If you’ve been following education news lately, you’ve probably heard the phrase “The Science of Reading.”

It has become one of the biggest conversations in education.

Schools across the country are changing the way they teach reading because decades of research have given us a much clearer understanding of how children learn to read successfully.

But here’s something many people don’t realize.

The Science of Reading doesn’t begin in kindergarten.

It begins long before a child ever opens a reading workbook.

It begins with play.

What Is the Science of Reading?

The Science of Reading is not a curriculum or a reading program.

It is a large body of research from education, psychology, neuroscience, and child development that explains how children learn to read.

This research shows that reading is not something our brains learn naturally the way we learn to speak.

Reading must be taught.

Children need explicit instruction in skills like letter sounds, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, language comprehension, and decoding.

These skills work together to help children become successful readers.

Today, many schools are adopting reading instruction based on this research because it leads to stronger outcomes for children.

The goal is simple.

Give every child the best possible foundation for reading success.

The Foundation Starts Earlier Than You Think

Although formal reading instruction often begins in kindergarten, the developmental skills that support reading begin much earlier.

Long before children recognize letters, they are building the brain pathways that make reading possible.

Every conversation. Every story. Every puzzle. Every block tower. Every trip to the playground.

These experiences are preparing children for future learning.

Children are developing language. They are strengthening attention.

They are learning to listen, remember, solve problems, and communicate.

Those skills become the building blocks for literacy.

Reading Is a Whole-Child Experience

Learning to read involves much more than recognizing letters on a page.

Children need strong language skills to understand what they hear.

They need visual skills to follow words across a page.

They need fine motor skills to hold a pencil and practice writing.

They need executive functioning skills to pay attention, remember directions, and keep trying when something feels difficult.

They also need confidence.

Children who believe they can learn are more likely to stay engaged when reading becomes challenging.

All of these skills develop through meaningful everyday experiences.

Especially through play.

Why Play Still Matters

Sometimes families worry that play isn’t preparing children for school.

The research tells us something very different.

Play creates opportunities for children to build vocabulary, strengthen problem-solving skills, practice self-regulation, and develop the attention needed for learning.

When children build, create, imagine, and explore, they are strengthening the very skills that support reading later on.

Play is not taking time away from learning.

Play is helping make learning possible.

Why We Created My First Desk™

Years ago, I wasn’t trying to design a reading program.

I was trying to help families prepare children for kindergarten in a way that made sense developmentally.

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I understood that children need much more than flashcards and worksheets.

They need opportunities to strengthen their hands.

To develop language. To solve problems. To practice listening. To build confidence. To create. To move. To play.

Those are the experiences that prepare children for learning.

That belief became My First Desk™.

Supporting the Science of Reading From the Very Beginning

Every activity in My First Desk was intentionally designed to strengthen the developmental skills that support literacy.

Children listen to stories and use their vocabulary to interact with others..

They practice early writing.

They build fine motor strength.

They solve simple problems.

They follow directions.

They engage in meaningful conversations with the adults who matter most.

Perhaps most importantly, they learn that learning is fun.

While My First Desk is not a Science of Reading curriculum, it supports the developmental foundations that help children benefit from evidence-based reading instruction when they enter school.

It gives children a strong place to begin.

Building Confident Learners

Reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give a child.

But successful readers are not built overnight.

They are built one conversation at a time. One story at a time. One playful experience at a time.

The Science of Reading reminds us that reading success is built on a strong foundation.

At My First Desk™, we believe that foundation begins long before children sound out their first word.

It begins with connection. It begins with curiosity. It begins with play.

Because when children develop the skills, confidence, and joy that support learning, they don’t just become better readers.

They become lifelong learners.