A Strong Beginning Matters
Our reading crisis is real. The first steps toward improvement begin with literacy foundations.
Literacy opens doors to learning, communication, and participation in everyday life. Yet national results show that far too many children reach fourth grade with reading performance below the NAEP Basic benchmark. The need for strong early foundations is urgent.
40%
of U.S. fourth-graders scored below NAEP Basic in reading in 2024.
31%
scored at or above NAEP Proficient—four percentage points lower than in 2019. [1]
Understanding these figures: NAEP Basic and Proficient are national assessment benchmarks. NAEP Proficient describes performance on this particular assessment; states and districts use their own definitions of grade-level proficiency. The 40% below Basic figure brings the scale of the concern into clear focus. [1]
By fourth grade, the need is already visible
In the early grades, instruction emphasizes learning to read. By fourth grade, the emphasis increasingly shifts toward reading to learn, as children encounter more complex text across all school subjects.
The 2024 results make the stakes plain: many children reach this stage while still needing substantial reading support. Each child’s experience has its own context. Together, these findings underscore the urgency of giving literacy foundations focused attention early.
Dyslexia is part of the picture
About 1 in 5 people (20%) have dyslexia, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. [6]
Some children experience developmental reading challenges such as dyslexia. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) describes dyslexia as a brain-based learning disability affecting reading and identifies early identification and intervention as important areas of research. [2]
A child experiencing reading challenges deserves understanding, purposeful instruction, and support suited to that child. High expectations belong alongside a clearer learning path, patient guidance, and time to strengthen foundational skills.
The national reading results measure reading performance across students. Dyslexia research addresses a particular developmental reading challenge. Both help us understand the need for thoughtful instruction, while children may need reading support for a variety of reasons.
Research, including studies involving Dr. Sally Shaywitz, supports explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics for children with reading disabilities. [5] LtL addresses these foundational skills through structured letter–sound instruction, guided blending, and progressive decoding practice. Its distinctive approach also helps children understand each letter’s orientation through stories that establish a clear front and back.
The foundation begins with letters and sounds
Learning to read in English involves connecting spoken sounds with written letters, recognizing how letters function in words, and using those relationships to begin decoding.
These foundational skills help children move from seeing letters on a page to understanding how letters represent language.
Research guidance for early reading instruction supports teaching children to identify segments of speech and connect them to letters, followed by instruction in decoding and recognizing words. The What Works Clearinghouse rates these recommendations as having strong evidence for kindergarten through third grade. [3]
NICHD’s summary of the National Reading Panel findings also emphasizes explicit, systematic instruction in essential reading skills, including phonemic awareness and phonics. [4]
In LtL, children explore letter shapes, directionality, uppercase and lowercase relationships, and sounds through animated stories and guided practice. Progressive word lists then help children apply the letters and skills already introduced to decoding.
How Letters to Language™ addresses this foundational need
Letters to Language™ (LtL) is designed to help children ages 4–8 build a literacy foundation by making the alphabet understandable, memorable, and engaging.
Its first part, Making Sense of the Alphabet™, provides a structured introduction to letter shapes, sounds, directionality, and the relationships between uppercase and lowercase forms.
Animated letter stories bring the alphabet to life. Guided lessons and progressive reviews give children opportunities to revisit and apply their learning. Power Prompts™ help parents and instructors guide children toward recalling answers for themselves.
Children begin decoding words using letters and skills already introduced.
LtL Progressive word lists help parents and instructors select practice that builds directly on what children have learned.
Three spiral-bound companion books extend the guided lessons through activities and practice, giving adults resources to reinforce learning at home.
LtL addresses a crucial beginning: helping children make sense of letters and sounds so early decoding can begin with purpose.
A stronger beginning can help shape the path ahead
The reading crisis is large, and its causes are varied. A meaningful response begins with attention to foundational learning: how children understand letters, connect them to sounds, and apply those connections to read words.
LtL brings imagination, structure, progressive practice, and parent guidance to this essential beginning.