What 4-year-olds should master
By the end of age 4, most kids should know:
- All 26 single letter sounds.
- How to blend 3-sound CVC words (cat, sit, top).
- How to segment a spoken word into 3 sounds (“cat” → /c/ /a/ /t/).
- Their own name in writing.
Start the year with units 1–4 of the 44-letter-sound curriculum. Aim for 5–10 minutes daily, 5 days a week.
What 5-year-olds should master
Kindergarten phonics covers:
- Consonant digraphs (ch, sh, th, ng).
- 4-letter CCVC + CVCC words (stop, hand, fast).
- Reading short decodable books (Sam sat on the mat).
- Writing letters from memory.
- Connecting letter names to letter sounds.
The 4–5 daily routine
- (1 min) Sound recall — flash 6 cards.
- (2 min) Blend 3 new CVC words.
- (2 min) Browser game — try Sound Match or Memory Match.
Red flags at age 5
- Still can’t blend 3 sounds after 8 weeks of practice.
- Confuses 5+ letters consistently (not occasionally).
- Hates books or covers their ears during reading.
- Family history of dyslexia.
Don’t panic — kindergarten is exactly the right time to flag these to a teacher or specialist. Early intervention works.