Rebecca McAllister - The Active Reader
Welcome to The Active Reader, where learning to read becomes simple, joyful, and stress-free!
I’m Rebecca — mom, teacher, and literacy specialist — helping parents and educators teach kids to read with confidence using the Science of Reading and structured literacy.
Here you’ll find short, engaging videos with hands-on phonics activities, early literacy routines, and evidence-based strategies that actually work.
I’ll show you how to build phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension step-by-step — with playful tools that make reading click at home or in the classroom.
✅ Play-based phonics and decoding tips
✅ Multisensory literacy activities for home or classroom
✅ Step-by-step guides for early reading success
✅ Free printable resources and decodable word tools
Subscribe and join a community of parents, homeschoolers, and teachers building confident, happy readers with clear, structured guidance each week.
Teaching Your Child to Read With the Right Books
The Spelling Secret That Stops Forgetting
When Reading Practice Makes Things Worse
Your Teacher Taught You to Guess, Not Read
Why Guided Reading FAILS Struggling Readers
Reading Levels: What Teachers Aren't Told
Still Sounding Out Every Word? Build Fluency Fast
Build Reading Confidence Fast with Word Families
Structured Literacy in Action: What It Looks Like in Real Classrooms
The #1 Reading Skill Kids Are Missing (And How To Teach It)
How To Teach Short Vowel Sounds (That Kids Actually Remember)
Transform Your Classroom with the Science of Reading
How to Teach Kids to Read Simple Three-Letter Words (CVC Words)
Stop Memorizing Sight Words — Do This Instead!
6 Simple Word Games That Build Confident Readers
Decodable Readers Explained: What They Are & How to Use Them
How to Teach Blending & Segmenting (The Foundation of Reading)
ADHD and Reading: Calm, Effective Strategies That Work
Is Slow Reading a Problem? What Parents & Teachers Need to Know
How Early Is Too Early to Teach a Child to Read?
Bedtime Phonics Routine to Boost Early Reading Skills
Why Letter Formation Matters More Than You Think
The #1 Mistake Parents Make After School, And What to Do Instead
The Whole Language Approach: Why It Fails and What Works Better
The Missing Piece: Multi-Sensory Learning for Reading Success
Fun and Easy Pre-K Reading Activities (No Prep!)
Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum That Actually Works
The Science of Reading: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Why Structured Literacy Works (Especially for Struggling Readers)
Is This Normal? 5 Early Signs of a Learning Disability