WHO NEEDS IT

Phonics for Parents & Homeschoolers

No more having to say, “It just is… It just does… You just have to remember…”
every time your child asks WHY letters aren’t making the sounds that they’re supposed to in words. Now you can just tell them the Secret.

“One week into the Secret Stories and I have already seen a difference in my son’s learning! I’m amazed…His confidence has soared and he’s sounding out word after word after word. (I’m crying by the way!) One month ago he crawled under his bed crying and calling himself stupid for not being able to sound out words. Today he is looking around to see if there’s a word he can try to sound out! Thank YOU!!!!”
—Terri, Parent in Alabama

Teaching Phonics at Home

Learning to Read is More Challenging for Kids Who Don’t Know the Secrets

“I see a Secret in that word!” This is what parents who use Secret Stories® at home hear on an almost constant basis! Anywhere there is text, there will be Secrets!

All you need to do is share them. A perfect time for sharing Secrets is when reading a book to or with your child. Your child can read to you, or even just watch over your shoulder as you read. When they (or you) come to a word with a letter in it that isn’t “doing what it should,” that is your cue to share a Secret!

phonics for homeschoolers

Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to try and sound out the word /the/ if all you know about the letter /t/ is that it’s supposed to say “tuh?”

Not to mention other words like: she, how, they, or, now, for, her, were, this, too, my, by, new, saw, that, know, then, why, wish, own, show, try, etc….

Kids need to understand that letters are just like them. They don’t always do what they’re supposed to, but if you know their “secret” behaviors, their sounds are easy to figure out!

For example, knowing the Secret about why /t/ and /h/ are not allowed to sit together in words (because they always stick their tongues out at each other and say, “thhhhhhh!”) is as easy for kids to remember as the behaviors of kids in their own class or friend group.

The next time they spot /th/, whether it’s in a book or on a road sign, ask if they remember its Secret. If they need a little reminder, just show them the picture to remind them of the sound.

Using Phonics Secrets for Writing

Similarly, when writing, they can look at the pictures to find the Secret that depicts the sound they hear in the word they want to spell. It’s really that simple! Once shared, Secrets are ready for immediate use, with no waiting time or skill practice required!

Kindergarten Writing—FALL

My vukayshin hows.

Secret Stories Sneaky Y Phonics ey-ay phonics sounds sh-phonics-digraph ow-ow-phonics sounds

*Note that individual letters and sounds are acquired in approximately two weeks to two months using muscle memory, via the Better Alphabet Song, while at the same time, kids are also learning Secrets!

Phonics for Homeschool Reading

Homeschool Reading Phonics Program - Blender

Kindergarten Writing in Phonics

KINDERGARTEN WRITING- SPRING

View More Student Writing Samples

How Secret Stories® Phonics Approach Can Help You and Your Child

Teach Your Child to Read at Home Secret Stories® serves many purposes, depending on the age of your child and the level of support they need when reading and writing. For kids who already know how to read and write (or for homeschoolers), Secret Stories® can help to foster independence with completing assignments that involve reading, writing, or spelling— including word problems in math or written answers in science.

Knowing the Secrets also eliminates the need for kids to memorize long lists of sight words, as they won’t have to memorize what they can just read. You can encourage their attempts to sound out and spell unfamiliar words. When they ask, “What’s that word?” or “How do I spell it?” you won’t give the answer, you’ll give the Secret!

Secret Stories® can also be shared with multi-age siblings, as at their core, they are just like any other story that kids enjoy listening to, but with little “golden reading nuggets” buried inside!

Secret Stories Mommy E You’ll find a Mommy e® and Babysitter Vowels® corralling Superhero Vowels®, and friendships between letters that change how they behave when they’re together versus when they’re hanging out on their own. Even the youngest child understands that when mom (Mommy e®) or a babysitter (Babysitter Vowel®) is around, you do what you’re told, unless you’re far enough away that they can’t reach you!

BEWARE! The Secrets are Contagious!!!

You may recall seeing this video of an adorable little kindergartner telling the /er/ir/ur Secret at the top of the homepage.

Just below it is her four-year-old, baby sister, who just happened to overhear her mother telling her older sister the Secret about /ar/, which of course, she wanted to know it too!

This is big sis….

And here’s little sis…

How to Teach Your Child to Learn to Read at Home
A Phonics Video for Parents

Parent & Homeschool Phonics Bundle

Phonics Tools for Parents

Secret Stories® Parent Bundle for Teaching Reading at Home

Secret Stories® are as easy for parents to teach as they are for kids to learn because they make sense!

