Reading & Writing

How children learn to read and write: phonics, sight words, spelling, handwriting and the jump from picture books to chapter books.

All articles School Life & Milestones 25 Math, Time & Money 24

Child's hand writing a colorful thank-you card with envelopes and stickers scattered on the table

Thank-you notes: tiny writing practice with a big payoff

6 min read Sep 9, 2026

Child choosing a book from a bookstore shelf while a parent watches from a distance

Reading levels explained (and why you shouldn't obsess over them)

6 min read Sep 5, 2026

A child's crayon note with big wobbly letters taped to a refrigerator

Invented spelling: why "becuz" is actually progress

6 min read Aug 25, 2026

Parent and young child reading a picture book together on the couch

How kids learn to read: phonics explained for parents

6 min read Aug 23, 2026

Laughing kid writing spelling words in shaving cream on a baking sheet at the kitchen table

Spelling practice that isn't a Friday-night cram

5 min read Aug 22, 2026

First grader reading a thin paperback on a beanbag in a classroom reading corner

What is decodable text — and does your beginner need it?

5 min read Aug 17, 2026

Parent covering the picture in a book while a child reads aloud at the kitchen table

My child guesses at words instead of reading them: how to help

6 min read Aug 14, 2026

Kid lying on a top bunk reading a thin chapter book under string lights

From picture books to chapter books: making the jump

5 min read Aug 10, 2026

Family playing a letter-tile word game at a coffee table on a weekend afternoon

Word games that sneak in spelling practice

6 min read Aug 4, 2026

Parent and preschooler drawing big chalk letters on a sunny driveway

Learning letters before kindergarten: play beats flashcards

6 min read Aug 4, 2026

Kindergartner and parent playing a card matching game on the living room floor

Sight words: why "the" and "said" need memorizing, not sounding out

6 min read Aug 1, 2026

Parent and teacher talking calmly at a classroom door while a child reads nearby

When to worry about reading: signs it's more than a slow start

6 min read Jul 30, 2026

Elementary student quizzing themselves on spelling words with a folded paper at a desk

Do spelling tests actually work? What the practice research says

6 min read Jul 27, 2026

Two kids reading the same graphic novel head-to-head on a trampoline on a summer day

Graphic novels count: what the research says about comics and reading

6 min read Jul 25, 2026

Parent and preschooler laughing while clapping syllables together on a couch

Before letters: the listening skills that make reading possible

6 min read Jul 22, 2026

Family of four talking over spaghetti dinner while a kid gestures with a fork

Building vocabulary at the dinner table

6 min read Jul 22, 2026

Child reading a comic book sprawled on the back seat of a car

Reluctant reader? 12 ways in that aren't “go read a book”

6 min read Jul 21, 2026

Parent and child reading together at dusk, the child frowning at the page

Early signs of dyslexia (and what to do first)

6 min read Jul 20, 2026

Child reading aloud to a parent on a porch swing in the evening

How to listen to your child read (without correcting every word)

6 min read Jul 20, 2026

Child staring at a blank page with pencil down while a parent sits nearby

My kid hates writing: getting words on paper without tears

7 min read Jul 19, 2026

Parent reading aloud to two kids squeezed into one armchair in the evening

Reading aloud after they can read themselves: why to keep going

6 min read Jul 9, 2026

Parent and child reading a picture book together on the couch

When do kids learn to read? A realistic timeline by age

6 min read Jul 9, 2026

Three papers on a fridge showing scribbles, letter-like shapes, and a wobbly line of words

From scribbles to sentences: how writing actually develops

6 min read Jul 4, 2026

Parent reading a novel aloud on the edge of a bunk bed while an older kid listens

Bedtime stories for kids who've outgrown picture books

6 min read Jun 28, 2026

Child drawing at a desk with headphones on, absorbed in an audiobook

Audiobooks count: listening is reading's best friend

5 min read Jun 26, 2026

Child on tiptoes sliding a stack of books onto a library checkout desk

The library card: the best free thing you'll get this year

6 min read Jun 24, 2026

Small hand gripping a fat pencil practicing letter shapes on wide-ruled paper

Handwriting in a typing world: what still matters

6 min read Jun 13, 2026