While reading to children is undeniably beneficial – it builds vocabulary, fosters a love of stories, enhances comprehension, and deepens your relationship with your child – it is not a substitute for direct phonics instruction.
The truth is, most children need explicit instruction to become proficient readers.
Reading aloud won’t teach most kids to read
I often hear from some homeschool circles that reading to the child is enough for them to naturally pick up reading on their own.
But for most kids, that’s simply not the case.
A very small number of gifted children with a natural aptitude for literacy may seem to teach themselves to read, but these are the outliers.
Unlike speaking, which children acquire through daily interaction, reading is a learned and practiced skill that must be taught clearly and systematically.
Explicit phonics instruction teaches children to break down words into sounds, laying the groundwork for reading mastery in later stages. Without phonics, many children end up guessing at words, relying on picture cues, or memorizing a handful of words to guess the contents of books.
They’re not truly learning how to decode words on the page, which can lead to frustration and difficulty with advanced texts in the future.
Memorizing words isn't enough
Phonics instruction should be systematic. It needs to build on what the child knows and show them how letters and sounds work together, how to blend them in order to form words. This ensures they develop real reading skills.
Effective phonics instruction includes:
- Teaching letter-sound relationships directly
- Providing structured opportunities for practice
- Using decodable texts that reinforce taught phonics patterns
- Encouraging children to apply phonics skills in real reading
If you’re ready to give your child a strong foundation in reading, try The Art of Reading today.
