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The ability to read and write is a gift built on many processes and skills, like a 'literacy wall' where each brick must be firmly cemented in place. Children develop these skills from birth, starting with communication through cries and facial expressions, progressing to babbling, speech, and eventually understanding that words have meaning. As they learn, their vocabulary and comprehension grow, laying the foundation for reading. Successful readers can decode words, retrieve their meaning, and interpret texts using personal knowledge and memories. The Oral-Literate Continuum represents language development from first words to complex sentences, verbal storytelling, and eventually formal reading and writing. Becoming a fluent reader is the top row of bricks in the literacy wall, built higher with immersion in the literate world. Synthetic phonics is a proven strategy to start reading, involving phonological awareness, matching sounds with letters, and blending sounds to form words. If a child is not ready for formal reading, working on foundational skills with the help of professionals, such as Speech Pathologists, can provide a personalized plan to support their reading, spelling, storytelling, and vocabulary skills.