Your child will meet these sounds at school.
Help them be friends.

Your child will meet these sounds at school.
Help them be friends.

Word Nuts is a physical, screen-free early literacy system for ages 4+.


A complete tactile reading system that grows with them from first sounds into fluent reading. Parents now have a concrete, no-fuss way to actually make reading click.

Word Nuts is a physical, screen-free early literacy system for ages 4+.


A complete tactile reading system that grows with them from first sounds into fluent reading. Parents now have a concrete, no-fuss way to actually make reading click.

Tested inside real California classrooms, 7 of 7 children gained letter sounds during a four-week summer pilot.

Tested inside real California classrooms, 7 of 7 children gained letter sounds during a four-week summer pilot.

How did this begin?

How did this begin?

My daughter was struggling to read.
So I created a new way to help her.

My daughter was struggling to read.
So I created a new way to help her.

My daughter was struggling to read.
So I created a new way to help her.

In the fall of 2024, my daughter Demi’s Pre-K teacher sat me down in one of those tiny chairs and told me, kindly, that Demi was in need of reading intervention. I asked good questions like, “what can we do at home?”. But what I was really thinking was: what did I do wrong? Her teacher told me Los Angeles Unified offered an after-school program twice a week for kids with similar DIBELS* scores, who were “in need of most support.”

In the fall of 2024, my daughter Demi’s Pre-K teacher sat me down in one of those tiny chairs and told me, kindly, that Demi was in need of reading intervention. I asked good questions like, “what can we do at home?”. But what I was really thinking was: what did I do wrong? Her teacher told me Los Angeles Unified offered an after-school program twice a week for kids with similar DIBELS* scores, who were “in need of most support.”

And that intervention didn’t move the needle. I kept hearing things like “it’s early.” or “Don’t worry, she’ll catch up.” But she didn’t. When they tested again at the end of January, she wasn’t making progress. So I went looking for answers. I dove into everything about how the brain understands reading. I scoured the internet for reading resources. I purchased workbooks, apps, phonics systems. And I kept finding one thing to be true, over and over: none of them helped my child.

And that intervention didn’t move the needle. I kept hearing things like “it’s early.” or “Don’t worry, she’ll catch up.” But she didn’t. When they tested again at the end of January, she wasn’t making progress. So I went looking for answers. I dove into everything about how the brain understands reading. I scoured the internet for reading resources. I purchased workbooks, apps, phonics systems. And I kept finding one thing to be true, over and over: none of them helped my child.

And that intervention didn’t move the needle. I kept hearing things like “it’s early.” or “Don’t worry, she’ll catch up.” But she didn’t. When they tested again at the end of January, she wasn’t making progress.


So I went looking for answers. I dove into everything about how the brain understands reading. I scoured the internet for reading resources. I purchased workbooks, apps, phonics systems. And I kept finding one thing to be true, over and over: none of them helped my child.

The worksheets made her freeze. The phonics systems were great, but required large amounts of planning time on my part, and the apps were most painful because she inevitably navigated her way to YT Kids or the Photos app, and pulling her back would bring on frustration and frequent battles of will, which made her resent the process of learning altogether.

The worksheets made her freeze. The phonics systems were great, but required large amounts of planning time on my part, and the apps were most painful because she inevitably navigated her way to YT Kids or the Photos app, and pulling her back would bring on frustration and frequent battles of will, which made her resent the process of learning altogether.

I knew there had to be a better way, it just hadn’t been thought of yet.


I also knew she loved everything I ever 3D printed for her, no matter what it was. So I started asking myself “how can I 3D print the nuts & bolts of reading, so Demi can actually like learning to read?”


The answer was right there in the question. Create the nuts and bolts themselves. I boiled down everything I’d learned about The Science of Reading, and why phonics works. I put it into a system that I could pick up and use every day, without hassle.


Two trash bags of failed prints later, I had a bolt that turned like butter, and an easy way to build her core reading strength. By April 2025, Demi and I were using the set for a few minutes 3-5 nights a week. Some nights we stopped early. Some nights she loved the way her progress felt, so we’d go long. We stuck with it over the summer and…

I knew there had to be a better way, it just hadn’t been thought of yet.


I also knew she loved everything I ever 3D printed for her, no matter what it was. So I started asking myself “how can I 3D print the nuts & bolts of reading, so Demi can actually like learning to read?”


