One of the first steps
for reading success is having a firm knowledge of the abc letter
alphabet.
Phonic
Tip:When you are
teaching letter
sounds, be careful not to add an "uh" sound at the end
of some letters. For example, letter s should sound like a snake hissing.
Letter s says /sss/
not /suh/
When I am teaching
the abc letter alphabet, I usually say something similar to this: "The
name of this letter is (say the letter name) and it makes this sound
(say the letter sound)."
There is often
confusion between what is a letter name and what is a letter sound. So let
me clear it up for you right now. You can hear the letter names in
the following video - you might even want to show this to your little
ones!
Alphabet Names:
Alphabet Sounds
Here is little Sophie attempting to say the abc letter alphabet SOUNDS. The mother tells Sophie the letter alphabet name, and then encourages her to say the letter sounds. I think she is doing really well...!
How to assess your child
Your
child's letter alphabet knowledge can be tested and encouraged by:
Alphabet Flash Cards Use 2 or 3 flash cards at a time, introducing more as they learn them.These have no pictures, so your child will be totally relying on their
memory.Remember you are asking your
child to tell you the sound of the letter, not the letter alphabetname.
Alphabet
Book This
is a fantastic idea if your child is struggling to learn the sounds. Each
page has a letter of the alphabet. Help your child to cut out magazine
pictures and stick them onto the page which begins with the initial letter alphabet sound
of the picture.
Tactile Letters Large 'dashed outline' letters of the
alphabet to trace or stick things on to make large Tactile Letters.
This is especially good for young children who still enjoy playing with
manipulatives.
Alphabet Wheels Dial a letter and find the picture beginning with
the initial alphabet sound
