If you have a child in pre-K or year 1 you've almost certainly heard the phrase "the Bornholm model". It's one of the most used methods for preparing children for reading in Sweden. But what is it really? A textbook? A game? A teaching style? And what do you do as a parent to support it?
This article walks through the Bornholm model in plain language — no pedagogy jargon. At Kluriko many of the Learning Games' exercises are based on the same principles as Bornholm — and that's no coincidence, because it's the best research we have.
What is it?
The Bornholm model is a systematic teaching method that trains phonological awareness — that's their ability to hear the individual sounds in words. It was developed on the Danish island of Bornholm in 1985 by a group of researchers who wanted to see if you could prevent reading difficulties through early training.
The results were dramatic. Children who'd done Bornholm training 20 minutes a day for 8 months at age 6 had 70% fewer reading problems by age 10.
Sweden took up the method and it's used in most pre-K classes today.
What's in it?
The Bornholm model contains several types of exercises that train different levels of sound awareness:
Level 1 — Listening. They practise listening to sounds in the environment. "Hear the bird? Hear the car?"
Level 2 — Rhyme. They learn to hear and produce rhymes. "Cat rhymes with hat."
Level 3 — Syllables. They clap syllables in words. "Pa-ppa, two claps."
Level 4 — Phonemes. They hear the individual sounds in words. "Hear m in mamma?"
Level 5 — Manipulation. They can remove, add, swap sounds in words. "Say cat without c. That's at."
This ladder builds upward. They won't manage phoneme manipulation until they've mastered rhyme.
Why does it work?
Because they learn to break words into parts. And breaking is exactly what they need to read. Reading is at heart: see word → break to letters → break to sounds → blend to word. Bornholm trains the last three steps before they can see the letters.
What does a Bornholm session look like?
Typically 20 minutes, every day, in a group or whole class. Songs, games, short exercises:
- Listening game: an adult says a word, kids imitate
- Rhyme activity: a chant or "which of these rhymes?"
- Clap syllables: "Dog — one clap. Pa-ppa — two claps."
- Sound hunt: "Hear t in tomte?"
- Manipulation: "What if we swap m for p in mamma?"
Never homework. Never tests. Just play.
What you can do at home
The Bornholm model isn't secret — it's easy to copy. And it's effective if you complement it with similar play at home:
Rhyme play. "What rhymes with bil?" See our article on rhymes.
Clap syllables. At dinner: "Clap your food's name. Po-ta-tis — three claps."
Sound hunt. "Which words start with S? Sun, scissors, sleep, sang."
Sound manipulation. "Say dog without d. That's og."
Rhymes and songs. Lennart Hellsing, Astrid Lindgren rhymes, classic children's songs. All phonology-rich.
When does it start?
In preschool: easy listening and rhyme play from age 3.
In pre-K: full Bornholm teaching, often structured.
In year 1: Bornholm continues sometimes, now combined with letter teaching.
At home: start at 4–5 with rhyme and syllables. Build on.
Common misunderstandings
"It's teaching the alphabet." No. Bornholm is before the alphabet. They train sounds — not signs.
"It's dyslexia treatment." No. It's preventive training. It helps all children — and helps especially the children who would otherwise have reading difficulties.
"It's only for special kids." No. It's done with the whole class.
"My child doesn't do it at school." Some schools are poor at it. It's legitimate to ask the teacher whether the pre-K does Bornholm or similar.
Effects
Research shows Bornholm training gives:
- Faster reading development in years 1–2
- Fewer reading difficulties later
- Better spelling
- Better vocabulary
The effect is biggest for children who'd otherwise have problems. For children with strong language development the effect is smaller but still positive.
When it's not enough
Some children — maybe 5% — have such large phonological difficulties that Bornholm isn't enough. They need more intensive training, often with a speech-language therapist. Signs: they can't rhyme at 5, can't clap syllables at 6.
That's the time to ask about assessment. Not panic — a signal.
How Kluriko helps
Kluriko Learning Games have exercises that directly correspond to the Bornholm steps: rhyme, syllables, phoneme hunt. The child who plays Kluriko 10 minutes a day gets a complement to school's Bornholm — and that's especially valuable for the child who misses pre-K's training.