Page 1: Let’s Start a New Game
Chapter 1 is written for tutoring a 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 year old child. For chapter 1, to make explanations easier, we pretend your child is a 4 year old girl named Savannah.
If your child is 7 or 8 years old, just skim chapter 1 for things we assume are already very easy for Danny, and then go to Chapter 2 for how to start the Reading Game with Danny. (If Nicholas is older than 8, there will be a different starting chapter, some day, so consider phoning or writing to Piper for what to do now. “Contact Piper“)
Here you’ll find explanations, preparations, and instructions for teaching your child to read with enjoyment and understanding — with a tremendous emphasis on enjoyment — beginning with the words “Let’s start a new game!”
This section explains the preparations for rapid success using your free Dog and dog-cat book.
Included are a variety of interactive activities with the child to prepare to play The Reading Game.
When working with a 3 or 4 year old, it is normal that the entire first session will consist of only the interactive activities. If you do not begin reading the book during the first session, even for a five or six year-old, it is OK.
Progressing at each child’s pace and keeping the game lively and fun is of primary importance.
Printing the Book:
Open the attachment for the Dog and dog-cat book that you receive in your email. You will need Adobe Reader to open it. (If you don’t have Adobe Reader, go to
to download it free.) Print the book, making sure that it prints one page on each sheet of paper.
*For preschoolers, keep pages 4 and 6 handy and keep the rest of the book out of sight — perhaps on a high shelf.
*For kindergartners, keep pages 4, 6, 8, and 10 handy and keep the rest of the book out of sight.
*For first and second graders, keep pages 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 handy and keep the rest of the book out of sight.
We want the child to taste and enjoy success at each and every session. We also want everything s/he sees to look easy. To accomplish that, each tiny “new” step follows immediately after enjoyment and praise for the previous easy success.
Look for:
for what to do when anything you think will be very easy turns out to be “hard” for your child.
By following these directions, as you show each new page you will be sharing the delight of reading “easy” words that your child already knows. That’s why we tell you to keep the other pages out of sight during this first session. Do not introduce anything you think might be hard.
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But what if something you think will be very easy turns out to be “hard” for your child? You simply do the right action yourself, or make the approximate “meow” or “woof-woof” sound yourself, or smile and give the right answer yourself. Then give your child a chance to try it “like me” — and praise or applaud the effort.