How to Teach a Child to Read (A Simple, Step-by-Step Plan)

Teaching a child to read does not require long lessons, apps, or videos — even short ones. It requires a clear plan, consistency, and short moments of play that fit real life.

This page explains how to teach a child to read step by step by building a strong foundation: letters and sounds together, sound blending, and decoding — not guessing or memorizing.

What Age Should You Start Teaching Reading?

The sweet spot to begin is around a child’s second birthday. At this age, language development is accelerating, habits are easy to form, and learning still feels playful and natural.

The idea of “readiness” often causes parents to wait longer than necessary, even though young children are already capable of beginning with letters and sounds.

Is It Too Early to Teach a Toddler to Read?

No. If your child can imitate sounds you make — like moo or roar — and can follow simple directions such as “throw this away” or “roll the ball,” they are ready to begin.

Children do not need to be fluent talkers to start learning letters and sounds. In fact, learning letter sounds often helps children form words more easily.

The Natural Progression of Reading Skills

Reading develops in a clear progression. Children don’t learn everything at once — they build skills step by step.

1. Letters and sounds together
2. Blending simple sound combinations (CV) such as ba, ca, da
3. Reading simple CVC words such as cat, dog, sit
4. Beginning and ending blends
5. Magic E and long vowel sounds
6. Vowel teams

RBK introduces each step when a child is ready, without rushing or skipping foundations.

Step 1: Teach Letters and Sounds Together

RBK teaches letters and sounds together because children are capable of connecting symbols and sounds at the same time. Teaching one without the other slows progress and leads to confusion.

Memorizing words is not reading. Reading is decoding — sounding out words using letters and sounds — with a few natural exceptions that the English language has.

Step 2: Begin Blending With Simple Sound Combinations (CV)

After children learn letters and sounds together, the next step is combining sounds in simple sequences such as ba, ca, and da. This is where children learn they can put sounds together on purpose.

Step 3: Move Into Simple CVC Words

Once sound combining feels easy, children move into simple CVC words such as cat, dog, and sit. The goal is confidence — sounding out words successfully without guessing.

Why Guessing and Memorizing Do Not Build Confident Readers

Guessing is not a viable teaching method, and it does not build confidence. When children guess from pictures or context, they feel unsure as soon as texts become harder.

Memorization and music help build early language skills, but they do not build a strong reading foundation. When a child memorizes a word, they are memorizing a pattern.

For example, if a child can read pan (P-A-N) but cannot read nap (N-A-P), the word was memorized — not decoded.

Decoding gives children access to thousands of words. Memorization limits them to a small number.

Why the RBK Approach Works

RBK is built on the belief that children are capable, learning should fit real life, and reading is taught through decoding — not guessing, memorizing, or watching videos. You can read more about the thinking behind this approach in the RBK Teaching Philosophy .

How Long Should Reading Lessons Be?

About 2–3 minutes at a time, several times a day, adding up to roughly 10 minutes total. RBK stops before children get bored or switches the activity to keep them engaged.

Life happens and days get skipped. Consistency wins every time. Showing up four or more days per week is enough to see progress.

A Simple Next Step for Parents

Parents don’t need more content to watch. They need a clear routine they can use immediately with their child.

If you want an easy place to start, explore Vowel Power Quickstart and the Sound Play Kit with (A–Z) Cards .