Letters Names or Letter Sounds? What Parents Need to Know!

Reading comes so naturally to us now as adults that it can be easy to forget what it is like for children.  A bit like learning to ride a bike or learning to swim... once we can do them they seem to easy... but for a chid, it is a big new skill.

The most important thing to know is that:

Every letter has a NAME and a SOUND.

Letter names are the ones in the Alphabet Song — "ay, bee, cee, dee."

Letter sounds are the ones we use in phonics. For example, the letter "b" makes the sound /b/, like at the start of "ball."

Both are important. Your child will need to learn both in time.

But if you want your child to read, start with the sounds.

Phonics is the fastest way to teach reading. It shows your child how to blend sounds together to make a word. Like this:

c – a – t → cat

Top Tip: Start With Sounds

Reading is about turning letters on a page into sounds. So sounds are the best place to start.

Want to know what the phonics sounds are? Download The Phonics App. The A–Z sounds inside the app are completely free. You will hear how to say each one with an English accent.

"My Child Only Knows Letter Names - Help!"

Don't worry. You have not done anything wrong.

You may see posts online telling parents to STOP teaching letter names. This isnt' true. Letter names do not hurt your child's reading. Many letter sounds even come from the letter name (B sounds like "bee," F sounds like "ef"). So letter names can actually be helpful.

But sounds are what will teach your child to read.

If you want a simple plan, check out my free parent workshop. I will show you everything you need to help your child become a confident reader.