Teaching Letter Sounds Using the Science of Reading

A practical, preschool-friendly guide to building strong readers (ages 3–6)

Letter sounds are one of the biggest building blocks of early reading. When children can connect speech sounds to letters, they’re on the path toward decoding words, reading with confidence, and eventually becoming fluent, joyful readers.

The Science of Reading (SoR) gives us a clear message: early literacy works best when we teach skills explicitly, systematically, and with lots of multi-sensory practice—especially for preschool and kindergarten learners.

Below is a simple, step-by-step approach you can use at home or in the classroom to teach letter sounds the SoR way—without worksheets taking over your day.

What the Science of Reading says about letter sounds

In the Science of Reading, strong early reading instruction includes:

Phonemic awareness (hearing and working with sounds in spoken words)
Phonics (mapping sounds to letters)
Practice and review (spaced repetition so skills stick)
Explicit teaching (kids don’t have to “guess” the sound)
Cumulative learning (new skills build on mastered ones)

In other words: we don’t just “expose” kids to letters—we teach them what each letter says and how to use it.

Step 1: Start with sound awareness (before letters)

Before children attach sounds to letters, they need to hear sounds clearly.

Try these 1-minute games:

Sound detective: “What sound do you hear at the start of mmmilk?”
Same or different?: “Do sun and sock start with the same sound?”
Stretch it: “Ssssssnake… what sound do you hear first?”

Keep it playful. The goal is listening, not perfection.

Step 2: Teach one sound at a time (explicitly)

When you introduce a letter sound, keep it short and consistent:

Say:

“This is m. It says /m/ like mmm.”
“Watch my mouth.” (Show lips together for /m/.)

Avoid:

Adding extra vowel sounds (like “muh”).

Instead of “muh,” aim for a clean /m/ sound.

Tip: Teach lowercase first most of the time, since that’s what kids see most in books.

Step 3: Use a consistent routine (2–3 minutes)

Use the same micro-routine each time you teach a sound:

Name it: “This is m.”
Say it: “/m/ /m/ /m/”
Keyword: “moon starts with /m/”
Find it: “Point to m” (among 2–4 letters)
Say it again: “m says /m/”

This routine builds memory through repetition.

Step 4: Mix in multi-sensory practice (SoR-friendly!)

Preschoolers learn with their whole bodies. Try rotating these:

Tap and say

Lay out 3 letter cards. Ask:

“Tap m.”
“Now say the sound: /m/.”

Sky-write

Kids “write” the letter in the air using big arm movements while saying the sound.

Trace and say

Trace the letter with a finger on:

sandpaper letters
a tray of salt
playdough “snakes” formed into the letter

Sound sorting

Show pictures (moon, sun, map, sock).
Sort into: /m/ vs not /m/

Step 5: Focus on continuous sounds first (easier to hear)

Some sounds are easier for kids to stretch and hear clearly.

Often easiest to start with:

/m/, /s/, /f/, /n/, /l/

These are called continuous sounds because you can hold them: “mmmm,” “ssss.”

Stop sounds like /t/ /b/ /p/ are still important—just sometimes harder at first because they’re quick.

Step 6: Practice blending (as soon as you have a few sounds)

Once kids know a few sounds, start blending them into simple words—this is where decoding begins.

Example with m, a, t:

“Let’s say the sounds slowly: /m/…/a/…/t/”
“Now say it fast: mat”

Keep it playful and short. Blending is a skill that grows with daily practice.

Step 7: Review is non-negotiable (spaced repetition)

SoR is clear: children need review to reach mastery.

A simple rotation:

Day 1: Teach new sound (m)
Day 2: Review m + teach new sound (s)
Day 3: Review m, s + teach new sound (a)
Day 4: Review all 3 with quick games
Day 5: Mix-and-match: “Find the letter that says /m/”

Even 3 minutes a day makes a difference.

Common mistakes to avoid (and what to do instead)

1) Teaching letter names only

Instead: Teach the sound alongside the letter name.

2) Using “guessing” from pictures

Kids shouldn’t rely on guessing.
Instead: Point to the letter and ask for the sound.

3) Too many letters at once

Instead: Teach a few, then practice until confident.

4) “M says muh”

Adding “uh” makes blending harder.
Instead: Aim for a clean sound: /m/.

What this looks like inside Miss Humblebee’s Academy

In Miss Humblebee’s Academy, early literacy is designed to follow the Science of Reading with:

systematic progression
explicit sound-to-letter teaching
interactive practice
built-in review
short lessons that fit into a consistent routine

This helps children build skills incrementally—so learning sticks.

Final Thoughts

Teaching letter sounds doesn’t need to be complicated. With a Science of Reading approach—explicit teaching, multi-sensory practice, and consistent review—your preschooler can build real decoding readiness and confidence.

If you’d like, I can also create:

a weekly letter-sound routine (10 minutes/day)
a sound introduction script for parents
a list of first sounds to teach in a recommended order