“Why does /th/ say “thhhhhhhh?” Because they don’t get along and so they stick their tongues out at each other. It’s that simple. This bundle contains everything that parents need to teach Secret Stories® at home AND everything that kids need to use them!

INCLUDES:
—SECRET STORIES® BOOK (WITH CUT APART PHONICS VISUALS) & BRAIN TEASER BLENDING™ PHONICS SONGS DOWNLOAD.
—PHONICS FLASHCARDS

View Remote Learning Home Bundle

One week into the Secret Stories and I have already seen a difference in my sons learning! I’m amazed. He read to me without struggling and getting frustrated and even sat down and wrote out sentences for his classwork without asking me for help on how to spell a word!!! I can’t wait to see what happens over the next month! His confidence has soared and he’s sounding out word after word after word. I’m crying by the way! One month ago he crawled under his bed crying and calling himself stupid for not being able to sound out words. Today he is looking around to see if there’s a word he can try to sound out! Thank YOU!!!!
Jill, Parent in Idaho

The Secret Stories were the reason that my dyslexic son learned to read with delight rather than drudgery. He’s in third grade now and we review the stories often, and he is thriving, thanks to you!
Julia, Parent in Michigan

I just wanted to send you an email to let you know how much you inspire me and motivate me to keep chugging along with my son. He’s our first, he’s in kindergarten, and this year has been such a challenge. He’s never really been interested or curious about reading or writing, no matter how we present it. When his teacher sent home flashcards with letters, we found it just wasn’t working for him. The letters and sounds, no matter how long we worked on them, just weren’t sticking. I was concerned so I went looking for a better way to teach him his letters and sounds. I found it! I watched Katie Garner’s keynote on YouTube and the information shared made SO MUCH SENSE to me (and I’m not a teacher). I immediately sought out Secret Stories. The day it arrived, we immediately started on the “Better Alphabet Song,” and now, not only can he sing the song on his own, but he can identify ALL of the letters and sounds independently! He has even started teaching his three year old sister (what better way to master a subject than to teach it to someone else, right?). I’ve also continued to sprinkle in the Secrets as we read/write together and he LOVES THEM! He naturally gravitates toward storytelling so this couldn’t have been a better fit for him. I have told his teacher about the Secret Stories, as well as another teacher who presented at our school’s literacy night, and other moms whose kids are struggling, as well. I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my “still-struggling-to-help-my-son-but-feeling-a-lot-more-hopeful” heart!

Meghan, Kindergarten Parent in Ohio

Your presentation at Parent’s Night was just outstanding, and I couldn’t wait to get back home and try out some of the ideas that you shared with my son. After only a month, what a difference it has made in his learning—I’m just amazed! He reads to me without struggling and getting frustrated, and even sat down and wrote out sentences for his classwork without asking me for help on how to spell a word!!! I can’t wait to see what happens over the next month. His confidence has soared and he’s sounding out word after word after word. I’m crying by the way! One month ago he crawled under his bed crying and calling himself stupid for not being able to sound out words. Today he is looking around to see if there’s a word he can try to sound out! Thank YOU!!!!

Terry, Parent in Alabama

Wow Katie! THANK YOU so much for blogging! This has changed our world. I homeschool my six year old son. The Secret Stories and all your vlogs are the reason my son is excelling—literally immediate results! What an answer to prayer! I was becoming a little discouraged until a teacher friend introduced me to your website and vlogs! Thank you so much for sowing lasting seeds into all of our little learners! And the best part is NO MORE SIGHT WORDS!!
Candy, Parent in Maryland

This book changed our life. I taught my dyslexic daughter to read using the Secret Stories, after trying the regular phonics programs, and finally having it recommended by our homeschool support group. We didn’t have to give up learning phonetically, despite my daughter’s auditory processing problems. We would sit down with her favorite book and she would immediately begin pointing out all of the Secrets she knew! Her brain was finally able to retain not just words, but the phonics patterns and sounds within them, as she was able to reapply the same patterns and sounds in new, unknown words, as well! With the Secret Stories, we finally had something she could work with! I’ve now begun using Secret Stories with my severely language-compromised son, and he giggles as we make the stories out of his Theraputty (another great product) and make the words come alive. I’ve also used the Secret Stories in a fun way at our homeschool group—I made little capes with the Superhero Vowels sewn onto the back to wear when they “say their names!”

