| In the beginning: TRAILS began in the early 1990's as a pilot program for at-risk kindergarten children and their families. By bringing reading material into the homes of kindergarten children, the primary mission of The Read-Along Program - family literacy -
was realized. The second edition: In keeping with this central theme, we have developed a second-generation program using simple text, which is available here - online. The purpose of this version of TRAILS is to provide children with printable mini-books they can read and illustrate, independent of adult
assistance. (see
The Imagination Station for an explanation of the value of illustrating.)
I can do it all by myself: When provided with the appropriate tools, children will develop a sense of ownership and control over their own learning. To this end, we have written the text in this series using high-frequency words (see
I Can Read). We have also designed the books in a simple, easy to construct format.
The Read-Along books are available in .pdf format. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you may download the free program by visiting their website at:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Directions: Print each .pdf file using 1 sheet of 8½ x 11 paper. Encourage your child to cut out the 4 mini-pages, draw the illustrations, and staple the book together. |