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.”