September 14th, 2025, 2pm MDT
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, created by 18-year-old Claire McDaniel of Farmington, New Mexico.
McDaniel, a member of the Latter-day Saint Church of Jesus Christ and daughter of two educators, recently told the church news that the project, part of her efforts to achieve the organization’s finest achievement, Girl Scout Gold Award, was inspired by countless hours spent in her mother’s first grade classrooms and witnessed students struggling to develop basic character abilities.
“I had this little girl and she really had a hard time reading, so I couldn’t understand why she couldn’t get it,” she said. “It was like my mother, well, she had no access to resources outside of school.”
Love is literacy
Initially, McDaniel considered creating a physical packet of reading material for distribution to the local library. “But then I realized that it wasn’t really efficient,” she said.
“I spoke to the leader of the squad and she said, ‘Oh, why don’t you do video? We can reach more people all over the world,” explained McDaniel. “So that’s when I really started focusing on the video aspect.”
Her YouTube channel, Love Is Lirecacy, features phonics-based instruction tailored to both young and older learners, and is designed to make reading more accessible and enjoyable with colorful graphics. “The goal is to actually reach the kids and teach them that these skills are not difficult and fun. And if you can learn these basic skills, you’ll be set,” explained McDaniel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4znbyk1tb8
I feel the Lord’s hand
This work is confirmed by McDaniel, who has extended her beyond her comfort zone. She didn’t even know how to formally teach reading or edit videos.
“When I started the project, I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said.
She explained that while working on the video, she often receives revelation.
“These ideas didn’t come from myself,” she said. “So I’ve really seen spirits function that way. It was really cool to put in a little bit. And God just does the rest.”
Her videos helped not only children but also parents and English learners. Growing up in the Spanish-speaking branch of a local congregation, McDaniel hoped the project would also serve as a second language individual in his English.
Literacy and apprentice
For McDaniel, literacy is not only an academic skill, but also a mental skill.
“If people can’t read, are they getting the words of Christ?” she added: “It’s important that I read the Bible every day. Learning every day is also very important to our spiritual development.”
She said she hopes her projects will remind others that their talent and gifts can celebrate life. “The talent and gifts were given to us for a reason,” she said.
McDaniel recently began his first semester at the University of New Mexico. I’m studying political science there. However, she has not finished creating literacy content. And she will continue to teach people the content she creates for the next few months and years.
Global commitment to church literacy
McDaniel’s project reflects the broader priorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, particularly for children and mothers, to support education and literacy around the world. The current initiatives are:
Education in Angola: In collaboration with UNICEF, the church implements literacy systems in 34 primary schools. Children’s Books in Vanuatu: Working with Save the Children, the church helped create and distribute 100 culturally and linguistically appropriate children’s books in a country where many families lack access to reading materials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuufpczui6m
It’s proof of learning
For McDaniel, the project reinforced her confidence that both learning-minded and time-centered were the centre of the disciple. “Schools aren’t the only development of literacy,” she said. “It’s about understanding the Bible, strengthening your faith, and being able to approach Christ.”
