A method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading are disclosed. The apparatus is a group of universally connectable blocks and may include a primer having intelligible reading units composed of reading indicia. Each block has at least three faces, and each face of a given block the same reading indicia type. Each block has a color that corresponds to the reading indicia type. The primer's reading indicia are colored to correspond to the blocks bearing the same reading indicia type. The method comprises reading the primer, reading selected reading indicia in the primer, and locating blocks having the selected reading indicia. An intelligible reading unit comprised of the selected reading indicia in the primer is read and assembled from the blocks. Two blocks are selected, having the identified reading indicia, and connected. The color or selected indicia are viewed to determine whether the indicia form the selected intelligible reading unit.