Stage 4 of 5 · Advanced Reading Skills

Your child is really reading.

They can sound out words. Now come the patterns that make reading smoother.

At this stage, your child is no longer just learning the basics. Now the work is learning common letter patterns, reading trickier words, building sight word knowledge, and practicing until reading becomes quicker and smoother.

Below, I'll show you where your child is on the reading path, what to focus on next, and the kit I recommend for this stage.

How reading gets built

Now reading starts to grow.

Talking and Hearing Sounds

Speaking, listening, and hearing the sounds inside words.

Learning Letter Sounds

Connecting letters to the sounds they make.

Blending Words

Putting sounds together to read words.

Advanced Reading Skills

You Are Here

The stage to focus on now.

Reading Fluently

Reading smoothly, and understanding what they read.

You do not need to do everything at once. The best next step is to help your child master a small set of high-value letter sounds first.

Your next steps

Help reading feel smoother.

Here is the simple plan I recommend for this stage.

1

Teach common patterns

Focus on useful letter patterns and rules like sh, ee, and silent e. These patterns help your child unlock words that are harder than basic sound-by-sound reading.

2

Build sight word knowledge

Some words show up everywhere, and your child needs to know them well. Teach a small set at a time so they can recognize those words quickly in real reading.

3

Practice in real reading

Flashcards can help, but they should not be the whole lesson. Your child also needs short passages and decodable books where they can use the skills in context.

4

Re-read for smoothness

Rereading is not cheating. It helps accurate reading become quicker, smoother, and more automatic over time.

Portrait

Meet your teacher

Hey, I'm Spencer.

I created Toddlers Can Read to help parents teach reading in a way that feels simple, doable, and research-backed. I am a former award-winning kindergarten and first grade teacher and teacher trainer, and I taught my own son to read at two. I have helped tens of thousands of families learn what to teach, what to skip, and how to know when their child is ready for the next step.

Most parents do not need more random activities. They need a clear starting point and a simple plan they can actually follow. That is what this stage is for.

Done for you

The Building Reading Fluency Kit is built for this stage.

This kit gives you the rules, sight words, and practice your child needs to move from sounding words out to reading more smoothly.

Reading Rules Course

Short parent lessons that show you exactly what to teach and how.

Reading Rules Course Handout

Quick reference pages so you always know what to practice next.

Advanced Sound Flashcards

Cards that help your child practice important sounds and spelling patterns.

Sight Word Flashcards

Short reading passages that help your child practice accuracy, speed, and confidence.

Double-sided Whiteboard

A simple tool for practicing sounds and getting ready for blending.

Everyday price $169

$154with your code

Your $15 code is waiting in your inbox — add it at checkout to pay $154.

Your code expires in2d 21h 40m
Claim your kit

Free US shipping on this order.

FOR PARENTS

Simple. Science-backed. Success.

“

My 3.5 year old started being interested in sounds at Thanksgiving and he is now reading 5 and 6 letter words with starting and ending blends without help. I love that the books bold words that don’t follow the basic sounds so I know I will need to teach a new vowel sound or Digraph. I am so excited to give him this newest set of cards and books I got him for his birthday so he can push himself further! He loves reading so much and is always sounding things out now around the house!

Harper B., parent of a 3.5-year-old

“

These cards have been so helpful to my 5yr old! These are certainly filling in the gaps in her curriculum. Her reading has already improved in 1 week and cant wait to see her progression!

Laura, parent of a 5-year-old

“

As an educator pursuing my M.Ed. and taking early literacy courses from SMU, I highly recommend Spencer's sight word cards. They are engaging, research-based, and aligned with strategies I’m learning in my graduate program. The colorful design keeps children engaged, while the detailed back side helps parents and educators teach advanced sounds, vowel patterns, and tricky words effectively. I use these cards at my home-based learning academy and with my own 5-year-old son, who loves them alongside Spencer's decodable books.

Pasha, educator and parent of a 5-year-old