The answer was right there in the question. Create the nuts and bolts themselves. I boiled down everything I’d learned about The Science of Reading, and why phonics works. I put it into a system that I could pick up and use every day, without hassle.


Two trash bags of failed prints later, I had a bolt that turned like butter, and an easy way to build her core reading strength. By April 2025, Demi and I were using the set for a few minutes 3-5 nights a week. Some nights we stopped early. Some nights she loved the way her progress felt, so we’d go long. We stuck with it over the summer and…

Word Nuts home practice setup on a table

Word Nuts in the wild

Word Nuts home practice setup on a table

The Original Word Nuts prototype

…by the start of kindergarten, she was one of the strongest readers in her class.

…by the start of kindergarten, she was one of the strongest readers in her class.

Read the complete story →

Long before any of this was built, 3 little things started moving the needle
on Demi's reading…

Long before any of this was built, three small things started moving the needle on Demi's reading.

In essence, they were how to change one sound so she actually hears the difference. How to get her fingers into it. And the unglamorous third one that decides whether the first two add up to anything.
You do not need Word Nuts to do any of them tonight.

How to change one sound so she actually hears the difference. How to get her fingers into it. And the unglamorous third one that decides whether the first two add up to anything.

One page. Paper and a marker is the whole setup. You do not need Word Nuts to do any of them tonight.

You’re on the list.

We’ll let you know the moment Kickstarter goes live.

Joining the list does not reserve a set or lock in early-bird pricing.

One small step.
A much easier way forward.

Check your inbox — the guide is on its way. We’ll keep anything else we send simple, useful, and focused on helping reading click.

RESERVE YOUR SET

The actual reports, for anyone who wants the receipts.

The actual reports, for anyone who wants the receipts.

The actual reports, for anyone who wants the receipts.

These are Demi’s actual school reading reports. The first is from transitional kindergarten (Pre-K).
The second is from the start of kindergarten, after a summer of practicing with Word Nuts.

These are Demi’s actual school reading reports. The first is from transitional kindergarten (Pre-K). The second is from the start of kindergarten, after a summer of practicing with Word Nuts.

These are Demi’s actual school reading reports. The first is from transitional kindergarten (Pre-K).


The second is from the start of kindergarten, after a summer of practicing with Word Nuts.

Before — Transitional Kindergarten

January 29, 2025

Needs Most Support

Before — Transitional Kindergarten, January 29, 2025
Focused score view: Before — Transitional Kindergarten

After — Beginning of Kindergarten

November 10, 2025

Above Benchmark

After — Beginning of Kindergarten, November 10, 2025
Focused score view: After — Beginning of Kindergarten

Before — Transitional Kindergarten

January 29, 2025

Needs Most Support

Before — Transitional Kindergarten, January 29, 2025
Focused score view: Before — Transitional Kindergarten

After — Beginning of Kindergarten

November 10, 2025

Above Benchmark

After — Beginning of Kindergarten, November 10, 2025
Focused score view: After — Beginning of Kindergarten

Before — Transitional Kindergarten

January 29, 2025

Needs Most Support

Before — Transitional Kindergarten, January 29, 2025
Focused score view: Before — Transitional Kindergarten

After — Beginning of Kindergarten

November 10, 2025

Above Benchmark

After — Beginning of Kindergarten, November 10, 2025
Focused score view: After — Beginning of Kindergarten

DIBELS is a school reading benchmark assessment used nationwide. It helps teachers see whether the foundations of reading are taking hold. The composite score resets according to grade-level expectations, so 334 → 372 is not a simple 38-point gain.

*DIBELS is a school reading benchmark assessment. It helps teachers see whether the foundations of reading are taking hold.

Demi went from 37 points below her TK benchmark to 66 points above the kindergarten benchmark: a 103-point swing relative to grade-level expectations.

The individual measures tell the same story in smaller pieces: letter naming, phonemic awareness, whole-word decoding, and common word reading all moved in the right direction.

At that time, I knew I had something.

I also knew she is just one child, and she is my child, so that

did not prove a miracle. But it did prove the idea was worth testing with more children…

At that time, I knew I had something that might help other parents. I also knew she is just one child, and she is my child, so that did not prove a miracle.


But it did prove the idea was worth testing with more children…

At that time, I knew I had something.

