Learning to read should be fun and exciting, just like a road trip. We all hope that the experiences along the way will be enjoyable and satisfying, with some challenges but with very few dramas.
Carol Jones holds a Master of Education (Literacy) and a Bachelor of Education, and follows a keen interest in children’s literature. She has enjoyed many years of helping young children learn to read, and specializing in early literacy with children who are having difficulties learning to read.
Carol believes there are some important points to keep in mind when we help children who are learning to read.
 The learning process should be fun and exciting, accompanied by a feeling of success.
 Success builds confidence which is everything. A confident child will not be deterred by any of their incorrect responses.
 We can build confidence in children by responding to their attempts at reading in a positive way, just as we did when children were learning to talk.
 Children will then become risk takers, an essential ingredient of learning anything new.
The Road Trip Readers are designed to encourage children in their early reading experiences. These books are intended as “I can read all by myself” readers rather than as ‘read to’ books. Levels 1 and 2 readers have one or two lines of repetitive text, have very supportive illustrations on each page, and have a measured introduction of new high frequency words. The readers have only 6-8 pages. At these levels they provide short sharp reading experiences brimming with success for young beginners. They are all designed to support children’s learning and give them confidence to read all by themselves.
As the levels progress and the child’s reading skills develop, the readers continue to have supportive illustrations and a measured introduction of new high frequency words. From Level 3 onwards, however, the readers have more pages and the text becomes less repetitive, with more of a story line.
Any new learning requires a great deal of practice and reading is no different. The Road Trip Readers will provide an opportunity for children to practice and to experience success as they begin their road trip to reading.