For Parents

Help your child strengthen their literacy skills at any stage of development.

Your family plays a big role in helping your child learn to read and write. With the right phonics activities at home, you can support your child’s literacy development and academic success. The more you understand how and why phonics instruction works, the better you can facilitate effective and meaningful learning experiences with your family. 

To help your child practice phonics at home, read our insights for parents below! You can also browse our phonics program reviews for more.

Phonics Education for Families

Learn 25 common root words and practical activities to help your child connect decoding skills with meaning, boosting reading comprehension and academic success.

Root Word Meaning: Building Vocabulary Through Phonics

Have you ever watched your child struggle with an unfamiliar word, sounding it out...

Discover how to transform your child from sounding out words to reading smoothly with these fun, practical strategies that build reading fluency.

Building Reading Fluency at Home

Remember that heart-warming moment when your child first recognized their name in print? The...

Discover evidence-based reading comprehension strategies that build on explicit phonics instruction.

Reading Comprehension Strategies: Building on Phonics Foundations

Ever watched your child perfectly sound out every word in a story, only to...

Discover effective phonics for kids with age-appropriate activities that make learning to read fun and engaging!

Phonics for Kids: Age-Appropriate Activities for Early Readers

Learning to read is one of the most significant milestones in a child’s early...

Learn how open and closed syllables help children decode words. Essential phonics skill for reading success!

How Open and Closed Syllables Build Strong Readers

Ever watched a young reader encounter a long, unfamiliar word? They might stare at...

Discover how text-to-speech technology can support struggling readers while complementing phonics instruction.

Text-to-Speech: Supporting Early Readers Through Assistive Technology

Ever watched a child’s face light up when they finally understand a story that...

Learn practical strategies to support young writers, understand developmental stages, and connect phonics instruction to meaningful writing experiences that benefit both reading and writing proficiency.

Supporting Early Writers: Connecting Phonics to Writing Development

Ever watched a child laboriously sound out each letter as they attempt to spell...

Digital vs. Traditional Phonics: Learn strategies to choose the right approach for your child's reading needs and effectively combine both methods for optimal results.

Digital vs. Traditional Phonics: What Research Says

If you’re a parent of a child struggling with reading skills, you’ve likely found...

Discover how to use 'A Bad Case of Stripes' to teach explicit, systematic phonics principles.

Book Review: “A Bad Case of Stripes”

David Shannon’s vibrant picture book “A Bad Case of Stripes,” tells the whimsical story...

Discover 10 engaging activities to help your child develop essential phonics skills through rhythm and sound segmentation.

Practical Activities to Build Rhythm and Segmentation Skills

Teaching sound segmentation doesn’t require expensive materials or formal training—just enthusiasm and consistency! The...

Phonics on a Budget: Free and Low-Cost Resources

Phonics on a Budget: Free and Low-Cost Resources

You want to give your child the best start in reading, but phonics programs can cost hundreds of dollars. The good news? Some of the most effective phonics support doesn’t…

Back to School: Preschool Book Ideas

Back to School: Preschool Book Ideas

Starting preschool is a huge milestone for your little one! One day, they’re home with you, and the next, they’re walking into a classroom full of new friends and adventures.…

Kindergarten Phonics Skills: What’s Expected?

Kindergarten Phonics Skills: What’s Expected?

Your five-year-old just started kindergarten, and suddenly everyone is talking about phonics. You might be wondering what exactly your child should be learning this year. Don’t worry, kindergarten phonics is…

Building Phonics Skills Through Cooking, Crafts, and Daily Activities

Building Phonics Skills Through Cooking, Crafts, and Daily Activities

Have you ever noticed how children can recite entire commercial jingles after hearing them just a few times, yet struggle to remember letter sounds during formal reading lessons? That’s because…

Audiobooks and Phonics: Friend or Foe for Developing Readers?

Audiobooks and Phonics: Friend or Foe for Developing Readers?

Your five-year-old sits captivated, listening to a beautifully narrated story about dragons and brave knights. They’re absorbing complex vocabulary, following intricate plots, and developing a genuine love for stories. Meanwhile,…

AI Reading Apps: Promise vs. Reality for Phonics Instruction

AI Reading Apps: Promise vs. Reality for Phonics Instruction

The latest AI-powered reading app promises to transform your child’s phonics learning with personalized instruction that adapts in real-time. The marketing is compelling: artificial intelligence that understands exactly what your…

Homework Battles: Making Phonics Practice Peaceful and Productive

Homework Battles: Making Phonics Practice Peaceful and Productive

Five-year-old Jake loves learning at school, but the moment his phonics worksheet appears at home, tears begin. Sound familiar? Many families struggle with homework battles, especially when young children feel…

Grandparents as Reading Partners: Simple Phonics Activities for Any Age

Grandparents as Reading Partners: Simple Phonics Activities for Any Age

When four-year-old Emma visits Grandma Sarah, magic happens. They curl up in the old rocking chair, open a favorite picture book, and suddenly letters transform into adventures. Grandma points to…

15-Minute Phonics: Maximum Impact Reading Practice for Busy Families

15-Minute Phonics: Maximum Impact Reading Practice for Busy Families

Between soccer practice, dinner prep, and bedtime routines, finding time for phonics practice can feel impossible. Busy families need realistic routines that stick. Fifteen-minute commitments feel manageable rather than overwhelming,…

8 Tips to Prevent Summer Reading Loss

8 Tips to Prevent Summer Reading Loss

The last day of school arrives with excitement and relief, but lurking beneath the summer fun is a concern that keeps many parents awake at night: Will my child forget…