Articles

Inspire a love of learning through phonics.

Whether you’re a teacher, family member, tutor, or childcare professional, you can have a positive impact on a child’s life. One of the most extraordinary gifts a child ever receives is the ability to read and write.

Although literacy doesn’t come naturally to humans, it’s an essential part of our everyday lives. Explicit, effective, and encouraging phonics instruction is vital to creating a more literate world.  Explore the trusted resources, articles, and reviews from phonics.org to instill a love of learning in someone you care about.

Phonics Resources for All

What makes a phonics app worth downloading? A parent's guide to evidence-based features.

What to Look for in a Phonics App Before You Download

There are thousands of phonics and reading apps available for kids right now, and...

Audiobooks build vocabulary and motivation, but can they teach phonics? What parents and teachers need to know.

Audiobooks and Phonics: Helpful Supplement or Decoding Shortcut?

Ask a room full of parents whether audiobooks “count” as reading, and you’ll get...

AI reading tutors are everywhere. What the research says about whether they help kids learn phonics.

AI Tutoring Apps and Phonics: Promising or Problematic?

AI-powered reading tools have moved from novelty to a common fixture in classrooms. By...

Over 40 states have passed science of reading laws. Here's what they require and what to ask your school.

Science of Reading Legislation: A State-by-State Overview

Over the past five years, 42 states and the District of Columbia have passed...

Six dyslexia myths still circulating in schools, and the research that proves them wrong.

Dyslexia Myths That Are Still Hurting Kids

If misinformation about dyslexia were harmless, this article wouldn’t need to exist. But the...

Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 kids. Structured literacy is the phonics approach that changes outcomes when started early.

The Dyslexia-Phonics Connection: Why Structured Literacy Is Non-Negotiable

If you’re reading this because something feels off with your child’s reading, trust that...

Vague IEP reading goals stall progress. Here's the specific phonics language to ask for and why it matters.

IEP Goals and Phonics: What to Ask For and Why

If you’ve already sat through an IEP meeting and walked out feeling like the...

Learn how to use phoneme-grapheme mapping at home to help your child connect sounds to letters and build strong reading skills.

How To Use Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping at Home

When your child writes “sip” instead of “ship,” they’re not making a careless mistake....

Sight words and phonics work together, not against each other. Learn how to support your child's reading with both approaches at home.

Sight Words and Phonics: Friends, Not Enemies

If you’ve spent any time in early literacy circles, you’ve probably noticed something strange:...

Word sorting builds early reading skills and supports phonics with proven, research-backed results.

Word Sorting: The Low-Tech Phonics Strategy with Big Results

Among kindergarten teachers, word sorting holds a quiet kind of reverence. It asks for...

Reading.com App Review

Reading.com App Review

A Unique, Research-Based Approach to Teaching Children to Read At phonics.org, we evaluate phonics programs designed for children—empowering you to make informed decisions about the most suitable apps for your…

What to Look for in a Phonics App Before You Download

What to Look for in a Phonics App Before You Download

There are thousands of phonics and reading apps available for kids right now, and most of them look convincing. Bright colors, animated characters, cheerful sound effects. It all signals “educational.”…

Audiobooks and Phonics: Helpful Supplement or Decoding Shortcut?

Audiobooks and Phonics: Helpful Supplement or Decoding Shortcut?

Ask a room full of parents whether audiobooks “count” as reading, and you’ll get a sharply divided answer. Some swear by them as the thing that finally got their reluctant…

AI Tutoring Apps and Phonics: Promising or Problematic?

AI Tutoring Apps and Phonics: Promising or Problematic?

AI-powered reading tools have moved from novelty to a common fixture in classrooms. By 2026, adaptive phonics apps and AI reading tutors are in widespread use across elementary schools, and…

Science of Reading Legislation: A State-by-State Overview

Science of Reading Legislation: A State-by-State Overview

Over the past five years, 42 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws or adopted policies requiring schools to teach reading using evidence-based, Science of Reading-aligned methods. That’s…

Dyslexia Myths That Are Still Hurting Kids

Dyslexia Myths That Are Still Hurting Kids

If misinformation about dyslexia were harmless, this article wouldn’t need to exist. But the myths still circulating in schools, pediatric offices, and even some special education programs are actively delaying…

The Dyslexia-Phonics Connection: Why Structured Literacy Is Non-Negotiable

The Dyslexia-Phonics Connection: Why Structured Literacy Is Non-Negotiable

If you’re reading this because something feels off with your child’s reading, trust that instinct. Roughly one in five kids in any classroom shows signs of dyslexia, and most won’t…

IEP Goals and Phonics: What to Ask For and Why

IEP Goals and Phonics: What to Ask For and Why

If you’ve already sat through an IEP meeting and walked out feeling like the reading goals were soft, vague, or weirdly disconnected from what your child actually needs, you’re not…

How To Use Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping at Home

How To Use Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping at Home

When your child writes “sip” instead of “ship,” they’re not making a careless mistake. They’re missing a small but important skill. They haven’t yet learned that two letters, “s” and…

Sight Words and Phonics: Friends, Not Enemies

Sight Words and Phonics: Friends, Not Enemies

If you’ve spent any time in early literacy circles, you’ve probably noticed something strange: people argue about sight words. One camp says memorizing sight words is essential. Another says it’s…

Word Sorting: The Low-Tech Phonics Strategy with Big Results

Word Sorting: The Low-Tech Phonics Strategy with Big Results

Among kindergarten teachers, word sorting holds a quiet kind of reverence. It asks for nothing more than a small pile of word cards and a child willing to look closely,…