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Plain-English guides for teaching phonics at home: what to teach, in what order, and quick activities you can try tonight.
12 guides6 topicsFree to read, no sign-up
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Start here8 min read
How to Teach Phonics at Home: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide for Parents
A plain-English guide to teaching phonics at home: which sounds to start with, how to blend them into words, and how to fit it into ten…
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7 min read
Letter Sounds in Order: Which to Teach First (and Why)
Why phonics doesn’t start at A, the order to teach letter sounds in, how to say each sound clearly, and words your child can read after…
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7 min read
How to Teach Blending: Turning Letter Sounds into Words
Blending is when letter sounds become reading. How to teach it at home, six methods to try, and the mistakes that slow children down.
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7 min read
CVC Words List: 180+ Simple Words for Beginning Readers
A big list of CVC words sorted by vowel and word family, which ones to start with, which to avoid at first, and games that make…
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7 min read
Phonics vs Sight Words: What’s the Difference, and Which Comes First?
What phonics and sight words each mean, why phonics comes first, and how to teach the few common words that don’t follow the rules.
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7 min read
Tricky Words for Kindergarten: A List and How to Teach Them
A starter list of tricky words for kindergarten, grouped into small sets, with a simple way to teach each one using the parts your child can…
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7 min read
15 Phonics Games for 4-Year-Olds (No Screens, Almost No Prep)
Fifteen quick phonics games for four-year-olds using things you already have at home, from listening games to first blending, with tips on what to play when.
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7 min read
How to Help a Child Who Can’t Blend Sounds
Your child knows their letter sounds but can’t put them together into words. Here’s why that happens, eight things to try at home, and when to…
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7 min read
Digraphs Explained: Two Letters, One Sound
What digraphs are, the common consonant and vowel digraphs with example words, the order to teach them in, and simple games for practice at home.
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7 min read
A Simple Daily Reading Routine for Preschoolers
A realistic daily reading routine for preschoolers: read-aloud time, a few minutes of phonics play and talk, with sample routines for busy days.
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8 min read
How to Build Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten: 7 Simple Habits
Your child can read the words, but do they understand the story? Seven simple habits that build reading comprehension at home, plus a game for tonight.
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7 min read
The Best Phonics Books for Beginning Readers
Which books to give a child who is just learning to read: what decodable books are, series worth looking for, and read-aloud favorites to enjoy alongside…