I always like to know who's behind the copy of any blog post I read. Am I reading someone's random opinion, or do they have a real basis for their opinions? So, here's the origin story for Practice Readers Books for those inquiring minds who need to know.
I'm a generalist who has spent a decade helping experts in early childhood development and education put their expertise into practice in real world programs. It may be one of the reasons that I'm so passionate not just about providing quality books to early readers, but also exposing kids to information they can learn from and use.
I'm also a mother of three, so at this stage of my life I couldn't escape this world if I tried. I founded Practice Readers Books in the midst of the ongoing COVID pandemic and not too long after my first child started grade one. I had seen enough working with schools across Canada to know what the landscape looked like (including the emergence of the science of reading movement, largely driven by The Reading League in the US), and quickly found myself disappointed by how few and far between the kind of early reading books I was looking for seemed to be.
These have been pretty challenging times for society, not the least of which includes our children. Ensuring teachers and parents have access to quality materials to support early reading development could not be more important. Reading, writing, arithmetic - these really are the foundational academic skills that are essential throughout all our lives.
My goal, both personal and professional, is to give parents more ways to support their children on their path to becoming readers a book at a time. It should not take a ton of time – you don’t have it – and it should not require a ton of expertise – there is a community with expertise to help you.
These books are the contribution I am able to make to that community, and I am grateful to be able to continue to connect with others who share the same interest and passion.
Sincerely,
