Learn English: free reading tools for kids
Simple tools for the first steps of reading in English, for children from Pre-K to 3rd grade, at home or in class.
All English tools
Sight Word Flashcards
All 220 Dolch words from Pre-primer to 3rd grade. Flip, shuffle, mark the ones your child knows, or print.
Open sight word flashcardsDolch Sight Words by Grade
One printable list per grade, ready for the fridge or a homework folder.
Alphabet Flashcards
Uppercase and lowercase letter cards for first letter practice.
CVC Words
Short-vowel words like cat, pig and sun for early phonics.
A simple path for early readers
Reading grows in layers. First your child learns that letters stand for sounds. Then they blend sounds into short words like cat and sun. Alongside that, they learn a small bank of sight words by heart, the little words that appear in almost every sentence and are tricky to sound out.
You do not need to finish one layer before starting the next. A typical week might mix a few letter cards, a few sight words and one short picture book read together. The tools here cover one piece each, so you can pick what fits your child today.
Questions parents ask
Where should a beginning reader start?
Letter names and sounds come first. Once your child knows most letters, add a handful of sight words such as I, the and see, so they can read simple sentences early on.
Are these tools useful for children learning English as a second language?
Yes. Short, high-frequency words are exactly what ESL learners need first, and the Listen button lets your child hear each word in a clear American voice.
How often should we practice?
A few minutes most days works better than one long session. Stop while your child is still having fun.