Early Literacy Series #4: Teaching Sound and Letter Identification in Kindergarten

This is the fourth of seven posts about early literacy.

Alphabet knowledge is a good predictor of early success in learning to read, so you can expect kindergartners with high alphabet knowledge to be better readers later in school than their classmates with low knowledge (Keppänen, Aunola, Niemi, & Nurmi, 2008). 

from Fox, Barbara J. (2011-04-14). Word Identification Strategies: Building Phonics into a Classroom Reading Program (5th Edition) (Page 89). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 

Sound and Letter ID

Sound ID

1. During whole or small group shared reading point out words and letters in the text.
2. Invite students to help you find a word or determine the number of words or letters. If necessary, use highlighter tape or a highlighter to more clearly illustrate word and letter boundaries.
3. Provide daily opportunities for students to hear letter names and sounds.
4. In small groups, invite students to do picture-sounds sorts (after you have modeled).
5. Use a letter poster or letter cards to chant names, sounds and a related picture (i.e. "a, /a/, apple).
6. Discuss letters and sounds during shared reading and writing. 
7. Share printable letter books that focus on the sound of the letter. A free set can be found here. 
8. An ebook I wrote, Developing Children’s Reading through Shared, Choral, Paired & Echo Reading and Technology, can be downloaded from iTunes here. It's free. 

Letter ID

from Kindergarten Poetry Journal

1. Read aloud to children.
2. Provide students with an individual poetry journal that gets made across the year. This download is a terrific start to a journal and is a place where students can lear a lot about rhyming, syllables, word/letter, one to one matching & return sweep, sound and letter identification, sight words, fluency, comprehension, and of course poetry. 
3. Spend time each day showing students all letters, sounds and related words by reading through a letter chart or letter cards (i.e. a, /aa/, apple, b, /buh/ ball, etc.).
4. Provide students with alphabet books to trace (upper/lower case letter with image).
5. During shared reading invite students to look for a variety of letters including those not in their names.
6. Take a few minutes each day to reinforce handwriting so students will know how to print each letter correctly.
7. During whole or small group shared reading point out words and letters in the text.
8. Invite students to help you find a word or determine the number of letters. If necessary, use highlighter tape or a highlighter to more clearly illustrate word and letter boundaries.
9. Use a letter poster or letter cards to chant names, sounds and a related picture (i.e. "a, /a/, apple).
10. Read aloud ABC books and provide students with letter books that they make and can read. (The B Book, etc.) Students can draw and cut out images that represent a particular letter or set of letters. 
11. Provide daily opportunities for students to hear letter names and sounds, such as having them match magnetic letters to an alphabet chart.

12. Have students assemble their names using name puzzles.

13. Have students practice writing their names through rainbow writing.

A few new ABC books...

ABC Dream
ABCs on Wings
ABC Universe (American Museum of Natural History ABC Board Books)
Alligator in an Anorak
B is for Bear: A Natural Alphabet
Beautiful Birds
Jane Foster's ABC
S is for Salmon: A Pacific Northwest Alphabet

Early Literacy Series #1: Shared Reading & Writing and CAP

Early Literacy Series #2: Shared Reading Resources for Preschool and Kindergarten

Early Literacy Series #3: Teaching Rhyming and Initial Sound Instruction
Early Literacy Series #5: Teaching Blending & Segmenting through Books and Poetry
Books to Teach the 37 Most Common Rimes: The Rime Poetry Book. 

Early Literacy Series #6: Teaching Word Solving through Shared & Guided Reading
Early Literacy Series #7: Teaching Comprehension & Fluency