New Books For Early Readers

Saturday, December 03, 2011

GoLocalProv Features Team

I Can Read and Write books designed to engage children in bright formats

Rhode Islanders Jami Ouellette and Jeffrey Morse decided to take 25 years of professional experience in photography, writing, and graphic design to create a very different type of children’s book.

“I Read and Write books are not your average children’s books," says Morse. "They are stunning but simple. They are fun but educational. Kids can write or draw in them but want to keep them."

“There are so many wonderful books out there, many with amazing illustrations,” says Ouellette. “But, although we parents love those books, we have found that there are times when our children focus better – and learn more – when we use fewer, visually stimulating, real images.”

Raising five children

In raising five children between them – the youngest in first grade, the oldest in college, and one with special needs – Ouellette and Morse have gained some understanding about how different strategies work for different children.

“We pulled together the strategies that seem to work across the board. Strong, focused images, and child participation are the two most important elements,” says Morse. “And then we kept the sizes of the books manageable – not overwhelming to the kids and they can hold them comfortably.”

Short, small, manageable

The books are short - only 20 pages each and about half the size of a letter sheet. Ouellette explains that several teachers advised them to keep the size manageable, to continue with the concept of “simpler is better.”

“I always felt guilty letting my children write in their books - especially since the ones we really wanted to keep are just so beautiful. But the typical ‘activity books’ seem like throwaways,” says Ouellette. “While our books incorporate beautiful images, they also encourage the child to write answers, rhyme a word, and/or draw a picture. They feel more ownership and are more likely to show their friends and/or read it over and over. And it’s guilt-free for the parents.”

Tapping into the photography collection

Morse and Ouellette started by pulling images from their own photography collection, which includes about 10,000 stock-quality photos. They then incorporate basic math, spelling and/or reading principals - like repetition and visual queues.

“We use topics that help children generate new interest in the world around them – what they see in the garden, at the zoo, their backyard, etc. Children are drawn to strong, vivid photos and tend to see things in them that adults seem to miss,” says Morse.

The books are affordable: $8.95 each with discounts for sets, and Facebook friends receive coupon codes for special discounts besides. There are currently six books available but Ouellette says they already have six more in the works that use the same principles to focus on topics like healthy eating, diversity, and other languages.

To see and purchase the books (and find out about readings) go to www.ireadandwrite.com.

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