Phonics and the science of reading explained for parents: phonemic awareness, decoding, blending, a worked example, common mistakes and 3 ten-minute ways to help at home.
"Science of reading" is a name for the large body of research on how children learn to read. A key finding is that strong readers need two things: decoding (turning letters into sounds and words) and language comprehension (understanding words and sentences). Researchers call this the Simple View of Reading.
In 2000 the National Reading Panel identified five parts of effective early reading teaching: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The Common Core Reading Foundational Skills standards build on these for kindergarten to 5th grade.
In recent years many states have passed laws asking schools to use evidence-based reading instruction, with explicit, systematic phonics. Some have moved away from "three-cueing", which encouraged children to guess words from pictures or context instead of sounding them out.
Reading "ship". Teachers often mark each sound: a dot under a letter that makes one sound, a line under two letters that make one sound. Some use sound boxes (Elkonin boxes), one box per sound.
Play I spy with sounds instead of letter names: "I spy something that starts with /sh/". Then try ending sounds.
Say a short word. Your child taps a finger for each sound ("f-i-sh" is 3 taps) and then writes it.
Read the decodable book from school twice. The second time, aim for smooth reading and expression.
Methods and tests vary by state and district; your child's teacher is the best guide to what their class uses. Last checked October 2026.
A printable sheet on "Phonics: reading words with consonant digraphs sh, ch, th" with an answer key, ready in about a minute. Free to start.