I never set out to teach my toddler to read early. I only wanted him to love stories. But somewhere between cuddly picture books and phonics games, something clicked — he began reading CVC words by 2.5 years old.

And no — I didn’t use screens, apps, or pushy drills. Just a blend of rhythm, play, and respect for his curiosity.

Here’s exactly what worked for us — and how you can try it too, in your own way.

🧠 1. Build a Daily Reading Rhythm

We read every single day, without fail. Not just at bedtime, but in tiny moments:

• 📖 Morning cuddle + 1 short book
• 📖 After nap wind-down
• 📖 During snack (he loved listening while munching)
• 📖 Night bedtime stories

Reading became our love language. Repetition built comfort. And comfort built comprehension.

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🔤 2. Start With Phonics — The SATPIN Way

When I introduced phonics, I followed the SATPIN order (the first six sounds kids can blend into real words).

We played simple sound games:

• “Ssss is for sun. Can you find something else that starts with sss?”
• Made words like sat, pin, tap, sip, nap using magnetic letters.
• Wrote CVC words on chalkboard

And slowly, blending began to happen — naturally.

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🔁 3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

We re-read the same 10 until they were memorised. And that’s not a bad thing.

Here’s what repeating did:

• Built word recognition
• Boosted his confidence
• Created predictability (which toddlers LOVE)
• Let him “read” along and finish sentences

Repetition isn’t boring to toddlers — it’s learning in disguise.

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🧩 4. Use Smart, Screen-Free Tools

Here are a few things that made a big difference:

• 🧲 Magnetic letters – casual play turned into CVC word building
• 📚 Bob Early Readers (Set 1) – decodable books that matched the phonics level
• 🎧 Yoto Player + custom stories – I created phonics-based stories with characters he loved and recorded them as Yoto cards (AI + real voice = magic)

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🙌 5. Follow, Don’t Force

Some weeks he was obsessed with decoding.
Other days, he just wanted to pretend play.

I followed his lead — and that made all the difference. When I stepped back and supported rather than instructed, he bloomed.

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💡 6. Make Reading a Part of Play

• Made words using magnetic tiles
• Letter blocks tower
• Letters hunt game
• Used letter hunts during walks: “Can you find the letter ‘P’ around us?”

Reading wasn’t an academic task. It was play.

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❤️ 7. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

If he guessed the wrong word?
I smiled and said, “Great try! Let’s look again.”
No corrections. No pressure.

That confidence is what helped him try, and try again.

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🌱 Final Thoughts

You don’t need a curriculum to raise a reader. You need:

• A daily rhythm
• Phonics introduced gently
• Playful learning
• Repetition
• Respect for your child’s timeline

Reading isn’t a race. It’s a relationship.

And if you build that bond early, the rest follows — word by word, story by story.

📩 Free Guide: Top 20 Books That Made My Toddler Fall in Love With Reading

Want to know the exact books, readers, and tools we used (and re-used)?
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