Someone recently posted a question on the KinderKorner email group regarding what order to systematically teach letters and letter sounds. This is an interesting question, considering that many basal reading series do have a specific letter order in mind when teaching these concepts. This really got me thinking and questioning the sequence of how I teach and introduce letters within the classroom.
Here is a great article on the sequence of teaching letters on Reading Rocket’s Blog: Article, “What Sounds to Teach When?”
Here is some more information from the Standard’s Site: Phonics and Early Reading
So what do you think? I found this to be very interesting. Also, I have been working lately on some new alphabet sound recognition worksheets. I will also post these on the ABC page later. I haven’t completed all of the letters yet, this is sort of a work in progress. Here are the links so you can check them out!
2 Comments
March 2, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Thanks for raising this question and providing some interesting links. Here’s my take on this:
While I think it is important to keep in mind all the sounds/letters to cover and which are more frequently used and which are more distinctly heard and identified by students, I think the sounds to begin with are the ones important to the students. For example the letters and sounds in the first names of the students in the class are a great place to begin. The letters and sounds in significant words in books read and songs sung in the classroom are also important. Tying into other classroom activities is key as well. We use the Handwriting Without Tears workbooks for handwriting practice and as we practice each letter that is a timely opportunity to also work on sound(s).
I also believe in the importance of encoding words as well as decoding. Here is a link to a post I made on an article emphasizing the place of encoding in phonics instruction.
http://skyclassjoan.blogspot.com/2008/12/encoding-and-decoding.html
August 8, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Thanks for sharing your letter pages. I was wondering when you are going to have the rest of the letters posted? I would really like to use them in my classroom this year!