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

English language learners face unique challenges with phonics. Learn how sound systems differ across languages and how to adapt instruction for multilingual students.

ELL Students and Phonics: Understanding Sound System Differences

Maria’s kindergarten teacher noticed something puzzling. The bright five-year-old could identify every letter in...

Discover what makes phonics professional development effective for teachers. Learn which training elements lead to real classroom change and improved student outcomes.

Phonics Professional Development: Programs That Actually Work

It’s 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. Thirty exhausted teachers file into the library for...

Discover how to adapt systematic phonics instruction for students with learning differences, English language learners, and older struggling readers while maintaining research-based practices.

Teaching Phonics to Specialized Populations: Adapting Instruction for Every Learner

Your third grader still struggles to decode simple words. Your English language learner confuses...

Not all phonics apps are created equal. Learn which digital game features support real reading development and which are just dressed-up entertainment.

Digital Phonics Games: Which Ones Actually Follow Science?

You’re scrolling through educational apps at 10 PM, reading glowing reviews and watching demo...

Wondering how much screen time is too much for early readers? Learn how to balance digital phonics tools with hands-on learning for stronger literacy development.

Screen Time vs. Sound Time: The Phonics Balance

It’s 6:30 PM on a Tuesday. Dinner’s cooking, work emails are piling up, and...

Learn why systematic phonics instruction is essential for homeschool success and how to implement a structured approach that builds confident, capable readers from the ground up.

Systematic Phonics for Homeschoolers: Building Readers Step by Step

Your kindergartener knows the alphabet song by heart. She can identify most letters when...

Discover effective strategies for teaching phonics to students with Down syndrome. Learn how to combine sight words, systematic instruction, and personalized approaches to build strong reading skills.

Teaching Phonics to Students with Down Syndrome

Imagine it: a child with Down syndrome proudly reading their favorite book aloud, pointing...

Discover what truly motivates young readers in gamified phonics programs. Learn how to use game elements effectively while building a genuine love of reading and avoiding common pitfalls.

Gamification in Phonics: What Motivates Students?

Your kindergartener rushes to the tablet each morning, eager to earn more badges in...

Discover why morphophonemic awareness is crucial for upper elementary readers. Learn how combining sound and meaning instruction helps students decode complex academic vocabulary.

Morphophonemic Awareness: The Missing Link in Upper Elementary

Your fourth grader breezes through simple stories but stumbles over science textbooks. She can...

Understand why children forget letter sounds they've already learned. Discover brain-based reasons for memory gaps and effective strategies to help sounds stick.

Memory and Phonics: Why Some Kids Forget Letter Sounds

Your child confidently identifies the letter M on Monday. By Wednesday, they stare at...

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…

ELL Students and Phonics: Understanding Sound System Differences

ELL Students and Phonics: Understanding Sound System Differences

Maria’s kindergarten teacher noticed something puzzling. The bright five-year-old could identify every letter in the alphabet and knew most of their sounds. Yet when reading simple words, she consistently read…

Phonics Professional Development: Programs That Actually Work

Phonics Professional Development: Programs That Actually Work

It’s 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. Thirty exhausted teachers file into the library for mandatory professional development on phonics instruction. A consultant clicks through slides explaining the five components of…

Teaching Phonics to Specialized Populations: Adapting Instruction for Every Learner

Teaching Phonics to Specialized Populations: Adapting Instruction for Every Learner

Your third grader still struggles to decode simple words. Your English language learner confuses similar sounds. Your high schooler avoids reading aloud at all costs. These scenarios play out in…

Digital Phonics Games: Which Ones Actually Follow Science?

Digital Phonics Games: Which Ones Actually Follow Science?

You’re scrolling through educational apps at 10 PM, reading glowing reviews and watching demo videos of animated characters celebrating correct answers. This one promises to teach your child to read…

Screen Time vs. Sound Time: The Phonics Balance

Screen Time vs. Sound Time: The Phonics Balance

It’s 6:30 PM on a Tuesday. Dinner’s cooking, work emails are piling up, and your five-year-old is restless. You hand over the tablet loaded with that phonics app everyone recommends.…

Systematic Phonics for Homeschoolers: Building Readers Step by Step

Systematic Phonics for Homeschoolers: Building Readers Step by Step

Your kindergartener knows the alphabet song by heart. She can identify most letters when you point to them. She’s even started recognizing her name in print. So why does she…

Teaching Phonics to Students with Down Syndrome

Teaching Phonics to Students with Down Syndrome

Imagine it: a child with Down syndrome proudly reading their favorite book aloud, pointing to each word with growing confidence. This isn’t just a hopeful dream. It’s an achievable reality.…

Gamification in Phonics: What Motivates Students?

Gamification in Phonics: What Motivates Students?

Your kindergartener rushes to the tablet each morning, eager to earn more badges in their phonics app. Two months later, they barely glance at it. What happened? This scenario plays…

Morphophonemic Awareness: The Missing Link in Upper Elementary

Morphophonemic Awareness: The Missing Link in Upper Elementary

Your fourth grader breezes through simple stories but stumbles over science textbooks. She can decode “cat” and “jump” perfectly, but falls apart when facing “ecosystem” or “photosynthesis.” This may not…

Memory and Phonics: Why Some Kids Forget Letter Sounds

Memory and Phonics: Why Some Kids Forget Letter Sounds

Your child confidently identifies the letter M on Monday. By Wednesday, they stare at the same letter as if they’ve never seen it before. You wonder if you’re doing something…