Make Personalized Early Readers for Your Child

Sometimes children choose an easy book that they want to read again and again, and early reading begins almost by itself. But other kids, like my firstborn, may be easily bored by a simple book. I got the idea of making personalized book from the work of Sylvia Ashton Warner, a pioneer in child-led learning who taught young children in New Zealand. When her Maori students failed at the British curriculum, Warner decided to teach her students how to read using their own words and stories. They soon out-paced their British peers, succeeding beyond normal expectations.

In the simple books I made for my son, I wrote about his daily activities, such as what he had for breakfast, or what he saw and did on a daily walk. I made books about special events, family visits, trips to the zoo, and games we played at home.

Here are instructions how to make a personalized book for your child.

Below are examples of the books I made for my son, Kalman, when he was a toddler.

After a visit to the Bronx Zoo, I made “Kalman at the Zoo.” Here is the title page and two pages from the book, one with text, and another with a postcard illustration. The final page, or maybe the back cover, always said The End."

Our favorite book was titled “Where Is Kalman?” inspired by a favorite game. I would hunt for my son, looking in the kitchen, in the bathtub, under the bed. As I searched, I called out “Where is Kalman?” while I heard him giggling. He would be standing in the open, with his favorite blanket covering his head and body. Finally I’d say, “There he is! He’s under his blanket!” And my son would laugh with glee as he was unveiled. For this book, I sketched the illustrations and didn’t use clipped art or postcards. Here is the cover and title page with the four final pages of the book. My son read this book with me over and over.