I owe thanks to my brother that I learned to read before entering school at the age of seven. It has only been lately that I have been able to make an important discovery. I often could remember Donny and myself working at the back of the school room beside the wood burning stove while Ms Fields spent all of her time with the older students which left me to read our assignments from the blackboard and help my classmate. Not too long ago as I was contemplating the difficulties that are taking place with children reading I thought extensively about many of my fellow students and how we all faired. With few exceptions, those that entered school already reading excelled or were at least able to complete school while many of those that had a slow start struggled throughout and their choices of jobs were limited when and if they finished. The proportion would have been the same as it is today, it just seems worse because of the number involved.

During preparation for the teaching profession we spent most of our energy extending our knowledge base rather than actually developing strategies, teaching techniques and discipline alternatives. Fortunately, during my sporadic teaching career there were some principals that pointed me toward some educational seminars that provided me with more of the tools I was searching for and I combined them to develop a very effective classroom strategy. I wanted to return to elementary armed with these new found ideas but there was a shortage of science and math educators so after a few more years in middle schools I chose to blend substitute teaching, landscaping and writing.  

It was early into this shift that I remembered when taking some classes for recertification, a teacher and the class telling me that I should do a children's book from the presentation I had given with the vowel sounds. I had chosen that subject because it had been a great awakening when I had taken Spanish and we were able to read after ten minutes of instruction. I was also fortunate to have some quality time with my two best friends, both being well educated; one being in special education and shedding a lot of light on learning difficulties, and the other being very creative in using his ministry in a very positive affirming manner.  My oldest daughter was married to a very talented artist who lit up at the idea of doing the illustrations and we were off to the races with what most call the vowel book.

I am working on what will be called a fiction book but to me it will be a social issue book. There is the possibility of sets of individual letter books to follow and I have a wonderful short story that many have enjoyed about a black cat but first and foremost is to do everything I can to improve our reading and therefore the ability to gain knowledge and improve decision making.

e-mail: jlheller@patchpub.net