Is My Toddler Really Reading? How to Support a 2.5-Year-Old Who’s Starting Phonics Early

A 2023 study from the National Literacy Trust found that children who are read to daily in the early years are four times more likely to reach the expected level in reading and writing by age 5. That’s a powerful statistic, and it reflects what I’ve seen first hand with my own daughter.

At just two and a half, she’s started recognising letter sounds, blending them, and reading simple words. Not because I’ve pushed her, but because we’ve made books and language a key part of everyday life. We read together constantly, play simple no-prep phonics games (like the ones in my free guide The Little Reading Reset), and sing the letter formation songs I created in my Sing to Write mini-course. She’s picked it up naturally, in her own time.

This post is for any parent thinking:
“My toddler seems to be recognising letters and sounds, what now?”
Or just wondering:
“Is this normal? Should I be doing more… or less?”

You’ll walk away from this blog post with a deeper understanding of how to support an early reader without overwhelming them or yourself. We’ll talk about what’s typical for children under school age, how to nurture their curiosity, and what to focus on besides letter sounds.

Early Reading Before School Age: What’s Typical?

It’s easy to feel unsure when your child starts reading before you expected it. But the truth is, children develop literacy skills on very different timelines.

The formal teaching of phonics usually begins in Reception (the academic year children turn 5). That’s when most children are developmentally ready - not just in their sound knowledge, but in speech, comprehension, and attention span too. These are all crucial pieces of the puzzle. I used to be incredibly adamant that parents shouldn't worry about teaching children letter sounds before they start school, however my 2.5 year old has recently started sounding out and blending. I've never overtly taught her, she has picked it up through the daily activities and reading we do. It's made me realise more than ever that it's not about age at all, but readiness.

Some 2- or 3-year-olds may begin identifying letter sounds early. Others won’t show interest until much later. Both are completely normal. What matters most is that we respond to their curiosity without pressure and with a clear understanding of the bigger picture.

It's important to point out here that if your child can recognise letters early, it doesn’t mean they’re ready to read in a formal sense. But it does mean they’re showing signs of phonological awareness, and that’s worth nurturing in gentle, playful ways.

Developmental Milestones and School Readiness

There’s no fixed age that marks “reading readiness.” Instead, reading emerges when a number of developmental systems work together - including memory, comprehension, language, attention, and fine motor skills.

Between the ages of 2 and 5, children make huge leaps in:

• Speech and language: Vocabulary expands, sentence structure becomes more complex, and they begin understanding how stories work.

• Comprehension: They start to infer meaning, answer simple questions, and connect ideas.

• Listening and attention: These skills are essential for phonics instruction, but they're still developing well into the early years.

• Emotional regulation: Sitting down to learn, even through play, requires a level of patience and emotional control that toddlers are still working on.

That’s why most phonics instruction is introduced at age 4-5 in school, when these systems are stronger. If your toddler shows early interest, great - just keep activities play-based, brief, and child-led.

There are over 50 free no-prep games in my free guide The Little Reading Reset.

Tip 1: Create a Language-Rich Environment

Reading aloud regularly is still the single most powerful thing you can do. Books develop vocabulary, understanding, emotional intelligence, and imagination, all before phonics comes into play.

In my house, reading isn’t a sit-still-and-focus kind of task. We read at bath time, while having a snack, on the floor surrounded by soft toys. Toddlers absorb so much from the rhythm of language and the repetition of favourite stories.

Try this:

• Let them choose the book, even if it’s the same one every night!

• Pause occasionally to talk about the pictures or predict what might happen next.

• Use different voices, actions, props (toys/household objects) to keep things engaging.

Bonus tip: The more you expose them to rhyme, rhythm and repetition, the stronger their phonological awareness will be - one of the biggest predictors of future reading success.

Tip 2: Play Phonics Games (But Keep It Light!)

You don’t need structured lessons at this age. In fact, less is more.

