Every parent wants to see their child grow into a confident, capable reader. The challenge is figuring out how to get them there.
You only have to spend a little time talking with other parents or browsing reading curriculum options, and you’ll quickly find there are almost an infinite number of opinions and programs, all promising results.
Some claim your child will make remarkable progress, while others stand out because of their bright branding or memorable marketing. The reality is that what matters most is not how snazzy a reading program looks or sounds, but the teaching approach behind it.
Phonemic Awareness
Before children can connect letters to sounds, they first need to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds. That ability is called phonemic awareness, and it is one of the most important building blocks of learning to read.
Phonemic awareness is not something children learn by looking at words on a page. It involves hearing, isolating, and manipulating individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
For example, your child may be able to rattle off C-A-T for “cat,” but can they tell that “cat” begins with the /k/ sound? Can they determine the vowel sound in that word? Can they blend the sounds /d/, /o/, and /g/ together to make the word “dog”? If you change the /m/ in “mat” to a /b/, can they tell you the new word is “bat”? These are all examples of phonemic awareness, and children who develop these skills early tend to have a much easier time learning to read.
A strong reading program does not rush past this stage. Instead, it builds phonemic awareness deliberately through songs, rhymes, word games, and other spoken-language activities before focusing heavily on printed text. At school, many teachers have found that older children who struggle with reading never fully developed this skill as part of their reading foundation. Phonemic awareness correlates very strongly with future reading and spelling success.
Phonics
If phonemic awareness helps young readers identify and sequence sounds in words, phonics teaches children the connection between those sounds and the letters that represent them. In conjunction with phonemic awareness, phonics provides a step-by-step strategy for figuring out new words instead of relying on guesswork, pictures, or memorization.
Look for programs that teach letter-sound relationships clearly and intentionally from the very beginning. Lessons should begin with simple consonants and vowel sounds, then progress into consonant blends and vowel combinations. Instruction should include a clear focus on rules like the silent E rule and the “ck” rule. Students should learn prefixes and suffixes and how to break words into syllables.
It helps if lessons are multi-sensory. Students may use tiles to spell words or underline words with their finger as they blend. A phonics-based curriculum shouldn’t be incorporated like an additional activity. It should be at the core of every reading lesson.
A Focus on Decoding Strategies, Not Memorization
One of the easiest ways to spot a good reading program is to check whether it uses decodable texts.
These books and passages are carefully written to include the phonics patterns a child has already learned. When your child opens a decodable reader, they can work through every word on the page using skills they have already practiced. That success reinforces what they have learned while building both accuracy and confidence.
It is also important to be cautious of programs that rely on memorizing words rather than sounding them out. Memorizing long lists of words may help in the short term, but it is not a reliable reading strategy. There is a limit to how many words a child can recognize this way.
Phonics gives children a much stronger foundation because it teaches them how to figure out unfamiliar words on their own. A child who knows how to decode can approach virtually any new word with confidence.
Decodable texts help keep the focus on sounding out words and applying phonics skills during real reading.
As you evaluate a program, take a close look at the books your child will be using. Are they designed around the sounds and patterns your child has already learned, or do they rely heavily on pictures and guessing strategies to help children fill in the blanks? Are they age-appropriate? For example, if you’re teaching reading for 2nd grade, a decodable text will not be packed with multi-syllable words that a student will have to guess at.
Assessments to Gauge Progress
A strong reading program does more than teach a skill and then move on.
It should regularly check your child’s progress using targeted assessments to help teachers and parents understand what is going well and where your child may need extra support. The purpose is not simply to assign a score. The real goal is to use that information to guide the next steps in learning.
When evaluating a program, look for one that measures phonemic awareness, letter-sound knowledge, and decoding skills separately. A broad reading level can only tell you so much. If you know your child has mastered short vowel patterns but is still struggling with vowel combinations, you have a much clearer picture of where to focus attention.
Monitoring progress does not always require formal testing. Teachers and parents can learn a lot by paying close attention during reading activities and practice sessions. What matters most is that the information collected is specific, meaningful, and used to shape future instruction.
The Markers of a Strong Reading Program
Choosing a strong reading program is one of the most important academic decisions you will make for your child in the early years.
The good news is that the signs of a powerful program are easy to recognize when you know what to spot. Prioritize programs that develop phonemic awareness before introducing print and follow a clear and logical sequence for introducing phonics. Make sure the program uses decodable texts that let children practice sounding out words on every page. Ask about how progress is tracked in specific, useful ways so instruction can stay aligned with your child’s needs.
Every child deserves a reading program that equips them with real skills and the confidence to use them.