Word Walls or Sound Walls? A Small Change With BIG Impact!
Picture this: Your child encounters the word "knight" for the first time.
With a Word Wall approach, they'd be expected to memorize what this word looks like and guess its meaning based on visual clues or context. It's filed under "K" because that's the first letter they see.
With a Sound Wall approach, they'd learn that "knight" makes the /n/ sound at the beginning, just like "knee" and "know." Suddenly, they have a strategy to decode ANY word that starts with this sound pattern—not just one memorized word.
Are you new here? Welcome! I’m Miss Beth, the founder of Big City Readers—a program designed to make early childhood literacy fun and accessible for every child. I believe kids learn best when they’re engaged through reading, writing, singing, talking, and playing. Today, we’re diving into word walls and sound walls; what they are, which one is better, and how you can support your child at home with simple, fun activities.
Let’s dive into the differences between teaching kids to memorize words versus teaching them to actually read.
What Exactly IS a Word Wall?
If you've been in an elementary classroom, you've probably seen one: a display featuring high-frequency words like "the," "and," "said," and "you" organized alphabetically by their first letter. Teachers point to these words throughout the day, encouraging kids to memorize them "by sight."
The idea sounds logical—these words appear constantly in reading, so why not just memorize them?
Here's the problem: Reading isn't about memorization. It's about decoding.
Why Word Walls Miss the Mark
Word Walls ask kids to do something that doesn't match how their brains learn to read:
They skip the sound step. Reading is a speech-to-print process. Kids need to connect the sounds they hear and speak to the letters they see on the page. Word Walls jump straight to the visual, bypassing this crucial connection.
They create guessers, not readers. When kids memorize whole words, they're essentially playing a matching game. They might recognize "the" in one context but struggle when it appears in different fonts, sizes, or contexts.
They don't help with new words. What happens when your child encounters "thought" or "through" for the first time? If they've only memorized "the," they have no strategy for figuring out these new words.
The Sound Wall Alternative: Teaching Kids to Actually Read
A Sound Wall organizes words by the sounds they make, not the letters they start with. This simple shift changes everything.
Instead of grouping words alphabetically, Sound Walls group them by phonemes (individual sounds):
The /f/ sound: "fish," "phone," "laugh"
The /ch/ sound: "chip," "cheese," "nature"
The /n/ sound: "no," "knee," "knight"
The /s/ sound: "sun," "city," "mouse"
Notice how "phone" and "fish" are together even though they start with different letters? That's because reading is about SOUND, not just visual appearance.
Here's What This Looks Like in Practice
Word Wall thinking: "I need to memorize that this word 'said' looks like this."
Sound Wall thinking: "The word 'said' has three sounds: /s/ /ɛ/ /d/. I can use what I know about these sounds to read them, and I can use this same strategy for other words."
When kids learn this way, they're not just remembering individual words—they're building a system for reading ANY word they encounter.
Why This Small Change Has Such a Big Impact
It works with the brain, not against it. Research shows that successful reading requires phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate individual sounds in words. Sound Walls build this skill naturally.
It reduces anxiety. Instead of worrying, "Do I remember what this word looks like?" kids think, "Let me figure out what sounds this word makes." They feel empowered, not dependent on memory.
It helps ALL learners. This approach is especially powerful for struggling readers, kids with dyslexia, and English language learners who need systematic, sound-based instruction.
It builds real reading skills. Kids who understand how sounds connect to letters can tackle new words independently. They become decoders, not just memorizers.
What This Means for You as a Parent
If your child's classroom uses Word Walls, don't panic. Many schools are still transitioning to Science of Reading approaches.
Here's how you can support sound-based learning at home:
Focus on sounds during reading time. When you encounter a new word, help your child break it into sounds: "Let's sound out 'frog'—/f/ /r/ /o/ /g/."
Make it multisensory. Have your child trace letters while saying the sounds. Use mirrors so they can see how their mouth moves for different sounds.
Group words by sound, not letter. Create your own mini sound wall at home. Put "fish" and "phone" together because they both start with /f/.
Use my free Sound Practice worksheet to get started with sound-based activities that feel like play!
When to Have "The Conversation" with Your Child's Teacher
If you're concerned about your child's reading instruction, you're not alone. Many parents are learning about the Science of Reading and wondering how to advocate for their kids.
The good news? Most teachers want what's best for students. They're often eager to learn about approaches that help kids succeed. If you want guidance on how to start this conversation respectfully and effectively, check out my podcast episode "When To Speak Up About Reading Curriculum" for practical, judgment-free tips. You can do this!
Word Walls ask kids to memorize. Sound Walls teach kids to read.
It's a small change in how we organize and present information, but it aligns with how children's brains actually learn to process written language. When kids understand that reading is about connecting sounds to letters, they develop the skills to decode ANY word—not just the ones they've memorized. Start with my free Sound Practice worksheet and see the difference it makes!
That's how we build readers who feel confident, capable, and excited to tackle new challenges.
Make Reading Click: A FREE Workshop for Parents
We’ll work together, step by step, to build your child’s phonemic awareness, letter-sound knowledge, and early decoding skills, using methods that are research-backed and kid-approved. If you're ready to bring sound-based learning to life in your home, this course was made for you.
Do you have more questions about sound walls? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to check out my latest posts for more tips on supporting your child’s early literacy journey down below:
