Phonics

A Simple Guide for Teachers and Parents (Pre-K through 6th Grade) If you’re a teacher just starting to teach phonics—or a parent trying to support your child at home—you might be wondering: “What phonics skills should kids be learning each year?” The good news is that phonics instruction follows a fairly predictable path. Skills build step by step, helping children move from recognizing letters to becoming confident, fluent readers. This guide will give you a clear, grade-b

Let’s be honest for a second. A lot of us are being asked to teach phonics … without being given a clear phonics curriculum, enough materials, or even the time we’d like to do it well. And yet—we know  how important it is. Strong phonics instruction is one of the biggest drivers of early reading success. But when you’re piecing things together on your own, it can feel overwhelming. So here’s the good news: You don’t need a full program to make a real impact. What you do  need

Learning to read is one of the most important skills children develop in school. For over a century, educators in the United States have debated the best way to teach reading. At the center of that discussion is phonics —the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. Understanding how phonics instruction has changed over time can help teachers see why current research places such a strong emphasis on explicit phonics instruction in the early grades. Early Rea

Why Blending Deserves More Time in the Classroom If you have ever taught a student who knows all their letter sounds but still cannot read simple words, you are not alone. Many early readers can tell you that S says s and M says m but freeze the moment you ask them to read the word Sam. The problem is not usually sound knowledge. The problem is blending. Blending is the quiet hero of early reading instruction, but research shows it is also one of the most overlooked practices