For Teachers

Empower early readers to become students for life.

As an educator, you play a crucial role in children’s literacy development! Effective phonics instruction lays the foundation kids need to become curious, lifelong learners in the classroom and the world beyond.

Whether you’re considering which phonics instruction methods work best or looking for ways to introduce difficult concepts to students, cms.phonics.org is here to support you.  

Phonics Resources for Teachers

Not sure if your child's school phonics program is working? Here is what to look for and the right questions to ask.

How to Evaluate Your Child’s School Phonics Program

Most parents trust that their child’s school is using a good reading program. That...

Hands-on phonics tools that build real reading skills, from sound boxes to letter tiles.

Phonics Manipulatives That Beat Any Screen

A set of letter tiles. A tray of sand. A stack of index cards....

What makes a phonics app worth downloading? A parent's guide to evidence-based features.

What to Look for in a Phonics App Before You Download

There are thousands of phonics and reading apps available for kids right now, and...

Audiobooks build vocabulary and motivation, but can they teach phonics? What parents and teachers need to know.

Audiobooks and Phonics: Helpful Supplement or Decoding Shortcut?

Ask a room full of parents whether audiobooks “count” as reading, and you’ll get...

AI reading tutors are everywhere. What the research says about whether they help kids learn phonics.

AI Tutoring Apps and Phonics: Promising or Problematic?

AI-powered reading tools have moved from novelty to a common fixture in classrooms. By...

Over 40 states have passed science of reading laws. Here's what they require and what to ask your school.

Science of Reading Legislation: A State-by-State Overview

Over the past five years, 42 states and the District of Columbia have passed...

Six dyslexia myths still circulating in schools, and the research that proves them wrong.

Dyslexia Myths That Are Still Hurting Kids

If misinformation about dyslexia were harmless, this article wouldn’t need to exist. But the...

Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 kids. Structured literacy is the phonics approach that changes outcomes when started early.

The Dyslexia-Phonics Connection: Why Structured Literacy Is Non-Negotiable

If you’re reading this because something feels off with your child’s reading, trust that...

Vague IEP reading goals stall progress. Here's the specific phonics language to ask for and why it matters.

IEP Goals and Phonics: What to Ask For and Why

If you’ve already sat through an IEP meeting and walked out feeling like the...

Sight words and phonics work together, not against each other. Learn how to support your child's reading with both approaches at home.

Sight Words and Phonics: Friends, Not Enemies

If you’ve spent any time in early literacy circles, you’ve probably noticed something strange:...

How to Evaluate Your Child’s School Phonics Program

How to Evaluate Your Child’s School Phonics Program

Most parents trust that their child’s school is using a good reading program. That trust is reasonable, but it is not always warranted. According to the 2024 Nation’s Report Card,…

Phonics Manipulatives That Beat Any Screen

Phonics Manipulatives That Beat Any Screen

A set of letter tiles. A tray of sand. A stack of index cards. None of these cost much, and none of them require charging. Yet when used with intention…

What to Look for in a Phonics App Before You Download

What to Look for in a Phonics App Before You Download

There are thousands of phonics and reading apps available for kids right now, and most of them look convincing. Bright colors, animated characters, cheerful sound effects. It all signals “educational.”…

Audiobooks and Phonics: Helpful Supplement or Decoding Shortcut?

Audiobooks and Phonics: Helpful Supplement or Decoding Shortcut?

Ask a room full of parents whether audiobooks “count” as reading, and you’ll get a sharply divided answer. Some swear by them as the thing that finally got their reluctant…

AI Tutoring Apps and Phonics: Promising or Problematic?

AI Tutoring Apps and Phonics: Promising or Problematic?

AI-powered reading tools have moved from novelty to a common fixture in classrooms. By 2026, adaptive phonics apps and AI reading tutors are in widespread use across elementary schools, and…

Science of Reading Legislation: A State-by-State Overview

Science of Reading Legislation: A State-by-State Overview

Over the past five years, 42 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws or adopted policies requiring schools to teach reading using evidence-based, Science of Reading-aligned methods. That’s…

Dyslexia Myths That Are Still Hurting Kids

Dyslexia Myths That Are Still Hurting Kids

If misinformation about dyslexia were harmless, this article wouldn’t need to exist. But the myths still circulating in schools, pediatric offices, and even some special education programs are actively delaying…

The Dyslexia-Phonics Connection: Why Structured Literacy Is Non-Negotiable

The Dyslexia-Phonics Connection: Why Structured Literacy Is Non-Negotiable

If you’re reading this because something feels off with your child’s reading, trust that instinct. Roughly one in five kids in any classroom shows signs of dyslexia, and most won’t…

IEP Goals and Phonics: What to Ask For and Why

IEP Goals and Phonics: What to Ask For and Why

If you’ve already sat through an IEP meeting and walked out feeling like the reading goals were soft, vague, or weirdly disconnected from what your child actually needs, you’re not…

Sight Words and Phonics: Friends, Not Enemies

Sight Words and Phonics: Friends, Not Enemies

If you’ve spent any time in early literacy circles, you’ve probably noticed something strange: people argue about sight words. One camp says memorizing sight words is essential. Another says it’s…