Sounds Before Symbols:

Why Reading Feels Harder than it Should and What to do Next

A student is working on early reading skills with hands on toys in the background. The title of the course, Sounds Before Symbols, is featured prominently.

If reading feels harder than it should for your child, this is the step most families never hear about.

A short, parent-friendly course that shows you how to strengthen the sound foundation reading depends on, at home, in just 5–10 minutes a day.

If your child:

  • Guesses at words

  • Struggles to blend sounds

  • Memorizes books but can’t read new ones

  • Gets frustrated or avoids reading

You are not alone—and this is not a failure of effort, intelligence, or parenting.

Many children struggle with reading because they’re missing a sound foundation that needs to come before phonics.

This course shows you exactly how to build it.

WHAT IS PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS? 

Phonological awareness is a child’s ability to:

  •       Hear sounds in words

  •       Notice rhymes

  •       Break words apart and put them back together
    Before kids can read letters, they need to hear and play with sounds.

When that skill is strong, reading becomes much easier.

ABOUT THE COURSE

Sound Before Symbols is a 30-minute parent course designed to be:

  •     Clear

  •     Practical

  •     Developmentally appropriate

  •     Easy to use with busy families

You’ll spend 5–10 minutes a day doing simple, playful activities with your child—no worksheets, no pressure.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
In this course, you’ll learn:

  • What phonological awareness really is (and what it isn’t)

  • How to tell if your child needs more sound work

  •  Simple, research-backed activities you can use at home

  •  What not to push too early

  •  How to support reading without stress or tears

WHO THIS IS FOR

This course is for parents of children ages 3–8 who:

  •  Want to support early reading at home

  •  Are confused by literacy terms

  •  Worry they might be “missing something”

  •  Want to help without doing harm

  • No teaching background required.

WHO IT’S FROM

I’m a:

  •  Literacy instructional coach

  • Former principal and classroom teacher

  •  Orton-Gillingham trained

  •  Holder of two master’s degrees in education


I’ve worked with hundreds of children and families, and this course is built from what actually works—not trends or shortcuts.

WHAT YOU GET

✔ 30-minute video course (watch at your pace)

✔ Simple daily activities (5–10 minutes)

✔ Clear explanations without jargon

✔ Confidence that you’re supporting reading the right way

WHAT YOU DON'T NEED

    x    Flashcards

    x    Worksheets

    x    Perfect pronunciation

    x    More pressure

You just need the right starting point.

Start building your child’s reading foundation today.

Register for Sounds Before Symbols