Interested in Teaching Toddlers Phonics? 5 Tips for Getting It Right.

by Mary Follin

For moms and dads who are teaching toddlers phonics, more power to you! Phonics is the easiest way to teach such a small child to read. That said, working with a toddler requires special considerations that may not apply to older children.

For starters, it's best not to start teaching toddlers phonics until they are three years old. Before the age of three, your child is busy absorbing the world in a less structured way, which is important for developing early learning skills. Plus, a child's vision may not be mature enough to decipher series of letters, so the entire exercise could be one of frustration.

So if your child is three-years old and showing signs of readiness, go for it! But please keep the following 5 TIPS in mind when you're teaching toddlers phonics.

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5 Tips for Teaching Toddlers Phonics

1) Timing
The best age to start the process is when you and your child are ready to begin. If you are having fun teaching and your child is having fun learning, then you have chosen the perfect time. If you sense your child needs a break, skip a few days, then reintroduce your lessons for a fresh start. And if it means putting your materials away for awhile, that’s OK, too. There are no deadlines.

2) Pacing
While some three-year-olds zip right through the program, some don't. Let your child set the pace. There is no rule that says your child must be reading by age four, so if the lessons aren't working for your child, put them away. Give it a year or so for a fresh start, and reintroduce the program when your child's is more engaged. As long as you let your child set the pace, you will find him or her to be a happy, eager pupil.

3) Environment
Make your reading lessons cozy! Snuggle in a comfy chair, or cuddle up right before bedtime. Invite Pooh Bear and Piglet to join the party. The more you surround your lessons with 'positive vibes,' the more your child will associate reading with fun.

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4) Un-Lessons
Refrain from 'testing' your child in any way. In fact, you may want to call your time together "doing sounds," instead of "learning to read." Lessons may need to be repeated more often than with an older child, so don't focus on progress—just the process. This simple teach-to-read-online program is fun for your kids and easy to implement.

5) Boasting
Please, please, please don't ask your toddler to show off his or her newly-learned skills! The rewards for reading are intrinsic, and we don't want your child to confuse these new skills with external recognition. What WILL happen is that once your child learns to read, people will notice. But let that be a natural outcome rather than a forced one. We can help you have fun & teach your child to read.

The bottom line is, if you are teaching your child to read beginning at age three, you have plenty of time. No pressure, no hurry. Enjoy it! When you are willing to let your child set the pace, reading will come easily and naturally for your child. Learn about the difference between sight reading vs phonics,

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Founder and creator of Teach Your Child to Read™, Mary Follin began her career as a systems engineer with IBM. Since then, she has worked in a variety of industries: product development, market research, and provides marketing services to service firms and The George Washington University medical school. She is also the author of Ethyr, winner of the the Moonbeam Children's Book Award and the Gertrude Warner Book Award. Mary also writes, along with Erika Guerrero, a column titled ASK MOM, an advice column featured in Fredericksburg Parent & Family magazine and winner of a 2021 Parenting Media Association award.