Most kids enter Kindergarten knowing the majority of the letter names and some sounds. Kids are expected to know all the letter names and sounds by the end of kindergarten. This can be a lot of information to teach, especially if you wait until Kindergarten to begin teaching it. There are 26 letters, both capital and lowercase plus their sounds! We also know that students use the letter sounds to actually “sound out” the words. So, many families and schools put a more intensive focus on the sounds. The sounds are very important! Kids must know them to read AND it is still imperative that kids learn the letter names too.
Why are the letter names so important if we don’t use them to sound out words?
We know the 2 biggest predictors of reading success are strong phonemic awareness skills and letter identification. While we do use the sounds to blend together to make words, we also have many different spelling patterns. Just knowing the letter sounds can be enough to start reading in kindergarten, but as more complex spelling patterns arise kids will need the letter names as well. In certain situations a letter may make one sound while in another situation it may make another sound or even be silent. The only stable part of a letter is the name. We learn by attaching new information to things we already know. If we know the letter name we can better manipulate it when it is not making the original sound we learned. So, learning the letter’s names is important. I teach the letter name and sound together most of the time. For some kids, if this feels like too much information I will do letter names first and then letter sounds.
What is the best way to teach letter names?
The BEST way to teach letter names is by using a multi-sensory approach! Multi-sensory means we involve more than one of our senses while learning. It causes more neurons to fire in different pathways of our brains, making it more likely to be retained. This means we should show the letter on paper or a flashcard to kids, but also give them other ways to interact with the letter. You can make the letter with play-dough and trace it, you can write it in a tray of rice, you can write it with chalk, you can paint the letter, you can cut out pieces of paper and glue them together to make the letter. While you do this, use an Orton-Gillingham technique called SOS (Simultaneous Oral Spelling). This means that while the kid is writing the letter they should also be saying the letter name at the same time. If you have all of these senses involved it will be much more likely to retain the information.
What order should I teach the letters in?
It is not necessary for kids to learn in ABC order. They should know ABC order, but it is better to teach the names and sound out of order. We want to teach frequently occurring letters first so kids can start blending together words sooner. Kids should have a solid foundation of phonemic awareness when we start teaching letters. Remember, your primary focus should be phonemic awareness before teaching letter names and sounds. If you are confused-go back to last week’s blog for more information! The first letters I teach are: T, A, P, H, K, E, R, M. These don’t have to be the letters you teach first, they are my preference for being able to sound out basic words, and tend to be sound kids can pronounce fairly easily.
There is a lot of flexibility in the order and pace you teach letter names/sounds. Do what is best for the child in front of you. Some kids struggle with certain letters or sounds. It’s OK to leave it, learn some other ones, and then go back again later. Some kids can learn three letters per week and others can only learn one. The way to teach is the way they learn. Make it fun, make it multi-sensory, focus on letter sounds and names, and go at the kid’s pace!
What resources should I use to teach my child the letters?
I always start with flashcards that have: upper and lowercase letters, a key word picture, and a picture of the mouth formation. If you would like the cards I use you can get them here. I gradually take away pieces as they progress. First, I get rid of the mouth picture, then the keyword picture. If you have a pack of cards at home to use that works too, just make sure the keyword picture actually has the proper letter sound (should be the short sound for vowels), for example, you might see owl for the letter o, but o represents the short /o/ sound, which is not at the start of the world owl.
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