I also knew she is just one child, and she is my child, so that

did not prove a miracle. But it did prove the idea was worth testing with more children…

The summer pilot

So we ran it in live classrooms before bringing it to the public

Four weeks. Seven transitional kindergartners across different classrooms. Brief, daily one-to-one practice inside a California school district's summer program.

The summer pilot

So we ran it in live classrooms before bringing it to the public

Four weeks. Seven transitional kindergartners across different classrooms. Brief, daily one-to-one practice inside a California school district's summer program.

The summer pilot

So we ran it in live classrooms before bringing it to the public

Four weeks. Seven transitional kindergartners across different classrooms. Brief, daily one-to-one practice inside a California school district's summer program.

And the results were clear as day.

And the results were clear as day.

Every single child improved - some by a little, and some by a lot. But what told me the most was this: the kids who got more time with Word Nuts Reading improved more than those with less time. There was a clear correlation between amount of exposure and amount of gains.


At the start, none of the children could blend a single three-sound word. Four weeks later, four of them could. One child came in unable to produce a single letter sound, and by the end of the pilot had some command of eight sounds, and on his way to more. Another came in already doing pretty well, finished with all 26 sounds mastered, and read 13 of 16 words on the final decoding check.


And this wasn’t hours of tutoring. There was only one hour available per day - and that hour had to be divided among 7 children. The kids got about eight minutes at a time. And the average amount of total instruction per child was 81 minutes.


In the time it takes to watch a single animated film, 1 of the children had gone from knowing 12 letter sounds, to confidently blending 3-letter words. That was the moment I knew this wasn’t just something that had worked for my daughter.

Every single child improved - some by a little, and some by a lot. But what told me the most was this: the kids who got more time with Word Nuts Reading improved more. There was a clear correlation between amount of exposure and amount of gains.


At the start, none of the children could blend a single three-sound word. Four weeks later, four of them could. One child came in unable to produce a single letter sound, and by the end of the pilot had command of eight sounds, and on his way to more. Another came in already doing pretty well - she finished with all 26 sounds mastered, and read 13 of 16 words on the final decoding check.


And this wasn’t hours of tutoring. There was only one hour available per day - and that hour had to be divided among 7 children, one-on-one. The kids got about eight minutes at a time, 4 days per week. And the average amount of total instruction per child was 81 minutes.


So In the time it takes to watch a single animated film, these kids had all achieved remarkable gains. That was the moment I knew this wasn’t just something that had worked for my daughter.

7 of 7

children posted letter-sound gains

0 to 4

children began blending whole words

This really benefits our students who are tactile, hands-on learners.”

“This really benefits our students who are tactile, hands-on learners.”

Jessica Mesa, Transitional Kindergarten Teacher

  • Word Nuts home practice setup on a table
  • Word Nuts home practice setup on a table
  • Word Nuts home practice setup on a table
  • Word Nuts home practice setup on a table
  • Word Nuts home practice setup on a table
  • Word Nuts home practice setup on a table

Reserve your set before they
sell out

Reserve your set
before they sell out

Reserve your set before they sell out

Word Nuts is currently made in very small batches. The first public run will be limited by how many sets we can physically produce.

The reason we're using Kickstarter is to help scale capacity responsibly. But right now, we are only planning for around 60 sets to be made between now and the end of the year.

A $3 reservation now locks in early-bird pricing and guarantees you a set when the Kickstarter opens.

Not ready yet? Keep reading, I’ll show you exactly how it works.

A PHYSICAL READING SYSTEM THAT LASTS

This isn’t another reading app.

This isn’t another reading app.

This isn’t another reading app.

This isn’t another reading app.

Here’s what you actually get with Word Nuts.

Here’s what you actually get with Word Nuts.

Here’s what you actually get with Word Nuts.

A complete, hands-on reading system with everything you need to start building real reading skills — and keep going for years.

It’s tangible, thoughtful, and designed to grow with all your children from first sounds toward fluent reading.

A complete, hands-on reading system with everything you need to start building real decoding skills right away, and keep it going for years.

It’s tangible, thoughtful, and designed to grow with all your children from first sounds toward fluent reading.

THE SYSTEM YOU KEEP

A SYSTEM YOU KEEP

32, 64, or 96 tactile flashcards with uniquely raised lettering

12, 20, or 25 dimensional letter blocks with raised lettering

Bolt, vessel & storage

Built to grow with your reader

Survives siblings - 1 purchase for the entire family.

