The child writes their own pre-primers/basal readers 

As a child moves through The Steps, they are in effect, writing their own reading books — their personalized basal readers. Since the words are coming from them, these books have the perfect vocabulary and set of experiences for a child who’s learning to read.

This is exactly what professionals are trying to do as they develop the traditional basal readers school districts buy for beginning readers. (You might remember Dick and Janet, or Sally and Mark.) 

In the image of Ethan earlier, he was in the process of creating 2 pages for his book. He had already painted on drawing paper. Then he dictated this 3-sentence story: There was a brontosaurus named Brontie. Does he want to eat a cookie or a carrot? He wants the cookie!

Once he finishes a book of 5 stories, he can make a cover out of construction paper, with his name and the date on the front. Then he can read it to others at home and keep it by his bed with others he’s written — to reread on his own. 

If this were a child you were calling, his mother could make a video of him reading. Then he could dictate something he wanted to say as she wrote the email sending it to you and to others.

Then as his mother helped him read the replies, that would give him even more meaningful experience with print. Sending and receiving his own texts and emails is exciting. And again, interest and excitement are powerful magnets for learning. 

Moving into books: writing skills transfer to reading

The child’s writing skills automatically transfer to reading. By the time they reach Step 5, they’ll have begun to notice the same words they’re writing are also in the writing they see you doing. They’ll also notice they see some of those same words on signs, cereal boxes, and in their favorite simple books. 

Before long, the child is able to read their own collection of simple children’s story books. When those become too easy for them, the person on the child’s end can begin to add some high quality children’s literature.

Reading happens so automatically — and without any struggle — that some children claim they “just happened” to learn to read. But as you can see, that’s far from what really “happened.”

In sum, the progression for moving into books goes as follows:

Self-created Basal Readers –> Their Favorite Simple Story Books –> Good Children’s Literature