It all begins with an idea.

When it comes to helping kids learn to read, parents often hear two buzzwords: sight words and phonics. But do you really need both? The short answer is yes — and understanding how they work together can make a big difference for your child.

Phonics teaches children to “sound out” new words, while sight words give them instant recognition of the trickiest, most common words in books. When balanced, these two approaches take the frustration out of reading and help struggling readers build both confidence and fluency.

In this post, we’ll break down the difference between sight words and phonics, clear up the confusion, and show you how they can work hand-in-hand to support your child’s reading journey.

It all begins with an idea.