Sensory Immersion vs. PainJerz’s Literacy Weblog)

My son got a splinter in his hand this weekend. He wasn’t too happy when my wife told him she’d have to remove it with a needle. I suggested that maybe I could try tweezers first.

“What are tweezers?” he asked.

“Kind of like little pliers,” I said.

I poked the tweezers into the palm of my hand, showing him the red mark but noting that my skin didn’t bleed. I then let him poke my hand with the tweezers. More red marks, but no blood. Then I let him poke his own hand. He got the tweezers turned around and poked the rounded handle on his palm… his eyes lit up and he said, “That didn’t hurt at all!”

I had recently blogged a BBC article about a VR system designed to distract patients who are undergoing a painful procedure. So I asked Peter to read a poster written in an Old English style typeface. At six, he’s an excellent reader, but the lettering was difficult for him.

By the time he got through the third word, I had the sliver out.