Amabel Books
The Problem
The concept behind Amabel Books began due to the increased difficulty young kids today are having whilst learning to read. I noticed this especially as my two daughters began to read and were wrestling with the generic course of teaching. The anxiety that comes with learning to read can discourage new readers and those struggling to learn from participating in what should be an exciting and fun learning process.
The Stress
Early exposure to reading is fundamental for the growth and development of young minds. ‘There are benefits of reading everyday with your child’ say the experts. What if reading aloud is the source of tears, anxiety, frustration and suspicion of dyslexia?
A Solution
Amabel Books focuses on ensuring that the learning process is stimulating and engaging for young readers and those having difficulties whilst learning to read. The quirky stories are composed to ensure the whole family can enjoy the light and humorous tales. The books follow a unique pattern of alternating pages of simple and complex text. This gives both new readers and those struggling to learn visible and feasible stepping stones to measure their progress.
The Concept
It is easy to feel as though you are failing as a parent when your kids are having difficulty learning. This was the drive behind the birth of Amabel books. Watching my daughter with a high intellect however; struggling to read lead me to write stories that were stimulating yet manageable for those learning. The idea behind alternating pages of simple and more complex text is to take some of the pressure off of those who have hit a speed bump whilst trying to learn. Word clues on the complex pages followed by repetitive simple text aims to stimulate connections and without pressure enabled kids to improve their literacy skills and confidence.
The Test
After the concept was tested and well received within my household a friend and kindergarten teacher began to copy my stories to use within her classroom. After the little scrap books were copied and used more frequently throughout more classrooms I realized that my idea could be used as a global learning tool to help all children improve their confidence whilst learning to read.
The Result
Since 2014 Amabel Books has published four stories ‘Truck Got Stuck’, ‘My Mommy Likes’ illustrated by Becky Comber, ‘Just a Smile’ and ‘Geese are Not Pets’. With more to come in 2020 driven by the same concept that stimulated the creation of homemade scrap paper books; a strong foundation in reading leads to lifelong learning making anything achievable.