Abstract: A method of teaching reading and spelling is provided. The method includes the steps of presenting students with a set of letters and associating phonemes with each of the letters, presenting the students with at least one word that incorporates the phonemes, instructing the students to read the word by synthesizing the individual phonemes into the word, and then presenting the students with the names of the letters only after the students have learned substantially all of the phonemes associated with the letters. The method may also include the steps of providing the students with cards having the letters displayed thereon and then instructing the students to spell the word using the cards.