Teaching your child to read at home

You can teach a child to read at home with 15 to 30 minutes a day, a clear order of letter sounds, and books your child can actually sound out. You do not need a teaching degree. You need a plan, a few routines you repeat every day, and the patience to stay on one step until it is easy.

The articles in this section are written for parents and homeschool families. They start with the big picture: what to teach first, in what order, and how a short daily lesson is built. Then they get practical. How do you teach phonics at the kitchen table? What can a 4-year-old learn, and what should wait? How do you pick decodable books, and what do you say when your child guesses a word from the picture?

Some children take longer, and that is common. One article covers the signs that a child is struggling more than expected, what you can try at home for six to eight weeks, and when to ask for an evaluation from a qualified professional.

Each article gives scripts you can say word for word, sample schedules, and the research behind the advice, with links to the sources.