Hate to read? Learning to read?
Read a book you wrote. Yes, you’ll have to write a book – more on that in a moment.
Melissa Depper, a youth services librarian at Arapaho Library District, reminded me today how helpful it is for struggling readers to read their own story. She said, “Have the child dictate to you a story. The story will be their vocabulary and their ideas. It makes it easier for the child to read it.”
Brilliant!
Even early, early readers . . . my four year old “wrote” a book this summer and it was a favorite pick for bedtime stories. She wrote words she knew like “pop,” “dad,” “mom” and illustrated every page. She felt so proud of her first book!
And now to write a book . . .
Do not panic.
You don’t have to buy a fancy book making kit but, if it helps, give it a try. Amazon carries one called IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit However, no need to spend money, you can easily fold a stack of paper in half, staple and create a book of any length.
How do you choose a topic?
Write a small moment. Something from the day that just happened. Something that happened earlier.
Write about firsts – first day of school, first lost tooth, first trip to ______, first plane flight, first bike, etc.
Write about a pet – how you got the pet, how to take care of the pet, why you chose the pet, etc.
Stuck? Email me (melissa at milehighmams.com) or post a comment so everyone can help.  For more learning ideas go to Imagination Soup.

Happy writing!