Randomized Reading Lists for Kiddos using Bash Pipelines

Our kiddo is very good at memorizing stories and word sequences but needs to work on looking at the letters on the page. Simple bash pipelines can produce useful offline learning materials.

For example, print a randomized word list from inline story text for a book your kid loves:

#!/bin/bash
tr -d '",!.-' << EOF                          \
    | tr -s ' ' '\n'                          \
    | sed '/^$/d'                             \
    | sort -u                                 \
    | shuf                                    \
    | column -c 64                            \
    | nl                                      \
    | a2ps -1 --chars-per-line=70 --no-header

The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind
and another
his mother called him "WILD THING!"
...

EOF

Run the script once to produce the word list. Print the source once to have the picture-less story. Carry both in your pocket on the plane/train/etc. After some work on the word list, the kid should be encouraged by "rediscovering" the picture-less story he knows using the sight words he's just practiced. In theory. Still working on the practice.

Another example, print a randomized list of kindergarten sight words:

#!/bin/bash
sort -u <<EOF | shuf | column -c 64 | nl | a2ps -1 --chars-per-line=70 --no-header
a
about
after
again
all
always
am
an
and
any
are
as
ask
at
away
back
ball
be
beautiful
because
been
begin
best
big
but
by
came
can
come
could
couldn't
day
did
do
does
don't
down
each
easy
eat
either
enough
family
find
for
friend
from
fun
get
girl
go
goes
going
got
great
had
has
have
he
her
here
high
him
his
home
house
how
I
idea
if
I'm
in
into
is
it
jump
just
know
last
let
like
little
look
love
make
man
me
might
mom
more
mother
much
my
never
next
no
not
now
of
often
on
or
our
out
over
play
pretty
probably
put
ran
read
ready
run
said
same
sat
saw
say
school
see
she
should
sit
so
soon
special
such
suddenly
take
than
that
the
their
them
themselves
then
there
they
they're
things
think
this
thought
three
through
to
today
together
too
two
under
until
up
us
very
wait
walk
want
was
we
went
were
what
when
where
while
who
will
with
without
yes
you
your
you're
yourself
EOF