Knows the sounds. Still finding the word?

Start with one word, not a long list

Knowing a letter sound and blending sounds to read a word are connected skills. Guidance from the Institute of Education Sciences addresses both sound-letter knowledge and teaching children to decode words. A child may need support applying what they know in a word.

Write map if your child has learned those three sounds. Sit beside them and say, ‘Let's look at this together.’ Give them a chance to respond. You are gathering a small clue about the next useful activity, rather than asking them to prove what they know.

Reading behind this guidance: Institute of Education Sciences

Match your help to what you hear

There is no need to work on every part at once. Choose the description below that fits this attempt. Another word, or another day, may give you different information.

1. A sound is hard to remember

   Give that sound and invite your child to say it with you. Keep the letter visible. Use the sound in the word, rather than the letter's alphabet name. You can ask their teacher which sounds to revisit.

2. The sounds stay separate

   Point across the letters and model joining their sounds, then say map. Invite your child to join you. If they still cannot hear the word, supply it warmly and finish with its meaning. Avoid repeating the same question until it becomes frustrating.

3. The word is read but unfamiliar

   Explain it in everyday language. Show a map or draw one together. Invite your child to tell you what it shows, using a familiar home language if helpful. Then return to the printed English word.

Make the next attempt manageable

Keep the same word for another turn if your child wants one. They could arrange three paper letter cards, read the result and add it to their drawing. If you introduce a different word, use sounds they already know and explain any unfamiliar meaning.

Notice something specific: ‘You looked at every letter,’ or ‘You joined those sounds together.’ Skip the stopwatch. Your observation is more useful than a speed target. When attention fades, put the cards away and return another time.

Keep stories in the picture

Your child can enjoy you reading a wonderful book while they are learning to read a small word independently. Let them choose a story, talk about a character or tell you their favourite part. Word practice does not need to take over your time together.

If the same difficulty keeps returning, share the exact example with their teacher: ‘They say each sound in map, but need me to join them.’ Ask for a suitable word and a model of how to help. You do not need to work it out alone.