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Learn to Read:
From Zero to Fluent
A complete phonics program you and your child do together. Every word you say is scripted for you. No preparation, no jargon, just 15–20 minutes a day.
18
lessons so far
16
decodable books
15–20
minutes a day
Made for parent + child
You're there for the moment it clicks
Apps hand your child a screen. Bookroo hands you the teacher's script, because kids learn to read fastest with a person they love beside them.
Every word is scripted
Blue text is what you read aloud. Brown notes are quiet coaching just for you: what to listen for, when to wait, how to help.
Zero preparation
Open the next lesson and go. You don't need to know phonics, you'll learn right alongside your child.
Short, frequent lessons
One 15–20 minute lesson a day, five days a week. Short enough to finish, frequent enough to stick.
Backed by the Science of Reading
Everything a reader needs, in order
Our curriculum teaches all five components of reading identified by the National Reading Panel, sequenced so each lesson builds on the last.
01
Hearing sounds
Rhymes, first sounds, and sound games that train ears before eyes.
02
Phonics
Letters, sounds, and blending them into words, one at a time.
03
Words by heart
The tricky words that break the rules, learned honestly as “heart words.”
04
Reading smoothly
From sounding out to reading sentences with confidence and expression.
05
Understanding
Vocabulary and comprehension questions built into every single book.
Teaching a class? See our Common Core alignment (ELA K–2) →
Inside every lesson
A rhythm kids can trust
Lessons follow the same warm arc every day, built from named strategies your child will come to know like old friends.
01
Warm up
Quick games review yesterday's letters and sounds.
02
One new thing
A single new letter, sound, or idea. Never more.
03
Practice
Blend it, find it, build it, with hands-on practice.
04
Read a real book
The payoff: a story your child reads themselves.
05
Teach Tam
Your child teaches the yak, the surest sign it stuck.
Finger Words
Our signature blending strategy. Each finger holds a sound, and sliding across the knuckles blends them into a word.
Sticky Sounds
Some sounds can't stand alone, so they stick to the sound after them. Kids learn to spot them and blend right through.
Letter Friends
Two letters holding hands to make one sound, like sh and ch. Find the friends first, then read the word.
Heart Words
Words that don't play by the rules, like the, was, and one, learned by heart and practiced in real sentences.
Elephant Ears & Eagle Eyes
Listening and looking games that keep review focused. Every game trains one precise skill.
Teach Tam
At the end of each lesson, your child teaches Tam what they learned. Explaining it is how you know they own it.
Real reading from day one
You read a real book together in Lesson 1
Nearly every lesson ends with a decodable book starring Tam, Sam, Pam, and friends. Each one is designed for shared reading: your child reads the words they know, you read the rest, and comprehension questions are built in.
Tam
Sam
Pam
Bob
Extra practice, on demand
More practice for the kids who want it
Every skill in the program has a matching practice tool, so if your child needs another lap on a fundamental, it's one click away.
The curriculum
One new thing per lesson
Each lesson introduces exactly one new letter, sound, or idea. Then it practices it, reads it in a real book, and reviews it for weeks. Here's where the journey starts.
Module 1
The First Letters
Hooray! If your little one is ready to start learning to read, this is the perfect beginning. Following a Science of Reading and phonics based system, in this module, beginning readers will learn 11 letters, and 11 sounds. Module 1 will have your little one reading 2-3 letter words, and there are no “tricky” sounds or rules.
Module 2
Solid Fundamentals
Congratulations on finishing Module 1! In this module, your little one will continue building on the foundation you built in Module 1. They will learn an additional 6 letters and 7 sounds. Module 2 will have your little one reading 2-4 letter words, and adding the concepts of “heart words”, and that a letter can make more than one sound.
Modules 3–10 are on the way
Letter friends like sh and ch, magic-e words, vowel teams, and beyond, all the way to fluent reading.
Common questions
What parents ask us
What age is this for?
Most kids are ready between 4 and 6. If your child can focus with you for 15 minutes and is curious about letters, they're ready for Lesson 1. Older kids who are struggling with reading benefit too; the program meets them at the beginning and moves at their pace.
Do I need to know phonics?
No. That's the whole point. Every lesson scripts exactly what to say, how to pronounce each sound, and what to do when your child gets stuck. Parents tell us they finally understand how reading works, too.
What if a lesson is too hard?
Repeat it with no penalty and no pressure. Kids aren't expected to master anything on first exposure; every concept comes back again and again. Review lessons at the end of each module help you decide when to move on.
How long until my child is reading?
They read their first real book at the end of Lesson 1. Three letters is enough for a story. From there, each module adds letters, sounds, and skills on the road from zero to fluent.
Is it really free?
Yes. Every lesson, book, game, and printable is free. Kids earn gems for finishing lessons and spend them in a rewards shop. That's free too.
One child, or the whole family?
Each child gets their own progress, gems, and rewards. Add readers to your free account and switch between them anytime.
The best time to start is today
Lesson 1 teaches three letters and three sounds, then ends with your child reading their very first book.
Start Lesson 1 for free