If you’ve ever wondered how your child learns to read—or what you can do to help them—you’re in the right place.
In classrooms across the country and all throughout the world, teachers are changing the way they teach children to read. Backed with knowledge from the science of reading, they’re shifting from an older approach called balanced literacy to a research-backed approach known as structured literacy.
The shift to structured literacy is a good thing for kids. It means that we’re finally using what science tells us about how reading works. But teachers can’t do it alone.
We know that real change happens when schools and families work together.
If you are looking to better understand these instructional shifts and support your child’s learning with research-backed resources, you’ve come to the right spot.
In this post, I’ll break down the basics of the Science of Reading, explain what’s changed in the way reading is taught, and give you simple, effective ways to support your child at home.
What Is the Science of Reading?
The Science of Reading (SOR) isn’t a program, a curriculum or a trend—it’s the culmination of decades of research from psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and education that explains exactly how children learn to read.
And here’s what that research tells us:
1️⃣ Reading is not natural. Unlike speaking, which children pick up by hearing others talk, reading must be taught. It is best taught explicitly and step-by-step.
2️⃣ Sound matters. The first step in learning to read is connecting letters to their sounds. This is why phonics instruction is so important!
3️⃣ Guessing doesn’t work. Many of us were taught to use pictures or context clues to figure out words. Research shows that strong readers decode words by sounding them out—not by looking at pictures and/or guessing at what a word might be.
4️⃣ Sight words aren’t just memorized. Instead of drilling flashcards, we now know that high-frequency words (like said, was, the) should be explicitly taught using resources that help develop a process called orthographic mapping, which enables children to store words in their long-term memory.In short, the Science of Reading gives us a roadmap for how to teach reading effectively. And the best part? It works for ALL children—not just some.
What Has Changed in Reading Instruction?
For many years, reading was taught using a mix of strategies under the umbrella of balanced literacy. You might remember some of these balanced literacy approaches from your own school days:
📖 Encouraging kids to guess words based on pictures or context
📖 Memorizing lists of “sight words” through repetition and flash cards
📖 Using leveled books instead of decodable books
Research now tells us that these methods are not the most effective way to teach children how to read. Instead, reading instruction should follow a structured literacy approach. This means:
✅ Explicit phonics instruction—Teaching kids how to decode words by sounding them out
✅ Systematic instruction—Building reading skills in a logical, step-by-step order
✅ Practice with decodable books—Giving kids books that match the phonics skills they have mastered and are currently learning.
These changes help more kids become confident, skilled readers. And the best part? You can support this process at home!
How Can I Help My Child Learn to Read at Home?
Even if you’re not a teacher, there’s so much you can do to support your child’s reading journey. Here are a few simple, effective ways to help your child at home:
🧡 Focus on sounds first. Play games that help your child hear and manipulate sounds in words (e.g., What rhymes with cat? Can you say “sun” without the “s” sound?)
🧡 Engage your child in a print-rich environment
Create a print‑rich environment at home. Seeing printed words (on posters, charts, books, labels, etc.) enables children to see and apply connections between sounds and letter symbols.
When you’re out and about, point out letters you see on billboards and signs. Model sounding out the letters to make words.
🧡 Encourage decoding, not guessing. If your child is reading and gets stuck on a word, guide them to look at the letters in the word and sound it out rather than looking at pictures for clues.
🧡 Read aloud daily. Even when your child is learning to read on their own, hearing you read builds their vocabulary, comprehension, and love for books.
Your child can become a strong, confident reader. With the right tools and support, you can play a powerful role in making that happen. By learning about the Science of Reading and using these simple strategies at home, you are setting your child up for success as a reader.Let’s do this—together. Sure Start Reading is here to support you. 💛