Learn how to teach reading!

Essential Phonics for the Classroom Volunteer

All classroom volunteers should have a working understanding of how children learn to read. Essential Phonics provides both the foundational theory and the practical lessons you need to support students effectively—from understanding the science of reading to delivering structured, hands-on instruction that works.
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Feel confident helping struggling readers!

Feel confident helping struggling readers. Essential Phonics gives you the foundational skills and practical strategies to support emerging and struggling readers — even if you’re not the primary teacher. Designed for volunteers, paraprofessionals, youth workers, and caregivers, this short, accessible training is practical, evidence-aligned, and empowering, equipping you with a clear lesson plan, ready-to-use activities, and the confidence to help students make rapid reading progress. Even if you’ve never taught reading before, Essential Phonics will prepare you to make a real difference — because every child deserves the chance to become a confident reader.

What you will learn

  • The 10 essential structured phonics concepts every child needs

  • How reading development works—from sounds to decoding

  • Key signs that a student may need more targeted support

  • How to use the Essential Phonics lesson plan to teach phonics effectively

  • The role of phonics in learning to read

What you will be able to do

  • Confidently support students who are learning to read

  • Provide reading help—even if you're not the primary teacher

  • Follow structured lessons and model reading strategies

  • Adjust your support to meet kids where they are

  • Use real-world examples from LearnUp tutors to guide your approach

What you get from this course

  • Self-paced Course

    5 hours of online, self-paced video content

  • Manual

    Manual + structured lesson plans. Printable manual and structured lesson plans, along with links to online tools and videos

  • Lots of Examples

    Tutor-led examples and recordings of live lessons in action

  • Aligned Book Recommendations

    Decodable and aligned book recommendations, plus compatible materials

  • Certificate of Completion

Who It's For

  • Classroom volunteers and paraprofessionals

  • Youth & afterschool organizations (BGCSF and others)

  • Parents and caregivers

  • Anyone who works with children and youth

🙌 No teaching experience needed—just a desire to help and a willingness to learn!

Enroll Now!

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to Essential Phonics!

    • Get to know you survey Essential Phonics

    • Preface

    • The Purpose of this Course

    • Reading and the Brain

    • Three Pathways for Using This Course

    • How to use this online course
  • 2

    Materials

    • Essential Phonics Reference Manual and Lessons Book

    • The Digital Phonics Board

    • The Essential Phonics Lesson Plan: A Brief Overview

    • From Sounds to Stories: Using Decodable Chapter Books to Teach Reading

    • Teach your student using our videos!
  • 3

    The 10 Reading Concepts of Essential Phonics Part I

    • Concept 1: Consonants & Short Vowels

    • Concept 2: Open and Closed Syllables

    • Concept 3: Consonant Teams and Common Ending Sounds

    • Concept 4: Final Blends

    • Concept 5: Common Suffixes

    • Concept 6: Front Blends
  • 4

    Pulling It All Together: Lesson Plan Procedures & Demonstration

    • Teaching a Full Lesson

    • Spelling of Syllables: Concept Tracking

    • Reading: Pressure Release (How to Read With Any Student)

    • Reading: Beat the Clock (Building Speed & Fluency)

    • Mid-Course Survey Essential Phonics
  • 5

    10 Reading Concepts: Part II

    • Concept 7: Vowel Tag

    • Concept 8: Silent E

    • Concept 9: Vowel Change

    • Concept 10: R Family
  • 6

    Getting Started With A Student

    • Student Starting Points

    • Choosing Your Student's Book

    • Comprehension

    • Understanding Your Reader: Matching Struggles to Essential Phonics Concepts

    • Join our office hours

    • Post Course Survey Essential Phonics
  • 7

    Additional Questions

    • Why we use nonsense words

    • Why we don't teach letter names

    • Dialect Differences in Reading: Do we correct them?