What began in December 2024 as a simple idea to help children learn to read has grown into a global resource for families, teachers, and second-language learners—all created by 18-year-old Claire McDaniel of Farmington, New Mexico.
McDaniel, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the daughter of two educators, recently told Church News that the project—part of her efforts to achieve the Girl Scout Gold Award, the organization’s highest achievement—was inspired by countless hours spent in her mother’s first-grade classroom, where she witnessed students struggling to develop basic literacy skills.
“There was this little girl, and she really struggled with reading, and I just couldn’t understand, like I don’t know why she can’t get it,” she said. “That’s when my mom was like, well, she just doesn’t have access to resources outside of school.”
Love Is Literacy
At first, McDaniel thought about creating physical packets of reading materials to distribute in local libraries. “But then I realized that wasn’t really efficient,” she said.
“I talked to my troop leader and she said, ‘Oh, why don’t you do videos? It’ll be able to reach a lot more people worldwide,’” McDaniel explained. “So, that’s when I really started focusing on the video aspect of it.”
Her YouTube channel, “Love Is Literacy,” features phonics-based instruction tailored for both younger and older learners, with colorful graphics and examples designed to make reading approachable and fun. “The aim is to really just reach kids and teach them that these skills aren’t hard, and they’re fun. And if you can learn these foundational skills, then you’ll be set,” McDaniel explained.
Read the rest of the article at the Church News.
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