← How School Teaches Reading Now · Lesson 1 of 3
Sounds and blending
Most schools now teach phonics: each letter or letter group stands for a sound, and children learn them in a set order. They then blend the sounds to read a word: /s/ /a/ /t/, sat.
Children are asked to sound out a new word rather than guess it from a picture. Guessing works on easy books but stops working as books get harder.
Your child meets the word "ship" and does not know it. What does school usually ask them to do?
A lesson is kept once you've answered the question and written at least 8 words. Nobody grades it; it stays on this device.