Additional information
by Stephanie Marie Bunt (Author), Gallion Taylor (Illustrator)
"Goodnight, Knight" not only focuses on the long vowel I sound, it also teaches children to face their fears, to treat others with the same respect they would want to be treated and to give others the opportunity to grow and learn. The knight chooses to use kindness and compassion when faced with what he could have perceived as his enemy and teaches this potential foe, the spy, to help instead of hurt others.
Learning to read can be very difficult for children. It is important that the steps are small enough to ensure success. Many early reading children's books immediately cover all short and long vowel sounds together, which is very confusing for first time readers. Through my research I have found that it is very important to introduce the vowel sounds one at a time. Since there are so many first time reading books that blend too many words with too many vowel sounds together this can be frustrating for children and sometimes makes them want to shut down and give up. Therefore, I created these books so that children can build their confidence when reading. Each book focuses on a particular vowel sound and starts out with simple words for success. This book focuses on the short vowel O sound. Each book is meant to be read over and over by the parent, then together and eventually let the child try on their own. When reading the books point to each word and each sound as you read it. Then, work on blending the sounds as you point to each sound with the child. There are lists of the focus words at the beginning of each book to practice reading to and with your child. Since each book focuses on one vowel sound, it helps them to succeed in building their reading skills by working on one book and therefore one vowel sound at a time. As your child builds confidence in one book, they can move to the next.
Happy reading!
