The Importance of Letter Sounds (full show notes here)
- Alphabetic Principle - having knowledge of letters and the sounds that make up those letters.
- Letter name knowledge is the best predictor of reading achievement from kindergarten to 2nd grade.
- We must be sure that letter sounds stick.
- Explicit
- Systematic
- Consistent
- Alphabet instruction must be three things:
Explicit
- HOW we are teaching letter sounds.
- If you're teaching the letter m to your students, you may not initially show them the actual letter. Instead, you may show them a picture of a mouse, moon, or muffins.
- Teacher: "Mindy the mouse makes muffins. What sound do you hear at the beginning of those words?"
- Students: "/m/!"
Systematic (Sequential)
- WHY we are teaching letter sounds.
- We must:
- Example: A scope and sequence that covers letters b, d, p in the same week would not be beneficial to students because of how similar those letters are.
- teach in a variety of ways - from simple to complex.
- be purposeful.
- choose a scope and sequence that makes sense.
Consistency
- WHAT we are teaching our students.
- What activities are we using to help move the needle forward?
- Choose 4-5 activities that students are familiar with and use them for each letter sound you teach. When you introduce a new letter, do it in the same manner you did it for the previous letter.
- Routine, routine, routine!
Additional Resources & References:
FREE Resources:
FREE Short Vowel Intensive
FREE Find It! Dot It!
FREE Spin It, Say It, Write It
Letter Sound Resources:
Alphabet Boot Camp
Letter Name and Sound Sorts
Letter Name Recognition
Letter Sound Strips
References:
Episode 5: Five Fun Ways to Practice Phonemic Awareness
10 Simple Letter Sound Recognition Activities
Teacher Prerequisites for Teaching Letter Sounds
Making Letter Sounds Stick
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