Teaching reading at home
The order that works, free books at every level, and what to do if you don't remember learning to read yourself.
The US Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse recommends four things for the early grades: build vocabulary and spoken language, teach the link between sounds and letters, teach decoding and word reading, and have every child read connected text every day. Peabody's free library has stories from the first book up, so a parent can do all four with a library card.
Checked October 29, 2026.
This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law and its education department before you act.
A way to start
- Read aloud every day, 15 to 20 minutes, from books a little above your child's own level.
- Teach letter sounds a few at a time, then blend them into words.
- Have your child read a short text out loud each day and fix one thing, kindly.
- Talk about the book: What happened? Why? What do you think comes next?
The free path
- Peabody's free story library
- Reading passages by level
- How to teach a child to read
- Phonics games
- Peabody Year: 180 free days
Curriculum, if you want one
Reading and phonics programs compared. They are listed side by side with no ranking, and each one carries a one-word faith-based or secular label.
You don't have to be good at this to teach it
You do not need to be a reading expert. The steps are small and repeat daily, and a parent who reads aloud and listens to a child read is doing the most important work.
Check your state
Some states list the subjects a homeschool must cover. See the law page for your state.