Why I Needed to Publish My Book

                                         

My journey into literacy advocacy began not as a trained teacher, but as a curious observer. I wanted to understand why so many bright children struggled to read in English, even though they could read fluently in Malay and Pinyin. That question drove me to teach from 2004 to 2010, and through those years I discovered something crucial: the widely accepted explanation—that dyslexia is caused by a phonological awareness deficit—was simply not true. All of my students could read in other languages; their difficulty was specific to English.

Between 2010 and 2017, I wrote over a hundred articles documenting these findings. By then, new research began to surface that supported what I had observed in practice. In 2010, I also uploaded free lessons to my blog to help desperate parents whose children were struggling to read. These lessons became a lifeline for many families.

Unfortunately, the hosting provider (FileDen) disappeared, and with it, all the lessons I had uploaded. Parents continued to ask me for the materials, so in 2020 I reloaded the lessons from my hard copies. Meanwhile, I had printed a hundred copies of lessons and distributed them to parents and teachers during my talks in 2019—talks that were cut short by the COVID‑19 pandemic.

One turning point came when a grandmother, Cindy Friedberg, reached out for help with her two grandchildren diagnosed as “dyslexic.” She found my lessons invaluable but cumbersome to follow online, and asked if she could buy my book. At that time, I only had printed copies, so I couriered 3 sets to her via DHL. Despite my insistence that she not cover the courier cost, she paid it through PayPal. That act of commitment convinced me that a properly published book was necessary. You may read her testimonial. LINK

So, in 2023, I published ‘Teach your Child to Read’ formally. While the price is higher than I would have liked—and beyond my control—the book is more than just text. It is a complete programme. Each copy includes a QR code linked to audio recordings by my son, a professional voice actor, who reads all the sounds of the introductory words and lessons. This makes the programme accessible and engaging for children, especially those who benefit from hearing and repeating sounds aloud.

Publishing the book was not about profit. It was about permanence, accessibility, and ensuring that parents and teachers had a reliable, structured resource to help children who might otherwise disengage from reading. My blog provided free lessons, but the book offers a comprehensive, enduring programme that combines written instruction with audio support—something that online posts alone could not achieve.