You know that moment when you hand out a Color by Code reading activity and—poof—the room goes quiet? The kind of quiet with pencils moving, tongues sticking out, heads bent, laser focused, and you can actually hear yourself think? That’s not luck. That’s science… with crayons.
As a reading specialist, I can’t help it—I’m a total research nerd. I love discovery. I love figuring out how the brain learns best. And I really love when fun plus science meets learning. So when I tell you that my structured literacy activities like Color by Code are secretly building brains while keeping the classroom calm, I mean it.
Color by Code might look simple, but under the surface, it’s a clever combination of phonics practice for dyslexia, art-based learning, and mindfulness in motion. It’s low-stress, high-reward, and surprisingly powerful. Here’s why your students—and you—will absolutely love it.
1. It feels like play—but it’s actually brain training.
Students don’t see “phonics review” when they look at a Color by Code phonics sheet. They see a puzzle. Instead of word cards and sorting sheets, they’re decoding patterns and matching colors—essentially tricking their brains into focused learning through play.
Here’s where my inner science geek gets excited: a 2016 study published in The Arts in Psychotherapy found that creating art helps improve executive functioning, including working memory and flexible thinking (Kaimal, Ray, & Muniz, 2016). Those same mental skills are exactly what strong readers use to decode and comprehend text.
Working memory helps students hold onto sounds as they blend. Flexible thinking helps them shift between phonics patterns and syllable types. So while your students think they’re just coloring a pumpkin or a turkey, their brains are quietly practicing the same processes that make reading possible.
Every Color by Code set I create is intentionally targeted. These aren’t random word lists—they’re focused on specific phonics patterns- one step at a time (pun intended). You’ll find sets for Back to School, Halloween, Spring and everything in between. It’s the perfect blend of structured literacy practice and creativity.
And because the task feels playful, students stick with it longer. Dopamine (the brain’s “feel good” chemical) actually increases attention and motivation when learning feels enjoyable. It’s science-backed engagement—without the stress.
2. Stress melts, focus grows.
The same study (Kaimal et al., 2016) found that even short art-making sessions reduced cortisol levels—the stress hormone that skyrockets when students feel anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed. And we all know dyslexic readers often experience more of that than anyone else.
When students color, their bodies relax, their breathing slows, and their brains move into a calm, receptive state. That calm is gold for learning. Lower stress means better focus, improved working memory, and more energy to tackle reading tasks that usually feel tough.
Color by Code brings that calm into your classroom naturally. Students know the structure: decode, color, repeat. It’s predictable and safe. There’s no timer, no race, no public pressure. Just quiet focus and steady progress.
And let’s be honest—this calm benefits you, too. You might actually sip your coffee while it’s still hot, and that’s no small miracle. 😉
3. Success feels visible (and beautiful).
There’s something powerful about seeing success take shape—literally. As students color, they can see their progress in real time. Every correct match adds to the bigger picture, and that builds a quiet sense of pride that traditional worksheets just can’t match.
This visual feedback loop also strengthens self-monitoring and metacognition, key skills for fluent reading. If a color doesn’t fit, students immediately recognize something’s off and recheck their decoding. That’s independent learning in action.
For dyslexic readers, that self-correction is a huge win. It fosters independence and accuracy without relying on teacher prompts. Students get to experience that satisfying “aha” moment all on their own.
Plus, every finished page becomes a celebration of learning—a colorful, tangible product of effort and persistence. Confidence grows quietly, one colored square at a time, and that confidence fuels reading stamina.
Teacher Takeaway: When Fun Plus Science Meets Learning
Let’s sum up the nerdy magic:
🧠 Executive Function Boost: Art-making strengthens the same brain systems used in decoding and comprehension (Kaimal, Ray, & Muniz, 2016).
💪 Stress Reduction: Lower cortisol = higher learning capacity. Coloring is a simple, research-supported way to help students regulate and refocus.
🎨 Self-Monitoring Skills: Visual feedback from the color code supports metacognition and independence.
🌈 Confidence & Joy: Success is visible, tangible, and repeatable—fueling motivation and reading stamina.
Color by Code isn’t just a fun activity—it’s a research-backed phonics game for dyslexia that combines structured literacy practice, creativity, and mindfulness.
There are lots of coloring templates out there for you to make it count for your students! I also have a ton of these resources ready-made in my store– to perfectly align with the phonics concept you’re teaching. Just print and go.
