Good tools, nothing fancy
Recommended books and supplies
You don’t need to buy anything to teach phonics at home. Paper, a pencil and ten minutes will do. But if you want a few good tools, these are the ones we would start with.
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Books
Books for beginning readers
The first books a child reads on their own should use only the sounds they know. Pull one off the shelf, or read our round-up for what each series is like and who it suits.
For your child to read: decodable books
For you to read aloud together
Supplies
Simple supplies
These cost little and get used every day.
Small pieces! Magnetic letters and letter tiles are not for children under three. Check the age label.
For little handswriting and coloring
The right size matters more than fancy stationery. We’d buy the pencils before anything else.
- Triangular beginner pencilsThick, three-sided pencils that guide fingers into a comfortable grip. A soft lead makes a dark line without pressing hard.See pencils on Amazon
- Pencil gripsSoft grips that slip onto an ordinary pencil, for children who hold it in a fist or press too hard.See pencil grips on Amazon
- Jumbo washable crayonsFat crayons that don’t snap easily, for scribbling, coloring and tracing big letters.See crayons on Amazon
- Triangular colored pencilsThe next step up from crayons, for neater coloring and for marking sounds in different colors.See colored pencils on Amazon
- Washable broad-line markersBright and easy to use for big letters, sound hunts and labels around the house.See markers on Amazon
- A sharpener for jumbo pencilsA large-barrel sharpener sized for chunky first pencils, with a container that catches the shavings.See sharpener on Amazon
For writing practicelines, boards and sleeves
- Primary handwriting paperA top line, a dashed middle line and a baseline, the same lines as our tracing sheets.See paper on Amazon
- A small whiteboard and dry-erase pensWrite a word, read it, wipe it, change one letter.See the whiteboard on AmazonSee the pens on Amazon
- Clear sheet protectorsSlip a tracing sheet inside and use a dry-erase marker on top, and one printout lasts for weeks.See sheet protectors on Amazon
For word cards and gamesbuild it, sort it, play it
- Magnetic lettersLowercase and capital letters, plus numbers, for building words on the fridge or a baking tray. Start with the lowercase ones.See letters on Amazon
- A wooden CVC spelling setWooden letters and picture cards for building short words like cat and dog, then changing one letter to make a new word.See letters on Amazon
- White card stockHeavier paper for printing word cards and bingo boards so they survive lots of handling.See card stock on Amazon
- Index cardsFor homemade word cards and games of snap.See index cards on Amazon
- Round-tip children’s scissorsFor older preschoolers to help cut out cards, with a grown-up nearby.See scissors on Amazon
- Washable glue sticksFor sorting games where children stick words or pictures under the right heading.See glue sticks on Amazon
- Reward stickersA sticker on the reading log after each session is a small thing that many children love.See stickers on Amazon
For grown-upsworth it if you print a lot
- A home laminator and pouchesLaminated word cards and game boards wipe clean and last for months. Grown-ups only: it gets hot.See laminator on Amazon
- A basket of library booksThe books are free, and still the best reading supply of all. Keep them in one basket and swap them every week or two.See baskets on Amazon
Our own printables
Free and paid printables that match our guides
Picture stories, word cards, tracing sheets, bingo and more.
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