“Valerie Bendt’s latest book, Reading Made Easy is just that – an easy to follow reading manual that requires no advanced preparation on the part of the parent. She has created her own symbols to designate the varying phonetic sounds, such as for the short and long vowels and silent letters. She also includes original stories and poems to use as readers as the child progresses through the manual.
In an effort to make learning to read more fun and interesting for the child, some of the lessons incorporate simple games, such as Sight Word Bingo and Sight Word Worms, for which patterns are provided. Sight words are introduced at an earlier level than in other reading programs, allowing the child to read more interesting passages. Introduction to the use of capital letters, periods, commas, questions marks, quotation marks, and exclamation marks are also slipped into the material with ease. Without placing a heavy emphasis on grammar, the child is introduced to more advanced concepts in a very natural and easy fashion.
Valerie has a true love of reading and realizes the pleasure books can offer. She enthusiastically shares this passion with others. Valerie motivates the child to see the true joy of reading by quickly gaining an understanding of the written word. To further assist the child’s comprehension, the child is shown a simple drawing that relates to the story. She encourages the child to draw his own pictures and to write sentences about his picture. Gradually, she encourages the child to write his own stories (by dictating them to his parent) and to practice his reading using these stories.
Reading Made Easy concludes with Mrs. Bendt’s, twelve-chapter short story, “Gideon’s Gift.” This heartfelt story emphasizes the joy of reading and writing while stressing the significance of giving God the glory in all situations and finding our God given gifts. Each chapter’s suspenseful conclusion urges the child on to the next lesson. This beautifully written account exposes the child to vocabulary not normally used in today’s books for children.”
Cathy Pierce – Children’s Librarian
Valerie and her husband, Bruce, have homeschooled their six children all of their school lives. Valerie has written the following books of interest to homeschoolers: How to Create Your Own Unit Study, The Unit Study Idea Book, Success with Unit Studies, For the Love of Reading, Creating Books with Children, The Frances Study Guide, Successful Puppet Making, Reading Made Easy, and Making the Most of the Preschool Years. Valerie and Bruce s three oldest children have graduated from homeschooling, and they continue to homeschool their other children. The family resides in Tampa, Florida.