Real materials. Built to last.

THE METHOD YOU LEARN

~60 minutes of video instruction

Quick-start guidance

A clear progression from first sounds toward fluent reading

Lifetime access to instructional updates

Your evolving owner’s manual: short, useful guidance videos to return to as your child progresses.

THE SUPPORT THAT KEEPS HELPING

Weekly reading tips & tricks

New practice ideas to help five minutes go farther

Free lifetime access to the limited Beta App when it launches

Useful updates as the system continues to grow

Real life user stories, tips & tricks which keep you inspired and your child moving to the head of their class

No subscription. No workbooks to rebuy. A real reading system your family owns.

No subscription. No workbooks to rebuy. A real reading system your family owns.

No subscription. No workbooks to rebuy. A real reading system that lasts for every sibling.

Easy reps is the point

A child can know their letter sounds, and still have to stop and think them up when reading. Word Nuts gives those sounds short, repeated practice inside words until finding them starts to require less effort.

At first, your child is working sound by sound. They find the c, then the a, then the t, and work to pull them together.

With enough good repetitions, something begins to change. The sounds come faster. The blend gets smoother. Eventually, cat starts arriving as a word instead of three separate problems to solve.

That is what the practice is building: automatic word recognition. The mechanics of reading begin to fade into the background, leaving more attention for the sentence, the story, and what the words actually mean.

And the parent does not have to become a reading specialist to make that happen. The materials give the practice structure. You sit beside them, guide the routine, and give those sounds a few good minutes to become familiar.

But there is something else happening in those minutes, too. Your child is learning that their learning matters to you. They are experiencing a hard thing with someone beside them—someone paying attention, helping without pressure, and noticing when it starts to click. Over time, that can shape more than reading. It can help make learning itself feel like something warm, shared, and worth coming back to.

Five or ten minutes. Often enough to stick.

the inside scoop

What makes it so different?

At first glance, Word Nuts Reading might look the same as other phonics manipulatives already available. It's not. The underlying principles are similar, but the textures, mechanisms and engagement are inventive in a way that's easy for parents, and resonates with kids.

the inside scoop

What makes it so different?

At first glance, Word Nuts Reading might look the same as other phonics manipulatives already available. It's not. The underlying principles are similar, but the textures, mechanisms and engagement are inventive in a way that's easy for parents, and resonates with kids.

the inside scoop

What makes it so different?

At first glance, Word Nuts Reading might look the same as other phonics manipulatives already available. It's not. The underlying principles are similar, but the textures, mechanisms and engagement are inventive in a way that's easy for parents, and resonates with kids.

Let's look at the differences, point by point

A lot of reading tools do one or two of these things well. Word Nuts brings them together in one system built for practice.

A lot of reading tools do one or two of these things well. Word Nuts brings them together in one system built for practice.

A lot of reading tools do one or two of these things well. Word Nuts brings them together in one system that spans your child's entire reading journey, from first letter sounds through to fluency and spelling.

Other tools

Word Nuts

×

Flat printed letters

Flat printed letters

Raised letters you can trace

Raised letters you can trace

×

Picture clues

Picture clues

Sound-only practice

Sound-only practice

×

New routine at every level

New routine at every level

Same familiar system as reading gets harder

Same familiar system as reading gets harder

×

Parents choose the activity

Parents choose the activity

The routine is already built in

The routine is already built in

×

Teach the sound

Teach the sound

Teach the sound once

Practice the sound until it sticks

Practice the sound until it sticks

×

More instruction

More instruction

More useful repetition

More useful repetition

×

Child works alone

Child works alone

Adult-guided, side by side

Adult-guided, side by side

×

Feels like a quiz

Feels like a quiz

Feels like practice

Feels like practice

×

Long sessions

Long sessions

Five-minute reps

Five-minute reps

Five to ten minutes

×

Explain where sounds go

Explain where sounds go

Make position visible

Make position visible

×

Outgrown quickly

Outgrown quickly

Grows with the child

Grows with the child

×

Screen between parent and child

Screen between parent and child

A shared five-minute ritual

A shared five-minute ritual

A shared bond over learning

It doesn’t replace what they’re already learning. It helps that learning take hold more easily and firmly.

