early reader

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 ...