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Science of Reading + Writing: See how Handwriting Without Tears ©2025 brings them together. Learn More

SCIENCE OF READING

Each program text embeds crucial skills that help students begin to hear sounds in words, spot sight words, and acquire word recognition strategies.

New! Science of Reading Download

The program teaches students explicitly and sequentially
through multimodal instruction and practice

OUR INFORMED APPROACH

The program’s instructional design is built on the premise that children learn best when skills are set in context of the “why.”

A-Z for Mat Man and Me uses the following four principles to drive instruction and practice:

 

  • Teach academic language skills
  • Develop awareness of sounds and links to letters
  • Teach students to decode and recognize words
  • Ensure that students read connected text every day

 

See Research

This white paper collects academic research that shows how children who develop foundational literacy skills in A—Z for Mat Man and Me are better prepared to meet the rigorous demands of school.

SYSTEMATIC, EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION

Students develop into proficient readers when they receive systematic, and explicit instruction. A-Z for Mat Man and Me offers both.

  • Systematic: Letter Learning lessons for each book are highly structured to teach each letter of the alphabet. Meaning Making lessons reinforce the use of letters in words and stories.
  • Explicit: Each letter’s name, sound, and form are explicitly taught, practiced, and applied.

 


A-Z for Mat Man and Me Teacher’s Guide

Structured Flexibility

The program's letter sequence was designed to help students start reading as soon as possible. Letters like m, t, and a are taught first, because they occur frequently in simple words, giving students a strong foundation as they explore new words. You can also alter the letter sequence to your liking using the Interactive Teaching Tool.