Anna, Parent in Kentucky

I wanted to update you on my son’s progress after about five months of using Secret Stories. He is THRIVING!!! He is not the same reader he was five months ago. I am actually reconsidering my assumption that he is dyslexic like me because his improvement has been so drastic in such a short period of time. He decides words much more fluidly now. He went from struggling through the first set of BOB books to reading the Toad and Frog series in just five months! Most importantly, my son finally enjoys learning to read. He used to avoid reading at all costs. Now he can’t wait to decode words using the secrets he’s learned. He gets really excited when he finds secrets in words while we are out shopping and he literally tells random people at the park about the secrets he’s learned. He can spend a solid 20 minutes telling our friends and family about his Secret Story cards on the wall when they come to visit. I’m going to try to get a video of him explaining the cards and send it to you. He has so much enthusiasm and excitement about each of the secrets. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see my son finally falling in love with reading. I truly believe you have changed my sons life for the better. Thank you so much for developing this phenomenal program! I am telling all my friends about it.
Jill, Parent in Virginia

Seeing my daughter read all the time now is such a blessing- I only wish that the schools where we live would use The Secret Stories, as it covers all the learning bases: kinesthetic, visual, and auditory- allowing access for everyone who wants to learn how to read!
Susanna, Parent in Texas

(1st of 2 letters from Hannah, Canada)
My son is in grade two and is not reading. He has a diagnosis of high functioning autism. When I asked my son’s doctor last week what I could do to help my son with reading, the doctor said, “ He has autism, he might never read.” It feels that I am getting the same message from his school.I struggled in school with a severe learning disability. The learning disability was not discovered until I was in grade 8. I spent many years, sitting in classrooms and not knowing what was going on. When I was diagnosed in grade 8, my parents were told I was “mentally retarded” and that I would never be able to succeed in the local public school. My son told me that he sits in class and just looks at his work sheets for the entire class. I have spent many nights googling different ways to teach my son to read. I am a single mother and it seems hard sometimes not to have another person to share my worries with. I just stumbled upon your method yesterday and I printed out some of your stories and read them to my son and showed him the pictures. He remembered the sounds right away. I have been watching your videos on YouTube and they have been unbelievable. This is the first time in along time that I have felt extremely hopeful.

Hi Katie,
I can’t thank you enough for your book. My son has started reading! He loves the Secret Stories. He thanked me last night for getting the Secret Stories for him. Last night, I asked him to read the word “cookie” using what he learned from the Secret Stories. His first response was, “I can’t read such a big word.” I told him to try. He sounded out the word right away. He then said, “Mommy, I read the word cookie! I can’t believe I read such a big word!” Katie, your program is unbelievable. It really should be used in all schools to teach kids reading. Happy New Year!
Hannah, Parent in Canada

They are really helping my students. I teach first grade and wanted to share the following letter sent to me by one of my parents about their child’s progress…..“I see a huge difference from last week and this week in David’s reading. I know that this may seem extreme, but we went over his vocabulary words yesterday and he got everyone right except for 1 or 2 that he needed some help on. When he was trying to figure the words out, I could hear him whispering some of the “secrets” to figure them out. This is amazing since I am usually ‘sweating it’ on Thursday night to still try and get him to comprehend these words. Something that I thought might be helpful to me and the other parents is if we could have the “secrets” at home too, so we are all teaching the kids in the same manner. They have already made an impression on my child, as I am seeing results already!”
Ashley, 1st Grade Teacher (sharing parent note) in Alabama

I have not seen so much excitement from our teachers in the four years that I have been the assistant principal here. They all LOVE the ‘secrets!’ On a more personal note, I have twins in the first grade. Well, just one week after their teachers started using the Secret Stories, they both came home and started telling me the ‘secrets!’ I was amazed at their interactions as well, as they couldn’t keep from telling each other the ‘secrets’ from their respective classes- from the “Momma E” to the “Super Hero” vowels—their interest and excitement was remarkable!) Once again, thank you from the entire staff!
P.J., Parent and Assistant Principal in Georgia

I tell everyone I know about your book. My oldest son has Dyslexia and as a result, had a hard time with reading. The Secret Stories made a world of difference with him when nothing else was working. Now my youngest son is learning to read with the stories. Thank you so much for what you have created and the difference it has made for my child!
Carolyn, Literacy Facilitator and Parent in Virginia