Meet Jordan Hayes | Children’s Author and Reading Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Hayes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After getting my master’s in reading education, I felt that I could share what I learned on a bigger scale. So often, young parents or parents with painful schooling backgrounds have a challenging relationship with reading, and this transfers to their kids. By no fault of the parents, this idea that reading is painful is the family legacy, and I wanted to change this. I learned through raising my young kids you need two things. Support through a group and confidence to do what you know is right with their education. I gained confidence through earning my master’s, and I knew through going to moms’ groups that community was vital. I aim to share reading strategies with parents of all backgrounds to help close the achievement gap. I also want to set up small communities to help parents and guardians support themselves. Suppose parents knew that teaching their child to read wasn’t as daunting as it is shown to be, as a whole, the U.S. would be in a much better shape. I have this metaphor that if school systems are the leaky hose, and so many of our nation’s kids are getting lost, then we need to shut the water off at the source, the faucet. The parents, guardians, and caretakers of these kids are the faucet. I started by starting an Instagram page where I share simple strategies, and it has morphed into writing fun children’s books for parents to share and a blog site where I share materials and simple tools.

I have lots of stories in my mind that I want to share with my community, and the first one is already out! It’s called “The Magic Pen: the Beginning.” I want to demonstrate through my stories that family is important. The first story illustrates this by having a bored family who gets their life turned upside down by a magician who gifts them a magical pen. The pen takes the writer wherever they write. I started my journey with this story because I’ve had the idea for ten years. I then was struggling with the grief of my mom passing from cancer, and the story had the space to become a beautiful distraction. Family for me is vital, and through reading with our kids and sharing this sacred space of sitting alongside each other reading, we heal. This gift is something I want all families to experience, and reading is the epicenter. If more families read together, there would be more connection, more understanding, more love. The world would be such a better place. But my experience with reading isn’t everyone’s. I had trouble reading as a kid, but I had the socio background to help that trouble. I also am pretty tenacious. Why can’t everyone have that leg up? I think it’s because when you have a hurt, it’s hard to move on. So that’s where I want to help. I want parents to know that reading to their kids has more benefits than they could realize for parents and kids alike. Instagram became the place to share free reading strategies and share that I have stories to tell. My next steps are to write stories for parents that help them understand the simple reading steps to help their kids be the best readers they can be. I also want to share a few silly stories as well. I want to be the place where, if someone needs help, I can come alongside them. Parents know their kids the best, so they know what they need, even if they don’t think so. those who are with the kids day in and out are the biggest heroes; sometimes, they just need to realize they have the cape around their neck, you might just need someone to remind you.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create children’s books, that are fun, touching, and rhyme. I’ve managed to use my gift to bring a strong literacy skill needed to set a strong love of reading, and a reading foundation to build upon to my stories. Rhyming is one of the first skills needed to learn to read, and often people forget how important that is. My husband jokes that books that rhyme help parents read to their kids at night since they’re so interesting. So this was a must when I sat down to tell my story of The Magic Pen and other’s I’m working on.

I think what makes writing stories so exciting is watching kids enjoy them. I have been able to share The Magic Pen with many of my kid’s classmates and they often ask me about the next installment of the story. It’s just an honor to have my idea be a part of someone’s bedtime routine since so many beloved stories are a part of our families.

I had the idea of the Magic Pen from my honeymoon when we found a pen on our cruise ship. I wondered how many places this pen had been and if it could be a magical story. I had time on my hands when my son was at preschool a few hours a week so I spent this time creating. In my personal life, I was struggling with my mom. She was sick with cancer at the time and eventually passed. I found myself laughing and enjoying these moments of writing during this pain. Some joy in the sadness and it became my solace. I loved that it never felt like work to me, it felt like something I was always meant to do. So in this way, it was easy to create, but finding the time in life to create can be challenging. I find myself having to greatly prioritize it but when I sit down to do it or jot down an idea I’m back in love again.

I’ve learned that if you find yourself feeling that joyful feeling when it doesn’t make sense then you should follow it. I’m not being chased down by publishing companies, but I feel as if I’m doing what I was put on earth to do. I taught for so many years and you are always imaginative on your feet with teaching. This was a way to share my story with so many other kids and I hope one day it will spread.

I think one of the most challenging setbacks was having to learn how to use Photoshop and the self-publishing side of making a book. I had only used Canva in the past, but Photoshop is a new animal. My words are very creative but my drawing hand isn’t up to where I’d like to be. So I hired an illustrator and she did an outstanding job! I had to move some words and things around in Photoshop and that was a huge learning curve! I couldn’t believe how hard it was. However, as I said before I’m quite tenacious so I didn’t give up. Often there will be so many roadblocks saying you should get back on the couch. I say stay off and keep going, maybe after some ice cream and a Netflix show. I’m thankful my husband and I kept faith in myself!

My brand is all about getting parents to read to their kids. If this story causes a family, any shape or size, to sit side by side and enjoy this story then my purpose has been fulfilled. The world is a better place when we read.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had all the time in the world, I’d say paddle boarding at the lakes near Denver is amazing. This beautiful creation we live around is like nowhere else. We truly live in the best place. If I had to choose, the day would start at brunch. We’d have a packed lunch and paddle board in the jeep and then head to Breckenridge Brewery, and I’d let my kids play outside on the green grass while a live band played. If I had the time, I’d head up into the mountains and go to Breckenridge itself. It was one of the first mountain towns I visited when my brother was a lift-ie, so it holds such a special place in my heart.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many moms along the way have supported and shaped me into the woman I am today. First, moms in my mom’s group watched my daughter so I could attend my practicums. My mother-in-law Becky Hayes, let me borrow her classroom to observe reading and share what I learned in my master’s program. My mother Mary Jarecke gave me unending support and encouragement. The moms in my neighborhood encouraged me to write my book and took the time to edit, read, take my headshots, and share the book during the beginning stages. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all I have without the support of the mothers in my neighborhood.

All this to say, I have a few dads in my life who are foundations of support. My dad, my Father-in-law, and my husband, My kid’s dad. My husband, Drew has been the ultimate reason my book turned out to be as good as it is. He pushed me to make my rhymes the best they could be. He supported my dream and gave me the space to live it out. I have an incredible support system. They are a huge blessing in my life.

I also would not have been able to make the professional book that I made without a fellow author, Mary Ting. She patiently walked me through it all and introduced me to the other women who would help my book shine! I found that the author community is remarkably kind to their newcomers. This was a huge example of women lifting each other up: mothers, neighbors, authors, and dads!

Website: https://www.wovenreading.com

Instagram: @woven_reading

Facebook: woven reading

Other: wovenreading@gmail.com

Image Credits
Danielle Bailey Photography
https://daniellebaileyphot.wixsite.com/website