My child knows the alphabet but can't read. What should I do?

You hear the alphabet song. They point to letters. Then you open a simple word, and they freeze. That gap is real. And there is a clear way to work on it.

The short answer

Teach letter sounds, not only letter names. Then teach your child to blend those sounds into words. Knowing A, B, C is not reading yet.

Why knowing ABC is not the same as reading

Many children can recite the alphabet and still cannot read sat or map. That does not mean they are behind. It means they have learned one skill, and reading needs another.

The letter name is “A.” The sound used for reading is the sound we hear in words like apple. Names help you talk about letters. Sounds help you read.

So when a parent says, “They know the alphabet, why can't they read?” the honest answer is: the alphabet was never the whole job.

What skill is missing

Written English is a code. Children begin to unlock that code when they can do two things:

  1. Hear and say the sounds clearly. For example: /s/, /a/, /t/ — rather than saying the letter names “ess,” “ay,” and “tee.”
  2. Blend those sounds in order until they become a word: /s/ /a/ /t/ → sat.

Without that, children often guess from pictures, memorize a few words, and stall when the page gets harder. The missing piece is often the sound-to-word bridge, not motivation.

What you can do at home

You do not need a long program to start helping tonight.

  1. Point to a letter. Ask for the sound, not the name.
  2. Pick three sounds your child knows. Stretch them slowly, then say the word together.
  3. Keep it short. A few clear minutes beat a long, tired session.
  4. Sit with them. Reading this early is not a solo phone activity.

If they already know some sounds, they may move quickly. That is fine. Confirm the foundation before you rush into storybooks. When the sounds are clearer, the next skill is blending. See how to teach a child to blend sounds.

What often slows children down

  • Asking only for letter names
  • Encouraging guessing from pictures
  • Jumping to storybooks before sounds are firm
  • Long sessions that end in frustration
  • Skipping ahead because the alphabet “feels done”

Why AptyRead starts at Level 1

AptyRead is one path with five levels. Every child starts at Level 1: Sound Foundations. That is true even if they already know the alphabet song.

Level 1 is not a punishment for knowing letters. It confirms the sounds and prepares blending, so First Reading does not rest on gaps. Children who already have some skills often move through the early lessons quickly. The point is to leave nothing missing.

Updated 10 September 2026 · AptyRead