Meet Kristina Harrill - founder and author of Sweet for Kindergarten, a Teachers Pay Teachers store and blog where you can find her hard at work giving tips on how to simplify phonics instruction without sacrificing engagement and effectiveness.

Phonological awareness is the beating heart of reading. It’s where a reader’s journey first begins, and it’s of the utmost importance. As educators, we are called to introduce phonological awareness as our readers set out on their reading adventures.

The research all points in the same direction: all people learn to read in the same way.  But how? What are the steps to becoming a successful reader?  Which direction should they take? What are the foundational skills? Let’s look at the steps that every reader takes on his or her journey to become successful.