It doesn’t replace what they’re already learning. It helps that learning take hold more easily and firmly.

CHOOSE A FIRST-RUN PATH

CHOOSE A FIRST-RUN PATH

A small signal now. The right set later.

A small signal now. The right set later.

A small signal now. The right set later.

A small signal now. The right set later.

The Kickstarter launch will help us decide how many sets to print first. Choose the path that fits your child’s current reading stage, then use the $3 early-bird signal to tell us where your family is leaning.

The Kickstarter launch will help us decide how many sets to print first. Choose the path that fits your child’s current reading stage, then use the $3 early-bird signal to tell us where your family is leaning.

The Kickstarter launch will help us decide how many sets to print first. Choose the path that fits your child’s current reading stage, then use the $3 early-bird signal to tell us where your family is leaning.

STARTER

Start here if letter sounds or early blending still need more familiar repetition.

They know some sounds. Words are not quite coming together yet.

They know some sounds. Words are not quite coming together yet.

They know some sounds. Words are not quite coming together yet.

They know some sounds. Words are not quite coming together yet.

Letter sounds + early blending

Letter sounds + early blending

Core letter-sound nuts, starter cards, bolt, case and parent guide.

After the first run

$69

Early bird

$59

Lock in Earily-Bird Pricing

EXPANDED

For children already blending simple words who are ready for richer sound patterns.

Simple words are clicking. Now the patterns get deeper.

Simple words are clicking. Now the patterns get deeper.

Simple words are clicking. Now the patterns get deeper.

Simple words are clicking. Now the patterns get deeper.

Digraphs + vowel teams + blends

Digraphs + vowel teams + blends

Everything in Starter, plus digraph, blend and vowel-team practice.

After the first run

$99

Early bird

$89

Lock in Earily-Bird Pricing

READER

For children reading simple sentences who need more automatic recognition.

They are already reading. Now help more of it come easily.

They are already reading. Now help more of it come easily.

They are already reading. Now help more of it come easily.

They are already reading. Now help more of it come easily.

Sight words + Magic-E + full system

Sight words + Magic-E + full system

Everything in Expanded, plus high-frequency word practice and Magic-E routines.

After the first run

$129

Early bird

$119

Lock in Earily-Bird Pricing

Reserve your set now
or sign up for reminders before launch

Reserve a set for $3 and you lock in early-bird pricing with guaranteed delivery by the end of 2026,
with your set being earmarked in the first run.
Reserve a set for $3 and you lock in early-bird pricing with guaranteed delivery by the end of 2026, with your set being earmarked in the first run.

Refundable $3 reservation

Or sign up to be reminded when the Kickstarter before it goes live, and receive the 3 Ways to Help Reading Click pdf.
Opting for reservation or reminders will put you ahead of the people who find out about this
in November when all the sets are spoken for.
Or sign up to be reminded when the Kickstarter before it goes live, and
receive the 3 Ways to Help Reading Click pdf.
Opting for reservation or reminders will put you ahead of the people who
find out about this in November when all the sets are spoken for.
Or sign up to be reminded when the Kickstarter before it goes live, and receive the 3 Ways to Help Reading Click pdf.
Opting for reservation or reminders will put you ahead of the people who find out about this in November when all the sets are spoken for.

You’re on the list.

We’ll let you know the moment Kickstarter goes live.

Joining the list does not reserve a set or lock in early-bird pricing.

One small step.
A much easier way forward.

Check your inbox — the guide is on its way. We’ll keep anything else we send simple, useful, and focused on helping reading click.

RESERVE YOUR SET

FAQs

01
Will this teach my child to read on its own?

Word Nuts Reading strengthens a core part of reading: phonemic awareness, blending, and the pathway to automatic word recognition. It’s not a full reading curriculum with comprehension, writing, and rich texts — but it supports those things by making decoding less effortful. When word recognition becomes easier, everything else gets easier too.

02
Is this meant to be child-led or adult-led?
03
Are “nonsense words” actually helpful?
04
What evidence supports this approach?
05
What if I’m not confident teaching reading?
06
What if my child resists using it?
07
How often should we use it to see progress?
08
Are there measurable outcomes from families who’ve used it?
09
Will this help with spelling too?
10
How does this actually build automatic word recognition?

Reserve Your Set ->

$3 early-bird signal