How Children Learn to Read

1. Reading Starts Before Books

Children are building reading foundations long before they touch a book. Hearing stories, songs, and conversations develops vocabulary, rhythm, and sound awareness. Montessori calls this the absorbent mind — children soak in language naturally during these early years.

2. Sounds Come Before Letters

Reading isn’t memorizing words — it’s connecting spoken sounds (phonemes) to written symbols (letters). This is why phonics matters. Teaching the pure sound (“sss” not “suh”) makes blending much easier later on.

3. The Phonics Pathway (Step by Step)

Children typically learn in a sequence, moving from simple to complex:

1. Phonemic Awareness (hearing sounds)

   • Clapping syllables, rhyming games, and listening for beginning sounds.

   • Example: “What starts with /m/?” → moon, map, monkey. www.twinkl.com

2. Letter-Sound Knowledge

   • Linking sounds to letters.

   • Montessori sandpaper letters let children feel and hear the sound.
     

3. 
   

   Blending Sounds

   • Putting sounds together to form words.

   • c + a + t = cat

   • This stage can take time; playful practice helps the brain “click.”
     

     

4. Phonics Sequence

   • Short vowels & common consonants (s, a, t, p, i, n → sat, pin, tap)

   • More consonants & CVC words

   • Digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh)

   • Blends (st, bl, cr, fl)

   • Silent e/long vowels (cape, bike)

   • Vowel teams (ai, ee, oa, oi, ou)

   • R-controlled vowels (car, bird, turn)

   • Multisyllable words (basket, teacher)
     

5. Heart Words (Irregulars)

   • Words that don’t follow the rules (said, one, two) must be learned “by heart.” These are often referred to as "Tricky Words"
     

     

4. Reading Is Like Building a Muscle

Just like learning piano or riding a bike, reading strengthens with daily practice. Mistakes are not failures — they’re how the brain learns. I often remind my students: practice makes progress.

5. Meaning Matters Most

The end goal isn’t just sounding out words but understanding them. Reading becomes joyful when children see it as a tool for discovery. Pairing books with their interests (animals, space, sports) makes it meaningful and motivating.