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What works in teaching reading?

Two large reviews of the research, in plain words

The short answer

What does the research say works when teaching a child to read?

Two large reviews of the research point the same way. Children are helped by being taught to hear the separate sounds in spoken words, to link those sounds to letters, to blend the sounds into words, and to read connected text every day with support.

What the research found

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  • 4 × Strong evidence
  • 1 × Moderate evidence
  • 1 × Minimal evidence

  1. Teaching children to notice the separate sounds in spoken words, and to link those sounds to letters. The expert panel rated the evidence for this as strong.

    Strong evidenceSource 1, Recommendation 2, pages 14 to 15

  2. Teaching children to decode words (to blend the letter sounds from left to right), to learn common spelling patterns, and to recognize common words. The panel rated the evidence for this as strong.

    Strong evidenceSource 1, Recommendation 3, pages 22 to 23

  3. Making sure each child reads connected text every day, to support accurate reading, fluency and understanding. The panel rated the evidence for this as moderate.

    Moderate evidenceSource 1, Recommendation 4

  4. Teaching the language of books and school: vocabulary, and the language used to tell a story and to explain. The panel made this a recommendation and rated the evidence for it as minimal.

    Minimal evidenceSource 1, Recommendation 1

  5. The earlier National Reading Panel reported that teaching children to work with the sounds in words was highly effective under a variety of teaching conditions, and that systematic phonics instruction helps children succeed in learning to read.

    Strong evidenceSource 2, findings on phonemic awareness and on phonics

  6. The National Reading Panel also reported that guided, repeated reading aloud had a positive effect on word recognition, fluency and comprehension across a range of grade levels.

    Strong evidenceSource 2, findings on fluency

What this means at home

  • Start with the ears. Before letters, play with the sounds in words your child hears.
  • Teach letter sounds a few at a time, and start blending them into short words as soon as your child knows a few.
  • Have your child read real sentences every day, a little at a time, with you beside them.
  • Not sure which of these your child needs first? The free two-minute check points to the likely place to start.

What the research does not tell us

  • These reviews say what tends to help groups of children. They cannot say what one child needs.
  • The studies behind the decoding recommendation all took place in schools, with teachers or trained staff. They did not test parents teaching at home.
  • The National Reading Panel reviewed research up to 2000. The practice guide reviewed studies published after that. Newer studies are not covered on this page.
  • For the 2000 report we read the institute's summary of the findings, not the full report.

Sources

We read each of these ourselves on October 9, 2026. Follow the links to read them too.

  1. Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade. Barbara Foorman (panel chair) and others, for the What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. 2016.A practice guide. An expert panel reviewed studies published since 2000 that met the Clearinghouse's standards, made four recommendations and rated the evidence behind each one.ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/21
  2. Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read. National Reading Panel, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 2000.A review of the research on teaching reading, asked for by the U.S. Congress. The findings are summarized on the institute's own page, which is what we read.www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/nrp/findings

How we write these pages

  1. We read the source itself, not a news story about it.
  2. Every finding on a page names its source and where in the source it is found, so you can check it.
  3. We say how strong the evidence is, in the words of the people who reviewed it.
  4. We say what the research does not tell us. Most studies are done in schools, and no study can say what one child needs.
  5. If we get something wrong, tell us at hello@sounditoutreading.com and we will correct the page.

More from The Reading Lab

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Does teaching a child to sound out words really help them read?Eighteen studies met the standards of a U.S. review. Here is what they showed, and what they did not test.6 findings · 2 sources read →
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Does it help to teach a child to hear the separate sounds in words?Seventeen studies met the standards of a U.S. review, and all seventeen found positive effects.7 findings · 2 sources read →
Research page 4
Is it normal for a child to mix up b and d, and what helps?An expert panel says it is common in the early grades, and sets out one letter at a time as the way through.5 findings · 1 source read →
Research page 5
Why can my child say the letter sounds but not blend them into a word?An expert panel names this exact problem and sets out what to teach.8 findings · 2 sources read →
Research page 6
Should I teach letter names or letter sounds first, and how many at a time?The guide teaches each letter with its sound, a few at a time.7 findings · 2 sources read →
Research page 7
Should my child memorize sight words or sound them out?Sound out the regular ones. Teach the irregular ones as whole words.7 findings · 2 sources read →

See all the research pages

Free · 2 minutes

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