Why Letter Sounds Matter More Than Names for Early Reading

Teaching your child to read? Start with letter sounds, not names. Most parents are shocked to learn that Children don’t need to know letter names to start reading. In fact, teaching sounds first gives them a powerful advantage.

Here’s why the sounds-first approach works better:

• Less confusion: Learning both names AND sounds means memorizing 52 concepts (26 letters × 2)
• Direct application: Reading requires sounding out words (|k|-|a|-|t| = “cat”), not naming letters
• Science-backed: Studies show sound-focused teaching leads to faster reading progress

Telling a child ‘this is A’ doesn’t help them read ‘apple.’ But teaching |a| unlocks thousands of words.

Phonemic Awareness: The Hidden Reading Superpower

Phonemic awareness (hearing sounds in words) is the real foundation of reading. Before children can connect letters to sounds, they must:
✓ Hear that “kite” starts with |k|
✓ Recognize that “cat” and “hat” rhyme
✓ Blend |m|-|a|-|n| into “man”

Try This Quick Test:
Say “sun” without the |s|. If your child can’t answer “un,” they need more sound practice before letters.

3 Fun phonetic awareness activities

1. Sound I-Spy (No Letters Needed!)

• “I spy something that starts with |m|…” (mirror, mug)
• Progress to ending sounds: “Find something ending with |t|” (cat, hat)

2. Rhyme Time Challenge

• Read rhyming books (Dr. Seuss is perfect!)
• Play “Rhyme or Slime”: Say “cat,” child responds with real rhymes (“bat”) or silly non-rhymes (“dog”)

3. Mystery Word Game

• Say sounds slowly: “|k|-|a|-|t|… what’s the word?”
• Make it physical: Hop for each sound, then jump for the whole word

When To Finally Teach Letter Names

After your child can:
✅ Blend simple words (sat, pin)
✅ Identify sounds in spoken words

Then introduce names for:

• Spelling (“How do you spell ‘dog’? D-O-G”)
• Alphabetizing
• Dictionary skills

Key Takeaways For Parents

1. Start with pure sounds (|s| not “ess”) – it’s easier and more effective
2. Make it playful – 5 minutes of sound games beats 30 minutes of worksheets
3. Names come later – once reading is underway

Download this FREE sound-first alphabet chart plus colouring page [link]