yup, we taught all four to read phonetically with less and less effort as they came along, the youngest two being a year apart, learned at the same time. yup, we taught all four to read phonetically with less and less effort as they came along, the youngest two being a year apart, learned at the same time.Phonics is how we learned to read. Once they get some of the blending of sounds, there are ladder words to memorize that aren’t phonically correct but simple to them as they go on. I think the lesson here is that the parents have to do it at home prior to sending them off to school. Plain and simple. If someone doesn’t do that then the child will struggle from kindergarten on. I am amazed once they get the sounds and the blending, they sort of shoot off like a rocket with speed. Other kids are still struggling while the ones who learned phonics early are just advancing every day. Just a thought.