For Teachers

Empower early readers to become students for life.

As an educator, you play a crucial role in children’s literacy development! Effective phonics instruction lays the foundation kids need to become curious, lifelong learners in the classroom and the world beyond.

Whether you’re considering which phonics instruction methods work best or looking for ways to introduce difficult concepts to students, phonics.org is here to support you.  

Phonics Resources for Teachers

Learn how to become a phonics tutor with this guide on training, effective instruction, and starting your practice.

How to Become a Phonics Tutor

Are you passionate about helping children learn to read? Whether you’re a parent who...

Discover effective strategies for teaching silent letters and tricky word patterns to young readers.

Silent Letters and Tricky Words

Picture this: Your young reader is confidently sounding out words when they encounter “knife”...

Discover how movement enhances phonics learning, building stronger neural connections for reading skills.

The Connection Between Movement and Phonics Learning

When young children learn letter sounds through movement – jumping as they say /j/,...

Explore the science behind the bionic reading method and why it may hinder genuine reading development.

Bionic Reading: Y/N?

Tech + nature – sounds like the future, right?  In recent years, a new...

Discover how systematic phonics instruction can solve America's literacy crisis and improve reading skills.

Phonics and the Literacy Crisis: America’s Reading Challenge

The statistics are sobering: 66% of American fourth graders are failing to meet proficiency...

English teacher going over words with the schwa sound

Words With the Schwa Sound & How to Teach It

The schwa sound is an essential concept in phonics instruction. However, it can be...

mom and her daughter having fun practicing handwriting with colored pencils

Phonics and Handwriting: Make It Fun!

Phonics and handwriting are closely intertwined. Because phonics is how children learn to read...

children sitting at a classroom table playing with English alphabet cards

Literacy Development & Phonics for English Language Learners

English Language Learners (ELLs) face unique challenges when developing literacy skills in a new...

Phonics.org: The Ultimate List of Phonics App Reviews 

The Phonics.org team is dedicated to helping parents and teachers navigate the many different...

young girl writing with a crayon

When Do Children Start Writing Sentences?

Learning how to write is a gradual process for children. If you’re a parent...

Phonics and Executive Function

Phonics and Executive Function

Here’s something that might surprise you: when your child sits down to sound out the word “cat,” their brain is performing an intricate dance that involves far more than just…

Systematic vs. Incidental Phonics: Which Approach Gets Kids Reading Faster?

Systematic vs. Incidental Phonics: Which Approach Gets Kids Reading Faster?

When it comes to teaching children how to read, not all approaches are created equal. Behind classroom doors across America, a quiet battle is taking place between two fundamentally different…

Common Phonics Teaching Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Common Phonics Teaching Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Sarah thought she was doing everything right. She bought colorful phonics workbooks, downloaded popular reading apps, and spent hours each evening helping her six-year-old son with letter sounds. Yet after…

Federal Focus on Evidence-Based Reading: What This Means for Your Child’s Education

Federal Focus on Evidence-Based Reading: What This Means for Your Child’s Education

In a historic shift that could transform how millions of American children learn to read, the U.S. Department of Education has announced that evidence-based literacy instruction will be a top…

Teaching Phonics to Children with Hearing Impairments

Teaching Phonics to Children with Hearing Impairments

When five-year-old Maya first entered kindergarten with her hearing aids, her teacher wondered how to help her learn phonics alongside her hearing peers. Like many educators and parents, she assumed…

Decodable Texts vs. Leveled Readers: Making the Right Choice for Your Child

Decodable Texts vs. Leveled Readers: Making the Right Choice for Your Child

Did you know that the books your child reads during their early learning years can make or break their reading success? Many parents assume all “beginning reader” books serve the…

What Are Graphic Novels? Connecting Visual Storytelling to Phonics Instruction

What Are Graphic Novels? Connecting Visual Storytelling to Phonics Instruction

Picture this: Your reluctant reader who struggles with phonics suddenly can’t put down a book. They’re engrossed, sounding out words, making predictions, and actually enjoying reading. What magical transformation has…

What Are Consonants?

What Are Consonants?

Have you ever watched your child sound out a simple word like “cat” or “jump”? Behind those moments of learning lies a fascinating linguistic structure that forms the backbone of…

Nursery Rhymes as Phonics Tools

Nursery Rhymes as Phonics Tools

Did you know that the nursery rhymes you loved as a child could be powerful reading tools? Those catchy, sometimes silly verses that have entertained children for generations are actually…

Vocabulary Development: How Phonics Builds Word Knowledge in Early Readers

Vocabulary Development: How Phonics Builds Word Knowledge in Early Readers

The excited squeal of “I know that word!” from your child during storytime. The confident way they incorporate a newly learned term into dinner conversation. The pride in their eyes…