TEACH MY KID TO READ Offers Library Support for Decodable Books

Teach My Kid to Read is a non-profit organization with a mission to help libraries across the country gain access to decodable books.  They have started with a campaign to help 25 libraries access decodable books for emerging and struggling readers, and not just access, but also education on the topic. They currently have a waiting list of 135 schools and public libraries seeking help establishing decodable book collections. You can learn more about their initiative and contribute to their campaign at Teach My Kid To Read (TMKTR). 

Last week, Marion Waldman, director of TMKTR pictured on the right, attended the New York Library Association Conference in Albany, NY. She reported that most of the librarians told her their patrons were asking for decodable books. Librarians prefer decodable books to leveled texts once they learn how decodable books are specifically aligned to students' learning skills. 

Teach My Kid to Read wants to help change the culture of learning to read to include decodable books that provide practice in learning the specific skills children have been taught. They know that librarians are uniquely positioned to provide literacy hubs, collections of decodable books, and information about how decodable books work. 

Sometimes it's tricky for librarians to tell the difference between a phonics book, a leveled reader, and a decodable book based on a specific scope and sequence. Teach My Kid to Read helps librarians demystify this process. New legislation nationwide has schools scrambling to find resources for struggling readers. TMKTR can help. Use the QR code below to get more information about TMKTR and the Decodable Book Alliance.

Watch Too Many Kids Struggle to Read, the video by Maggie Bevars, a college student with dyslexia, who shares her struggles and successes. She talks about the importance of providing accessible books for students with dyslexia. The video is on the "Teach My Kid to Read" YouTube Channel. You can also find her video at All Kids Deserve to Read.

I met Marion in person at the International Dyslexia Conference in October. She is on the right below, and I am on the left. We are with Larissa Phillips, one of the authors at the booth for Phonic Books.

Jill Lauren, member of the Decodable Book Alliance and creator of Whole Phonics books, and Marion gave a poster presentation at IDA on "Engaging Libraries to Create Equitable Literacy Solutions for Early and Struggling Readers." Their poster provided practical solutions for parents and teachers to encourage their local and school libraries to find and provide decodable texts. 

I am also a member of the Decodable Book Alliance. I am particularly interested in decodable books because they are the focus of my new HOT ROD series (Higher Order Thinking through the Reading of Decodables). Check out my website at www.wordtravelpress.com for more information and to find the Scope and Sequence of the series.  I aim to provide resources for older struggling readers, fourth grade through adult. For more information about decodable books, check out my page on Choosing the Right Decodable Books for Your Students. It includes a list of several publishers. 

My new book, Hank the Tank, is available now at Barnes and Noble and Amazon in e-book, hardcover, and paperback. Watch for the audiobook coming soon. The 164-page Activity Book is on sale through Cyber Monday, November 27th on Amazon. It includes 50+ activities and games for Decoding, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and speech. I'm working on a special freebie to encourage writing and illustrating over winter break. Watch this blog and my newsletter for information coming soon. Sign up for my newsletter HERE and receive a free copy of my first decodable book, No Gift for Man.