From Language to Learning: Rethinking How Literacy Begins

Wael I. Nasr, MD, MBA
Founder & Director, Chapters & Co.

The New Frontier of Education

Artificial Intelligence has transformed the world’s imagination — but in education, it has exposed an uncomfortable truth. Despite countless initiatives to promote critical thinking, we have spent decades treating it as a subject-specific skill rather than a reflection of how the mind learns. Schools continue to focus on content delivery, not cognition. As algorithms learn to write, solve, and simulate, we are reminded that what defines us as human is not information, but understanding — our ability to connect, reason, and create meaning.

If AI is teaching us anything, it is that learning begins with structure. And for humans, that structure is language.

Language: The Starting Point of All Learning

Every act of comprehension — reading a sentence, solving a problem, or expressing an idea — begins with language. It shapes how we organize thought and how we process meaning. For young children, that process begins not with letters or printed words, but with sound.

Infants recognize rhythm and tone, imitate familiar speech patterns, and begin to map meaning to what they hear. These early interactions form the brain’s natural pathway to language — from sound to meaning, and only later, to symbol.

Yet most literacy instruction begins with abstract symbols rather than spoken language. Children are asked to learn letters and decoding rules before they have built a solid foundation in sound awareness.

The Sound-First Revolution

At Chapters & Co., we decided to realign literacy instruction with how children actually learn. Our programs, sMiles for English and Basamat for Arabic, begin where speech begins — with sound.

By introducing sounds in the order they are acquired in natural speech development, we simplify what has long been the most complex step in early education: decoding.

In traditional phonics instruction, children are expected to memorize letter names, recall multiple sound rules, and apply them to printed words — a heavy cognitive load for a five-year-old. In our sound-first approach, decoding becomes intuitive. Children recognize sounds they can already produce, match them to familiar symbols, and begin reading words almost immediately.

It is the difference between forcing language through symbols and allowing symbols to emerge naturally from language.

Simplifying the Decoding Process

Decoding — the ability to translate print into speech — is where many children struggle and where literacy gaps begin to widen. Our framework removes unnecessary steps that separate spoken and written language.

Each new sound is introduced through clear articulation, visual cues, and contextual stories. Children hear it, say it, see it, and use it — before ever encountering it in print. Only once the sound is mastered does the written form appear.

This sequencing dramatically reduces confusion. Instead of memorizing abstract letter names, children learn that every symbol represents a sound they already know. Reading becomes a process of recognition, not translation.

Crucially, writing is treated not as a separate skill but as part and parcel of the same learning process. As children begin to write the letters that represent familiar sounds, they physically reinforce what they have learned. The act of forming letters strengthens the association between sound and symbol, solidifying the decoding process. Writing, in this sense, becomes a tool for learning rather than a later stage of it.

Once decoding is effortless, comprehension naturally follows. The child’s attention is no longer divided between figuring out how to read and understanding what is being read.

A Universal Framework for English and Arabic

When we applied this method to English, the results were immediate: students read earlier, with greater confidence, and with fewer errors. But when we extended the same framework to Arabic, the outcome was even more remarkable.

Contrary to the common perception that Arabic is more difficult to teach, our experience showed that it becomes easier when approached through sound. Arabic has a shallow orthography — what you see is what you say. Once students can recognize and produce its unique sounds, decoding is straightforward.

The challenge, historically, has been that Arabic literacy instruction began with abstract symbols and grammar rules rather than sound and meaning. Basamat reverses that order, grounding the learning of Arabic in the same speech-based progression that underlies sMiles.

The results have been transformative. Teachers report that children are reading words and sentences months earlier than expected. Parents note that their children are eager to read aloud in both languages, switching comfortably between Arabic and English.

Proven in Practice

Across schools implementing sMiles, the results speak for themselves. On standardized Iowa Assessments, every student scored above the 80th percentile, and half reached a Grade 2 reading level by the end of Kindergarten — a remarkable outcome for early learners.

The success of Basamat mirrors this pattern. In pilot schools, Kindergarten students are decoding full Arabic words confidently and reading simple texts with comprehension before the end of their first year. Teachers describe the experience as a “breakthrough” — not only in reading ability but in how children perceive language learning as a joyful, natural process rather than a struggle with symbols.

Beyond Reading: Building Confidence and Curiosity

Simplifying decoding does more than produce fluent readers; it changes how children feel about learning itself.

When literacy begins with success, it sets a positive trajectory for all learning. Children who can decode quickly gain confidence in their ability to understand, explore, and express. They approach new challenges with curiosity instead of hesitation. Writing, too, becomes a natural expression of this confidence — a visible reflection of what the child can now decode and understand.

The Future of Education: Aligning with How the Brain Learns

The arrival of Artificial Intelligence challenges us to rethink education from the ground up. If machines can process information faster than we ever will, our role as educators is not to compete with technology but to nurture understanding, creativity, and human connection.

That begins with how we teach literacy — the foundation of all learning.

At Chapters & Co., our mission is to design educational programs that align with human development. sMiles and Basamat show that when teaching follows the natural sequence of language acquisition, learning accelerates. We are not adding more to the curriculum — we are removing unnecessary complexity and returning literacy to its natural roots in sound, speech, and expression.

The future of literacy is not about teaching earlier; it’s about teaching smarter — by aligning with how the brain was built to learn.

At GESS 2025, Chapters & Co. will showcase its groundbreaking early literacy programs, sMiles (English) and Basamat (Arabic), both designed to simplify decoding and accelerate reading through a sound-first, neurodevelopmental framework that integrates writing as a core element of the learning process. For more information, visit chaptersnco.com or contact info@chaptersnco.com