Your Child’s First Step Learning How to Read

Kids learn the alphabet and build phonemic awareness, where they understand that letters make sounds, and these sounds change the meaning of words. This is especially true for vowels, like the short “u” sound. When they grasp that changing the vowel sound changes words (like “nut,” “rug,” and “cup”), they start decoding simple words on their own. From there, reading opens up to more complex skills, but mastering these early sounds is the foundation. A Good Start make this process engaging, ensuring that early readers build confidence and a love for reading right from the start.

A Good Start: Short u

Learning the short “u” sound provides a continuation of learning vowel sounds. By practicing with simple, short “u” words, young readers gain confidence to expand their reading skills.

Did You Know?

When children learn the short u sound (like in “cup” and “fun”), they’re developing the ability to distinguish subtle sounds in words, which strengthens their phonemic awareness. This is a foundational skill that helps kids decode new words, making reading smoother and boosting their confidence as young readers!

This is Book 5 of 5 of A Good Start Reading and incorporates the words used in the prior books. Your child will need to be able to identify all of the alphabet letters and know each corresponding sound before being introduced to this book. Resources for learning both the alphabet letters and corresponding sounds are available in our store.