Ever wonder why your child is struggling to read?

One Elkhart teacher believes what children read makes a big difference and is trying to help.

Lamonte Heflick is a speech hearing and language pathologist at Roosevelt Primary in Elkhart.

He was inspired to develop interesting and easy-to-read books after working with a fourth grader who read at a first grade level.

He’s written about 40 “pup fiction” books. Titles include Al Catbone, Boney and Clyde and Barco Polo. Heflick has also published a series of 50 word books featuring Thin Than, and he also illustrates the adventures of the stick figure character.

Students say they enjoy the books and get into the characters.

“They love Pokemon, they love television, and rather than compete with it or reject it, I kind of pull on it, play on it, get into their world. I try not to talk like an authority figure, talking down to the kids, but sit at their level and listen to their interests,” says Heflick.

He says he believes that giving students reading material that excites them will help speed up the learning process.

“For me, it’s fun to say we all know that students are going to read best when they’re reading material that interests them, and then they’re with adults who can be their guide. That’s how people read.”

Heflick also teaches middle school Japanese and Chinese.

His work can be found on Amazon.com, as well as local bookstores.

To watch our entire interview with Lamonte Heflick, click on the link above.