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June 30, 2025 10 mins

Moving too fast in phonics instruction can lead to shaky reading foundations—but how do you know when students are truly ready to progress? In this episode, we’ll show you exactly what to look for so you can successfully move forward with confidence.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

  • Why checking a box on a scope and sequence isn’t enough.
  • The “Three A’s” every student must show before moving on.
  • What fluent reading and spelling of target skills actually looks like.
  • How to use sentence dictation to test real-world application.
  • What to do when some students aren’t ready yet.

Show Links

Sight Word Lists Sorted by Phonics Skill
Decodable Sentence Strips
Decodable Passages
Decodable Literacy Centers
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