children to learn from, Ms Thongyoi said.
The book for the blind, launched last year, is a collaboration between SCG Foundation which is committed to raising awareness about reading for family members and promoting children to develop a habit of reading, and the Foundation for the Blind in Thailand under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.
Launched last year, Ms Thongyoi claimed the book was the first of its kind to have bas-relief figures for visually-impaired readers. There are 350 copies for the first edition, distributed to 20 schools for the blind around the country.
"The book can be a good tool for people with visual impairment. It can ignite their imagination when they are learning through a sense to explore a figure raised above the paper. So, they now can picture what an animal looks like," said Ms Thongyoi, who has been a teacher of the blind for 20 years and has many years of experience preparing teaching materials for the blind under her belt.
She noted Dueng Dueng Dueng Dueng was the perfect tool to enhance the imagination of young children who may not fully understand Braille materials.
Before this unique project, her teaching materials for the blind had always been geometric figures. However, Dueng Dueng Dueng Dueng came with the unique details of bas-relief figures.
"I want to make a difference. And I want students to have a new learning experience," the teacher said.
The book was created using Brailon paper which is strong and durable but very expensive.
Despite the high price, she said, the high-quality paper is perfect for the creation of animal figurines and will mean the book can last for more than 10 years.
"We have to invest in creating good material for the blind. That's why this kind of book is rare and is used for particular groups," she said.
Ms Thongyoi said some teachers decided to use a comparison technique to teach their visually-impaired students about differences by explaining that a tiger looks similar to a cat, but bigger.
But the inventive teacher said the advantage of Dueng Dueng Dueng Dueng for the blind is it allows visually-impaired students to concentrate, resulting in learning skill improvement. It also makes teaching and learning more pleasurable. On top of that, it gives the children a chance to practise asking questions.
"After they feel the emerging figures, they can share how the figure looks like among their friends. Many begin to question if what they feel is similar to what others feel," said Ms Thongyoi.
Another important benefit she has observed is that the book increases the level of interaction between teacher and students during question and answer sessions, while promoting class participation.
"We don't know if students like or dislike a lesson when they have learned something using the Braille learning materials," she said.
"I look forward to a class that can learn from Dueng Dueng Dueng Dueng," said visually-impaired student Thitikorn Nuengkhum at the Bangkok School for the Blind. "I find the book great fun and entertaining. It makes the class more interesting. It would be good if there were more books like this."
Ms Thongyoi said teachers and parents who are interested in learning to create a book decorated with figures curved out from the paper can contact the Bangkok School for the Blind where they can acquire knowledge and techniques free of charge.
"I'm willing to give knowledge that can be useful for people. I love teaching," the teacher said.
Created by Cheewan Wisasa, 'Dueng Dueng Dueng Dueng' broadens the experiences of visually-impaired students. Photos by Apichart Jinakul
Humble start
The Bangkok School for the Blind was established in 1939 by an American visually-impaired teacher named Genevieve Caulfield. She rented a small house in Sala Daeng district to serve as a school for the blind.
Ten years later, Field Marshal Plaek Piboonsongkram approved the relocation of the school to a new location on eight rai owned by the Crown Property Bureau in Ratchathewi district. The school was registered under the Ministry of Education in 1960.
The Bangkok School for the Blind is a primary school that provides education for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6. There are about 150 students who are visually impaired.