The Phonics Blog
Practical phonics articles for parents and teachers. Research-backed methods, age-by-age guides, free printables, and tried-at-home tips. 93 articles and counting.
Letter Sounds vs Letter Names: Which Should You Teach First?
Science of reading TL;DR — sounds first, names second. Why ABC songs aren't enough, plus how to switch a child who already knows letter names.
6 min readPhonics Stages by Age: A Realistic Timeline from 2 to 7 Years Old
What phonics milestones to expect at age 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Plus signs your kid is ahead, on track, or needs extra support.
8 min readPhonemes List (Free PDF): 44 English Phonemes with Examples
All 44 American English phonemes — 24 consonants and 20 vowels — with example words, common spellings and audio for every sound, plus how to teach them in order.
10 min readFree Phonics Flashcards (PDF): Alphabet, CVC, Digraphs, Blends & More
9 free printable phonics flashcard sets: all 44 sounds, alphabet A–Z, CVC words, digraphs, blends, vowel teams, magic e, tricky words and lesson words — fold-over picture cards you cut, fold and put on a ring.
6 min read9 Phonics Games You Can Play at Home With Zero Apps
Hands-on games using only household items: I-Spy with sounds, sound hopscotch, dinner table 'odd-one-out', and more. Tested with my 4-year-old.
7 min readCVC Word List: 200+ Words by Vowel + Free Printable
A CVC word is a 3-letter consonant-vowel-consonant word like "cat" or "sit" — the first words most kids decode. 200+ examples sorted by short vowel, drilling tips, and a free PDF.
6 min readDigraphs List (Free PDF): ch, sh, th, ph, wh, ng
What a digraph is, why it confuses kids who 'know all the letters,' and a 6-week plan to nail the six tricky ones.
7 min readPhonics for ESL Kids: Adapting Synthetic Phonics for Non-Native Speakers
Which English sounds confuse Vietnamese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin speakers most — and the order to teach them in.
9 min readThe 5-Minute Daily Phonics Routine That Beats 30-Minute Sessions
Short and frequent wins. A 5-minute daily script (Monday–Friday) using free flashcards or the ABC Phonics app — no prep, no tears.
5 min read
Teach phonics online — one short lesson a day
Sign in free and follow a plan that remembers where you are. Right here in your browser, on phone, tablet or computer — nothing to download.
- 92 step-by-step lessons, SATPIN first
- Big flashcards to show your child
- Games, checkpoints and progress for every sound
For little ones (2–6) there’s also our sound-play game on iPhone & iPad and Android.