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

5 Findings That Prove Words Are Remembered in Phonological Memory

To read fluently, the brain pulls from a large sight word vocabulary that we’ve...

children learning basic concepts in language

Basic Concepts in Language Development 

In language development, basic concepts are words that set the foundation for children’s learning....

How to Compare Phonics Reviews and Choose the Best Program 

If you’re a teacher or parent of young readers, you’ve likely faced the overwhelming...

dibels reading assessment for parents

A Parent’s Guide to the DIBELS Reading Assessment

Reading assessments are essential tools for identifying and addressing reading challenges in children. One...

phonetic sounds in the English language

Phonetic Sounds in the English Language 

Have you ever wondered why the English language can be so complex? While there...

sight words vs high frequency words

Sight Words vs. High-Frequency Words

During phonics instruction, children learn to sound out or “decode” words. With enough practice,...

letters and the brain noting how the brain learns to read

How the Brain Learns to Read

Reading is an advanced skill and a relatively new phenomenon among humans. While literacy...

tips for teaching phonics at home

10 Tips for Parents Teaching Phonics at Home

Teaching phonics to kids is no easy feat. Reading and writing are complex skills...

Phonics Intervention for Struggling Students

Phonics is a must-have foundation for reading instruction—especially for children just learning to read....

Common Phonics Mistakes to Avoid When Teaching

Ahhh, phonics instruction. It’s such a special experience in a child’s education! Helping kids...

Bionic Reading: Y/N?

Bionic Reading: Y/N?

Tech + nature – sounds like the future, right?  In recent years, a new reading method has captured attention across social media and educational technology platforms. Called “bionic reading,” this…

Phonics and the Literacy Crisis: America’s Reading Challenge

Phonics and the Literacy Crisis: America’s Reading Challenge

The statistics are sobering: 66% of American fourth graders are failing to meet proficiency levels in reading, with even more alarming rates among minority students. For Black fourth graders, this…

How Adult Literacy Shapes Children’s Learning

How Adult Literacy Shapes Children’s Learning

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 43 million adults in the U.S. read at or below a third-grade level. Low literacy in adults is linked to various social…

Digraphs and Trigraphs: A Parent’s Guide

Digraphs and Trigraphs: A Parent’s Guide

Is your child starting to read words with letter combinations like ‘sh’ or ‘ch’? Congratulations—you’re entering the exciting world of digraphs and trigraphs! While these terms might sound technical, they’re…

How to Find a Phonics Tutor: Tips for Parents

How to Find a Phonics Tutor: Tips for Parents

Phonics is a major aspect of your child’s early education. It equips them with the skills they need to read, write, and learn. Foundational skills like decoding, vocabulary, and reading…

Phonics and Handwriting: Make It Fun!

Phonics and Handwriting: Make It Fun!

Phonics and handwriting are closely intertwined. Because phonics is how children learn to read and write, handwriting is an inevitable skill that learners must develop in order to build a…

Fun Phonics Practice Ideas for the Holidays

Fun Phonics Practice Ideas for the Holidays

The holidays are an exciting time for rest and quality time with family. For your little one learning phonics, the holidays are also a good time to keep the learning…

Literacy Development & Phonics for English Language Learners

Literacy Development & Phonics for English Language Learners

English Language Learners (ELLs) face unique challenges when developing literacy skills in a new language. The type of phonics instruction provided to ELL students plays a crucial role in their…

Phonics for 3-Year-Olds

Phonics for 3-Year-Olds

Parents play one of the most significant roles in a child’s early literacy development. At the age of three, many children are ready to begin exploring the foundations of reading…

Phonics.org: The Ultimate List of Phonics App Reviews 

Phonics.org: The Ultimate List of Phonics App Reviews 

The Phonics.org team is dedicated to helping parents and teachers navigate the many different phonics apps and programs for kids. Our literacy experts review and rate the popular programs available…