Reading with Miss Amanda Level 1: Pre-Reader: Focusing on learning the letter sounds h, e, n

The Reading with Miss Amanda series provides the steps to reading success! The series is designed to be as easy as reading a bedtime story and fun for children 3+ who struggle with learning to read. Reading is a multi-step skill and can be difficult for children to acquire. Beginning readers use one section of the brain to connect phonetic sounds to the letters. Later on, they use a second part of the brain to read words. It is a process that each child will go through, and it is why children read very slowly at first. Then, a third part of the brain takes over and the child begins to recognize words. When this happens, the child can read much faster and begins to sight read. Children with dyslexia and/or children who struggle with learning to read cannot make a smooth connection from seeing words as individual sounds to seeing them as complete words. The different sections of the brain are not working efficiently together. However, with time, practice, and repetition, these children will learn to read. Learning to read for these children is a marathon, not a race.

The Montessori method has been shown to enhance reading outcomes in young children ages 3-6 and is useful in tutoring older children who struggle with learning to read. The Reading with Miss Amanda series is the first system to adapt the Montessori reading curriculum into user-friendly books. The series has five levels—Level 1: Pre-Reader, Level 2: Becoming a Reader, Level 3: Beginning Reader, Level 4: Budding Reader, and Level 5: Advanced Reader. Level 1 (typically ages 3+) follows the Montessori process of identify/recognize/recall. The lessons teach children to remember phonemes—basic sounds that are the building blocks to reading. Each book has step by step lessons offered simply by reading the dialogue of the teacher in the book. Your child’s imagination will bring the teacher to life, and you will witness the moment your child bridges the gap from reading single letter sounds to reading words.

Using the series is as easy as reading a bedtime story. The illustrations and games help engage children at the beginning, then evolve into appealing exercises that will teach your child to read. The lessons will feel completely intuitive to all children, even if they have different styles of learning, such as dyslexia. Each book has a built-in congratulations page and accomplishment page that rewards the child’s hard work and shows their progress. Amanda Riccetti, the author of the series, has dyslexia, as do her two children. She understands firsthand how important it is to teach children to learn to read. With over 35 years of experience as a Montessori teacher and reading tutor, and as a mother of two children with dyslexia, Amanda has personally witnessed the struggle that many children have when learning to read. Her lifelong mission is to help every child have the opportunity to have fun learning to read.

Level 1 is now available for purchase. Levels 2 & 3 are coming soon!