Reading👨👩👧 Parent· 1 min read
Reading before Grade 1 — what matters, what doesn't
KC Gunda · Jul 9
We asked three kindergarten teachers what actually predicts a smooth Grade 1. Their answers agreed so hard it was almost boring — and none of them said "a reading app."
What matters
- Letter SOUNDS beat letter names. "sss" not "ess" — sounds are what blend into words
- Ten minutes a night beats an hour on Saturday. Rhythm over volume, every single teacher said this
- Being read TO — vocabulary and the sense that books are where good things live
What doesn't
Your five-year-old does not need a sight-word app, flashcard drills, or to be reading chapter books. One teacher put it perfectly: "Send me a kid who loves being read to and knows some letter sounds. I'll do the rest — that's literally my job."
We dropped the app, kept the couch and the pile of picture books, and Grade 1 reading took care of itself.