YES! You Are Capable of Teaching Your Child to Read

Here's How to Get Started with Confidence!

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**Full disclosure: there are some affiliate links in this post and if you choose to purchase through the links I provided, I will receive a small commission from them.***

The other day I was scrolling on Facebook and came across a post in a homeschool group I follow where a parent was expressing how frustrated and stressed out they were about how to teach their child to read and asked for support and any tips. Naturally, I headed to the comment section to see what other parents had to say. Instead of seeing a bunch of helpful tips, I saw a lot of responses like "Following" or "Same!" and even one that said, "I feel that! These younger years are the hardest." It brought me back to when I first opened up KinderClub and my only teaching experience had been in a first grade classroom where most of the kids came in already knowing the basics of reading and I really did not have an understanding of how to start from scratch. I felt SO overwhelmed! My whole first year was really a dump heap of trying out different curriculums and hoping that something would stick!!

Most of the year I felt like a total fraud of a teacher and I felt a ton of pressure to get the group I had to learn all of their letters and to read three-letter words. It was definitely a year of trial and a whole lot of error; I gave myself grace but continued to research and learn everything I could about how to teach a child to read. I was incredibly grateful to find out there is an actual, scientific approach to reading that makes sense and is actually EASY and SIMPLE!! It is called The Science of Reading Approach and I have successfully gotten both of my daughters to read by the age of 4, I send most of my transitional kindergarteners off to kindergarten with the ability to read, and have tutored several older children who were considered reading below grade level and gotten them to where they needed to be and beyond. So when I see parents who are riding the struggle bus, feeling overwhelmed, and worried that they are going to fail their child, I see you and I know how you feel... I also know now that there is a tried-and-true way to do it and you are COMPLETELY capable of doing it!

So, if you’ve read this far, you probably have a child ready to embark on the magical journey of learning to read, or maybe you’re feeling the tug that you want to teach your child to read, but aren’t sure if you’re qualified. First, let me remind you of one powerful truth: you are your child’s first and most important teacher. You’re perfectly capable of guiding your child’s reading journey, and the process can be joyful, stress-free, and incredibly rewarding.

Why Waiting for Interest Matters

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a mom, homeschooler, and teacher is this: learning needs to come from a place of curiosity and interest. When we push reading too early or make it feel like a chore, children can associate learning with frustration, leading them to resent it. But when a child shows genuine interest and excitement, you’ll see their eyes light up as they begin to discover new words and unlock stories on their own. That's why I mentioned that I get most of my transitional kindergarteners to read, but not all. I respect that not every child is ready to begin the reading journey at 4 and 5 and pushing it only leads to tears and resentment. But those that are interested learn with a hunger and excitement, which makes it WAY more fun of a process! Wait for the desire to start and then you will have a reader in no time at all!

So... What is The Science of Reading Approach??

The Science of Reading is a research-based approach that focuses on the way children learn to read most effectively. It emphasizes phonics and phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in words—as foundational skills for successful reading. This method goes beyond just memorizing words or guessing at them based on pictures. Instead, it builds a strong foundation where your child can understand and decode new words using letter-sound relationships. It also goes beyond rote memorization for sight words, teaching kids to pull apart a word by its sounds, and memorize the word by which parts follow phonetic rules and which parts of the word we need to memorize because they break the traditional phonetic rules.

In practical terms, here’s what that means for you as a parent:

1. Letter-Sounds First: Begin with teaching your child the sounds each letter makes, not just the letter names. For example, when pointing out the letter "M," say “/m/ for monkey” rather than just “This is the letter M.” It is very important to teach the letter sounds correctly without any extra emphasis on letter sounds. Most people teach that the letter B says "buh" and the letter D says "Duh" but we should really be teaching a very short, crisp version of those sounds. Adding that extra sound at the end gets in the way of kids being able to blend the sounds together to read words. This sounds confusing, but HERE is a great video to show the correct pronunciation of letters. There is also a big emphasis on correct mouth formation and seeing the mouth shape as you say the letter sound to ensure kids are saying their letter sounds the right way. Surprisingly, I've had several kids with slight speech impediments train themselves out of their impediment because they practice forming their mouths the correct shape as they say the letter sound!

2. Phonemic Awareness Activities: This is the ability to manipulate or change sounds in words. Practice listening games that help your child hear and play with sounds. Try asking questions like, “What’s the first sound in ‘sun’?” or clapping out the syllables in words like “apple” (clap twice). You can even combine or break apart compound words (we call it smushing words together and breaking them apart in my class). There are also so many fun songs that play around with sounds, like Down by the Bay, Apples and Bananas, BINGO, and Willaby Wallaby Woo.

