Parents almost universally recognize the importance of learning to read, seeing it as a key link to success in school and a vital way for children to develop their full potential, both academically and personally. Schools understand this, too, spending extensive time and resources on helping kids learn to read. At the same time, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, it’s typical for only about one-third of U.S. 4th graders to score at or above “proficient” on reading assessments. This means that over 60% of children score below “proficient” in 4th grade, making it challenging for them to access the curriculum at the age where kids transition from “learning to read to reading to learn,” as educators often observe.

To understand how kids learn to read, and in order to advocate effectively for their own children and the needs of children in their communities, parents need to understand the science of reading, which refers to scientifically validated techniques shown to ensure that the majority of children will learn to read proficiently, regardless of other factors like socioeconomic status or parental education. Parents also need to know that, unlike a baby learning a language, learning to read is actually not a natural process. The brain evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to allow us to learn language from infancy, but reading is a much newer process in terms of human development, developing only about 5500 years ago. As a result, learning to read requires significant conscious effort for most people. This effort can be harnessed most effectively when applied in a step-by-step process that relies on techniques based in the science of reading.

What do educators and researchers mean by “the science of reading”?

“The science of reading” refers to two related concepts: the study of how the brain learns to read, and to methods for teaching reading that high-quality scientific studies have shown to be effective. When it comes to ensuring children develop the skills needed to enjoy literature and nonfiction texts, parents can benefit from understanding the science behind learning to read.

A key component of scientifically based literacy instruction is instruction in phonological awareness and systematic phonics.

• Phonological awareness includes skills like rhyming, alliteration, identifying syllables, and blending syllables together. It also includes phonemic awareness, which is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. Individual sounds are called phonemes. Phonemic awareness skills are critical for learning to read. Children practice these skills through activities such as removing the /k/ sound from the word “cat” and substituting the /r/ sound to make “rat.” Through rhyming, substituting, and manipulating sounds in other ways, children get ready to learn to read.
• Systematic phonics refers to the process of teaching children to associate sounds (phonemes) with letters (also called graphemes). In English, there are often multiple ways to spell phonemes. For example, the sound /k/ – the symbol for the sound at the beginning of the words “cat” and “ketchup” – can be made with the letters c-, k-, and even sometimes ch-, as in “architect.” Systematic phonics involves learning these letter-sound correspondences in an organized, step-by-step way that reflects the findings of high-quality research studies.

The sound-letter connection is how children learn to read effectively. When all children are taught phonological awareness skills and systematic phonics directly, most can learn to read effectively and at or above grade level, and with moderate additional support, almost all children can learn to read proficiently.

Five areas educators can use to evaluate the effectiveness of reading programs

Programs that provide all five of these instructional approaches are more likely to support all students in learning how to read proficiently:

• Five components of evidence-based instruction. The National Reading Panel (2000) identified five components of evidence-based instruction, which include phonics, phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. An effective reading program must include these five components using a scope and sequence that is implemented with fidelity.
• Explicit instruction. The program should support direct instruction, first modeling skills for students, then allowing guided practice, then permitting independent application of skills. Students must receive adequate opportunities to practice.
• Systematic implementation. Skills must be broken into steps so that students encounter simple topics before complex ones, and have opportunities to practice using meaningful, decodable texts.
• Diagnostic teaching. The program should provide formal and informal assessments that allow teachers to diagnose skills students have not yet mastered. This allows teachers to tailor instruction.
• Multisensory instruction. Research shows that children form more brain connections to information when they encounter it in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic or tactile modes. For example, students should have opportunities to practice a letter form by writing it with a finger on sandpaper or a squishy surface, saying the letter name aloud, and writing it in the air or on their arm while saying the letter sound out loud.

Which at-home activities best support children’s developing literacy skills?

Reading aloud to children, as well as speaking with them as much as possible, helps create an environment that’s rich in language. Exposing toddlers and preschoolers to specific phonological awareness skills can be a part of daily life activities.

 

Here are some examples:

• Rhyming games. “I’m thinking about an animal that rhymes with frog…that’s right! Dog!” Then, have your child choose a word and ask you to think of a rhyme. 
• Rhyming groups. “Let’s think of all the words that rhyme with mat.”
• Nursery songs. Tongue twisters, brief poems, and silly songs let children play with language. Very young children may especially enjoy finger-plays like The Itsy-Bitsy Spider that have hand movements to accompany the words.
• Car time. Ask children to spot a house, then ask what rhymes with house. Mouse! Dog? Log! Tree? Knee!

• Syllables. Help kids learn to break down words into their parts. Rowboat = row boat. Firetruck = fire truck. Eggplant = egg plant. Once a child understands syllables, they can break down words like “ap-ple” where the syllables don’t necessarily have meanings on their own.   

 

Older preschoolers and kindergarteners can learn letter names. Starting with letters in a child’s name is a common way to help kids understand the context for learning letter names. This does not need to be a high-pressure task; letting these activities remain fun is important. Children do not need to learn all of their letter names perfectly before starting school. Parents should keep in mind that any literacy activities can be positive ways to develop kids’ ability to connect with reading, and that reading aloud remains one of best ways to grow children’s engagement with stories, language, and reading.

Once children enter the elementary grades, making time for reading can often mean limiting other activities. Establishing firm times of day when reading or playing with non-electronic toys are the only options is one way that many families make time for reading. Kids likely won’t choose reading over more stimulating activities, like screen time, so parents who want to keep their kids reading need to create opportunities for constructive boredom. Reading isn’t as attractive as video games for most kids, but it’s a great alternative to boredom.

Kids of any age benefit from spending at least thirty minutes per day reading. If a child loves graphic novels, consider having them read a more text-heavy option – a chapter book or series, for example – for part of their reading time. The reason for this is that text-heavy choices expose children to more vocabulary, and over time, this adds up to significantly more reading experience. The message isn’t that graphic novels are bad, but that everyone needs variety in their reading diet. Similarly, reading nonfiction texts, magazines, and even instruction manuals for games like Minecraft are good choices for kids.

What if my child doesn’t seem to be catching on to phonological awareness activities or is having trouble learning to read?

It’s vital for families to act on these concerns as soon as they can. Reading intervention is most effective the earlier it is provided. Children can be identified as being at risk for reading difficulties when they are in kindergarten. Rather than assuming that reading problems will resolve on their own, parents should advocate for assessment of any concerns. Research indicates that, far from improving over time, reading difficulties that are not addressed can become significant impediments to learning. In contrast, when children with such difficulties receive appropriate interventions as early as possible, they can thrive and overcome these challenges.

Children who learn to read using methods that focus on phonological awareness and systematic phonics will be set up to read successfully, and to continue reading for a lifetime. This makes a huge difference in supporting kids’ academic success and socioemotional growth and wellbeing.

Katharine Hill, MS, MAT, ET/P, is a learning specialist and educational therapist in private practice in Brooklyn, NY, who has twenty years of experience working in K–12 and higher education. upnext.nyc