When my daughter started showing interest in sounds, we leaned into play. That’s why I created The Little Reading Reset - a free guide packed with easy, no-prep games that slot into your everyday routines. No printables, no pressure, just simple ideas like:

• Sound hunts around the house (e.g., “Can you find something that starts with /s/?”)

• Silly sound songs using the first sound of their name

• Sound sorting with toys or flashcards

These games build phonics skills gently, through connection and play - not worksheets, I can not stress that enough!

Tip 3: Add in Music to Reinforce Letter Formation

One thing I’ve learned from years of teaching (and parenting!) is that young children remember best when language is paired with rhythm.

That’s why I created Sing to Write, my mini-course that uses original letter formation songs to help children internalise the shape and sound of each letter. It’s not about writing letters on paper - it’s about singing the shape of the letter so it becomes part of their muscle memory over time.

Even if your toddler isn’t ready to write yet, these songs offer a playful, accessible way to introduce letter formation without the need for formal instruction. My daughter and I sing them in the car, around the house - they are like nursery rhymes to us now, but she's singing the directions for how to write each letter. When her fine motor skills are ready, she'll already know the formation and shape, and it'll just be a case of practicing putting it down on paper.

Reading and Writing: Why They Don’t Always Develop Together

Just because your toddler can recognise letters doesn’t mean they’re ready to write them, and that’s okay!

Reading and writing are reciprocal skills, meaning they support one another. But they don’t always develop at the same pace. Writing involves:

• Fine motor strength

• Hand-eye coordination

• Visual memory

• Letter formation knowledge

At 2.5, your child may be enjoying early reading, but they likely haven’t developed the motor skills or focus needed for letter writing yet.

This is where fine motor play is essential. Activities like threading, squishing playdough, and using tweezers strengthen the hands and fingers in preparation for writing later on.

👉 For practical, easy ideas, read my blog: 15 Fun Playdough Activities to Build Hand Strength for Early Writing Readiness

Tip 4: Build Strong Fine Motor Foundations

Before children can write clearly or hold a pencil correctly, they need strength and control in their hands and fingers.

Some of mine and Rose's favourite fine motor activities include:

• Pom-pom tweezing

• Stickers and peeling tape

• Posting games (posting coins or buttons into a box)

• Threading large beads

• Playdough squishing, rolling, and pinching

These seemingly simple games help prepare them for handwriting more than any workbook ever could, and they’re fun too.

Tip 5: Focus on Communication, Not Just Phonics

One of the biggest misconceptions is that early readers just need more phonics. But really, speech, language, and comprehension are the foundation of everything.

If your child is reading but struggling to answer questions or hold a conversation, press pause on phonics and focus on communication - I can not stress this enough, there is no point them being able to read a word if they don't understand what that word means.

Here’s how:

• Ask open-ended questions during play and stories (“What do you think will happen?”)

• Model full sentences back when they speak

• Give them time to answer

• Repeat and extend what they say

A child who can decode words but doesn’t understand them is missing the heart of reading - what is the joy in being able to read a book if you don't understand it to imagine it in your head. So support their language and comprehension every step of the way.

Final Thoughts: Every Child’s Path Is Different

If your 2.5-year-old is showing early signs of reading, that’s wonderful. But it doesn’t mean you need to turn your home into a mini classroom, in fact it means the complete opposite! Early literacy doesn’t have to mean early formal learning. Instead, respond to their curiosity with connection, stories, and play.

And if they’re not interested yet? That’s okay too. School readiness is about more than phonics, it’s about the whole child. Their emotional development, attention, language, and understanding all play a part.

Supporting phonics in nursery age children (and younger) isn’t about pushing, it’s about pausing to meet them exactly where they are.

Ready to Support Your Child’s Learning the Simple Way?

Grab The Little Reading Reset – my free guide packed with 50 no-prep, low-pressure games to build phonics, reading and writing skills naturally in the moments you already share.

And if your little one is ready to explore writing too, take a peek at my mini-course Sing to Write, where letter formation is introduced through joyful songs written to direct the shape of the letter and stick in your brain!