3. Phonological Awareness: This is the ability to hear individual sounds in words. You can foster this by helping your child notice rhyming words and break down simple words into their individual sounds (e.g., cat is /c/ /a/ /t/). Lovevery just came out with kits for 4 year olds and my youngest is OBSESSED with The Persister Play Kit! We play a game where we pick a mini toy and "tap out," or use our fingers as a tactile and visual example, to seperate the sounds in the word. If that kit sounds like something your child would benefit from, you can get $12 off your first kit by using the code LOVEIL at checkout!

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Simple Activities to Teach Letter-Sounds and Phonemic Awareness

-Name Recognition: Start with your child’s name! Kids are naturally drawn to learning about something that’s theirs. Practice finding the letters in their name on signs or in books, and say the sounds as you go. There's more to say about this down below!

- Letter Hunts: When you’re out and about, point out letters on signs, in the grocery store, or in books at home. You can turn it into a game! “Look, there’s a P on this cereal box! What sound does it make?” I personally wore a lot of shirts with writing on it and my youngest learned most of her letter names and sounds through our talks about the letters on my shirt! Really anything around you and anywhere you go can be turned into a learning opportunity!

- Sound Games: Play a game where you say a word and your child has to tell you what sound it starts with, ends with, or for a challenge, what sound(s) they hear in the middle. If you have the Lovevery The Persister Playkit that I mentioned above, you can use the included letters, miniature toys, and cards to practice hearing sounds and identifying what sounds are in the words. The cool thing about those mini toys is that they are all objects that only have three letters in them, which is perfect for beginners! If the playkit is out of the budget, these CVC Magnets and Alphabet Magnets from Amazon would do the trick!

A Print-Rich Environment

Creating a print-rich environment at home can make a huge difference in your child’s early literacy skills. Here’s how to do it:

- Label Common Items: Label toy bins, furniture, and household objects so your child sees words connected to real-life things.

- Have Books Available: Fill your home with books that are easy for your child to reach and explore. Decodable books, like Bob Books, are perfect beginner books to have on hand as your child begins their reading journey! These books are created with words that can be easily sounded out and simpler sight words. Also, consider library trips to keep the excitement fresh!

- Play with Print: Include magnetic letters on the fridge, puzzles with letters, and games that involve matching letters and sounds.

The Power of Your Child's Name

A great way to start teaching your child is by focusing on their own name. I’ve created an 8-week curriculum called Let’s Learn My Name, designed to help your child recognize and spell their name through quick, low-prep, hands-on activities. This curriculum is ideal for those first steps into reading because it connects learning with something your child already loves—their own identity! It sets a solid foundation and boosts confidence for further letter recognition and phonics learning.

Next Steps and My Favorite Resources

Once your child has mastered recognizing and spelling their name, it’s time to explore the rest of the alphabet and move deeper into phonics and reading strategies. Here’s what I recommend:

- Guided Phonics and Beyond by Tara West: A fantastic resource for structured, step-by-step phonics lessons that build on one another. This was designed for classroom use, but you can totally use it for homeschooling. This curriculum will guide you from Pre-K level to 2nd grade level and really is top-notch!

- Secret Stories: This curriculum makes phonics fun with engaging stories that help children remember tricky letter-sound combinations. Honestly, I wish I would have invested in this sooner! This is perfect for 3-5/6 year-olds and makes learning letter sounds and tricky letter combinations much easier for young kids!

- Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons: Perfect for parents who want a clear, straightforward, and at-home-friendly guide to phonics instruction.

-The Reading Buddies on Youtube is an AMAZING resource to use to help add a little extra letter-sound, phonemic, phonological awareness practice into your child's day without making them feel like they are in the middle of a lesson. The creativity and cuteness of this show draws kids in and because it's so educationally rich, you don't have to feel guilty about them watching it!

A Final Encouragement

Teaching your child to read doesn’t need to be complicated or intimidating. Start small, celebrate the wins (no matter how tiny), and enjoy the journey. Follow their lead and try not to force it! Remember, it’s not just about learning to read; it’s about fostering a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

You’ve got this, parents. You are more than capable, and with these tools and ideas, you’re well on your way to creating a confident, enthusiastic reader!

Have any of your own favorite tricks or tools to teach kids to read? Leave a comment below!