How to Teach a Child to Read at Home Without a Curriculum

If you’ve decided to homeschool your child—but don’t want to follow a boxed reading curriculum—you’re not alone.

Maybe you want flexibility.
Maybe the scripted programs feel overwhelming.
Or maybe your child just doesn’t fit into someone else’s checklist. ✋

The good news?
You can absolutely teach reading at home without a curriculum—as long as you know what to teach and how to build it step by step.

In this post, we’ll walk through exactly how to structure reading instruction at home—without buying a program.

🧠 Start With the Science (Not the Stuff)

You don’t need a fancy curriculum.
You do need to understand what strong readers actually need.

According to the Science of Reading, the five essential components of early reading instruction are:

1. Phonemic Awareness – hearing and playing with sounds

2. Phonics – matching sounds to letters

3. Fluency – reading with ease and accuracy

4. Vocabulary – understanding word meaning

5. Comprehension – making sense of what’s read

A good DIY approach touches each of these every week—some every day.

🧱 Build a Simple Daily Routine

Keep your homeschool reading block short and focused—20 to 30 minutes max.

Here’s a basic no-curriculum framework:

1. Phonemic Awareness (5 min)

Say a word like mat. Ask:

• “What’s the first sound?” (/m/)

• “Say mat without the /m/.”

• “What word is /s/ /a/ /t/?”

No letters—just sounds. This builds the mental muscle for decoding.

2. Phonics Instruction (10 min)

Pick one sound-spelling pattern to focus on (like short a, or digraph sh).

• Say the sound

• Show how it’s spelled

• Read a few words with that pattern

• Write some of them together

Repeat it for several days in a row. Mastery > speed. 🐢

3. Decodable Reading Practice (5–10 min)

Use books or printable texts that match the phonics skill you’ve just taught.

Let your child read aloud slowly. Prompt them to sound out unfamiliar words. Avoid guessing.

4. Spelling (Encoding) Practice (5 min)

Say a word. Have your child:

• Tap the sounds

• Write the letters for each sound

• Read it back

This strengthens sound-letter connections and makes reading easier.

Optional: Read-Aloud + Talk (Anytime)

• Read books to your child every day

• Ask questions

• Discuss characters, setting, and new vocabulary

📖 This builds language and comprehension—and keeps the joy in reading.

🗂️ How to Know What to Teach Next

Without a curriculum, you’ll need a phonics scope and sequence to guide you.

This is simply a list of what phonics skills to teach, in what order. A common sequence might be:

1. CVC words (short vowels)

2. Digraphs (sh, th, ch)

3. Consonant blends (bl, st, gr)

4. Silent e (CVCe)

5. Vowel teams (ai, oa, ee)

6. R-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir)

7. Multisyllabic words

You can search for a Science of Reading–aligned sequence or create one based on your child’s needs. ✅

🛠️ Tools That Help (But Aren’t a Curriculum)

You don’t need a boxed set—but you may want:

• A whiteboard or notebook

• Letter tiles or flashcards

• Decodable books or passages

• A tracking sheet to mark progress

These help you stay organized while keeping lessons flexible.

💬 What If My Child Struggles?

If your child has trouble:

• Blending sounds

• Remembering letter patterns

• Staying focused for reading

…slow down. Revisit phonemic awareness. Focus on one skill at a time. Celebrate small wins. 🎉

You may also want to read aloud more, work in shorter bursts, or add movement and play into your lesson.

You don’t need to do everything all at once.
You just need to build the foundation.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a curriculum to teach reading.
You need:

• A plan

• A sequence

• A daily routine

• And the willingness to go at your child’s pace

With just a few minutes a day, you can help your child grow into a confident reader—no script required. 💛

You’ve got everything you need right in front of you.
Start simple. Stay consistent. Keep going.