Although the importance of learning letters and spelling is critical for skilled reading, it is often overshadowed by a focus on how words sound in beginning reading instruction. Theory and research suggest benefits associated with explicitly teaching at-risk children who are beginning to learn to read in English multiple grain size units (letter-sound connections) while supporting the child with practice and feedback in flexible thinking (the ability to switch from thinking about one concept to another) Vadasy and her team worked with kindergarten - 1st grade classrooms in Washington State.