Jenny Marshall
Jenny Marshall
That early experience shaped my path: I became a teacher. I love working closely with children who are just beginning to unlock the magic of reading and writing and focusing on those who need a little extra support along the way.
My debut picture book, Cami and the Lost Letters, was inspired by the children I’ve taught and the heartfelt conversations I’ve had with families navigating the tricky road to literacy. With embedded learning experiences throughout, this book was carefully crafted to engage beginner readers and to support parents and teachers in helping children grow their early literacy skills through story, play and conversation. The companion title, Learn Letters and Sounds with Cami, further addresses letter-sound correspondence and letter recognition skills.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or young booklover, I hope Learn to Read with Cami products become a cherished part of your home or school learning library.
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This is a common question from parents, particularly with so many school readiness classes offered in the community. Children will be taught to read when they go to school. But if your child is interested in learning letters and sounds, I can’t see the harm in introducing it to them, as this early exposure may make it easier to make connections when your child is taught to read at school.
Along with developing early literacy skills such as recognising phonological patterns and concepts of print, reading aloud to your child may boost their comprehension skills and enhance their social-emotional understanding. It has also been shown to increase a child’s vocabulary which may boost their expressive language skills.
Setting up an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher is generally the first step to delving deeper into where your child sits developmentally in their literacy journey. Once you have set some learning goals, you could investigate options for literacy intervention.
Research has shown that modelling the traits of a good reader at home can be a great way to engage children in the practice of reading for pleasure. Finding books or a series of stories that spark interest and creating a special reading area in your home may help too.
