Parent guide
Quick answer
Teach letter names and letter sounds together, but spend more time on sounds. Letter names are useful (kids will learn them), but letter sounds are the bridge to decoding words.
Shortcut: “This is M. It says /m/ like moon.”
Why sounds matter
Early reading is a “sound puzzle.” Kids learn to hear sounds in spoken words and connect those sounds to letters. That’s why sound-based games (rhymes, syllable claps, “starts with /m/”) help.
A simple teaching order
Start here (easy + high motivation)
- Name letters first (high-interest letters).
- A few “easy sound” consonants next (m, s, t, n, p).
- Then add vowels slowly (a, e, i, o, u) — short sounds first.
5-minute routine
Do this once or twice a day
- 1 min: rhyme or clap syllables (your name, animals).
- 2 min: one letter: name + sound + one word example.
- 2 min: Kids LearnZ round (repeat the same letters for multiple days).
Sources
- Reading Rockets: phonological/phonemic awareness (sound skills) supports later reading. View source