What Parents Need to Know About Teaching Letter Names AND/OR Letter Sounds…and Which to Teach First…Get On the Train!

The Train is in the Station –The Toddler

The Question…

As many of my readers are aware, I am a Moderator of the 242+K member FaceBook Group, Science of Reading-What I Should Have Learned in College. So…I see, read, and respond to many questions on an almost daily basis. It is one way I can give back and share my passion and information with educators (professors, administrators, teachers) and families who inquire about topics big and small.

Most recently, I began thinking about the topic of teaching letters and corresponding sounds when a parent of a toddler asked, “Which sound should I teach for the letter <x>? This got me thinking. My response was, “Please, just teach /ks/ as in ‘fox’ since it is the most common sound representing this letter.” That is plenty for a kiddo who is not yet 2 years old, i thought. Others in this Face Book Group responded with, “What about /gz/ as in ‘exact’?” I held my head in my hands. Yes, <x> does represent the /gz/ phoneme/sound, but does a toddler need this information? I don’t think so.

The Answer and The Reasoning

Why teach only <x> represents /ks/ to a toddler? The letter we call “EX” represents most commonly /ks/ as in ‘fox’. What do toddlers need to know about our written language system? Turns out, not all that much. What’s FAR more important is fostering oral language skills, both receptive (listening) and expressive (early talking). Many toddlers have a great command of receptive language, which far outpaces many toddler’s expressive oral language abilities. According to ASHA, 19-24 month old milestones include:

• using and understanding at least 50 different words for food, toys, animals, and body parts. Speech may not always be clear—like du for “shoe” or dah for “dog.”
• putting two or more words together—like more water or go outside.
• following two-step directions—like “Get the spoon, and put it on the table.”
• Using words like me, mine, and you.
• Using words to ask for help.
• Using possessives such as Daddy’s sock.

Obviously, a wide range of skill levels exists.

A toddler’s exposure to language, whether it be from parents, teachers, day care personnel, listening to books, and yes, watching videos such as “Miss Rachel” is a must. In addition, many toddlers begin to recognize various letters, such as:

• their own names.
• a STOP sign (and know what ‘stop’ means!).
• lists of the ABCs; knowledge of ‘letters’ possessing with specific ‘names’, which serve as labels, just like objects have ‘labels’.

If you work with toddlers and/or you are a parent/caregiver, the very best thing you can do to foster language is to keep talking and reading with your child(ren). And singing counts! I can tell you as the grandmother of 4 with 2 on the way (yes, twins this summer!), those little ones stop right away, looking specifically at my mouth when I start singing. This is true both in person and on FaceTime. So, you cannot talk, sing, or read enough!

Sometimes, a toddler expresses interest in learning the letter names of the alphabet. Who knows…perhaps some have interest in the corresponding sounds the letters represent? But receptive (listening and understanding) and expressive (speaking) oral language are the goals at this age, literally ‘setting the stage’ for future literacy learning. So…the train is literally IN the station.

The Train’s Engine is Turned ‘On’ -The PreSchooler

Letters are ‘EVERYWHERE’

Going to preschool opens up the doors to oral and written language in BIG ways. Students have cubbies with their names clearly posted, the door boasts each teacher’s name, and each class posts its class name, such as “The Rock Stars” or “The Bear Cubs”. Books and puzzles abound–most featuring the 26 letters of the English alphabet. Typically, art projects prominently display the child’s name, hangng up in the classroom…or at home.

Many preschoolers become increasingly interested in ‘the letters’ of the alphabet. Many parents typically sing the “ABC Song” to and with their preschoolers; most children love to sing this common song. Some preschoolers have foam letters (and numbers) in their bathtubs. Many children own puzzles, blankets, and toys with their names proudly emblazoned upon them. Most parents just naturally begin to label the 26 shapes made from horizontal, vertical, and horizontal lines, curves, circles, and dots. The human brain’s neurons are already primed to recognize these shapes in the Occipital Lobe (visual) of the brain to help with object and facial recognition. These familiar shapes form new neuronal networks, ultimately recognized as the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

A ‘New’ Alphabet Song

The Takeaway

Thus, the train’s engine is ‘turned on’. The child is ready for future learning to share ideas using these 26 letter forms in different combinations. Many, many preschoolers are able to learn at least a few of the letter names–in fact, the ‘name’ of the letter serves as the ‘label’ for that particular shape–and it is the only stable feature for kids to hang their hats upon since the sounds of many letters (especially those vowels) are not stable. At this point, it is more important for preschoolers to have ‘exposure’ to written language/alphabet knowledge rather than expect ‘mastery’ of either letter names or corresponding sounds the letters represent. Please avoid cues such as, “What does ‘______’ (letter name) say?” since ‘letters’ don’t say anything! Instead, say, “What sound do you think about when you see ‘_______’?

And please heed this warning (Image ©Lori Josephson 2024):

What Research Tells Us

Learning letter names can be confusing to young children. Consider the letters ‘h’, ‘w’, ‘q’, and ‘y’. The names, or labels, of these letters do not correlated to the sounds they represent. Young children frequently believe ‘w’ represents /d/, ‘y’ represents /w/, ‘q’ represents /k/, and have no idea what sound ‘h’ represents. Thus, some researchers, including cognitive psychologist Diane McGuinness, recommended ‘not’ teaching letter names at all over 2 decades ago. Additionally, vowel sounds attached prior to the consonant letter name (/ěm/ for ‘M’, /ěf/ for ‘F’) or after the consonant letter name (/bē/ for ‘B’, /kā/ for ‘K’).

Children taught the names of the letters and their corresponding sounds simultaneously appears to have the most traction, according to more current research. If children commit errors which make sense (i.e. thinking that ‘w’ represents /d/), teachers and parents ought to take the time to validate the error and explain the correct symbol-sound (grapheme-phoneme) correspondence.

The Train’s Engine is Running – The Pre-Kindergartener

Many Pre-K children (ages 4, 5) already know at least some of the letter names. Some kids have a grasp on some of their corresponding sounds. Some Pre-K children can recognize some words as whole units, some kids can ‘read’ books (they’ve memorized the words), and some can even begin decoding (sounding words out). According to the Texas Education Agency, “Not knowing letter names is related to children’s difficulty in learning letter sounds and in recognizing words.”

For a L.O.N.G. time, the jury was out in terms of whether it is best to teach letter ‘names’, or the ‘sounds’ each letter represents. Marilyn Jager Adams, author of the seminal book, Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print, had this to say.

“Learning the visual identities of letters is not a snap even for children who are interested in doing so. It takes time and practice and requires careful visual attention.”

Marilyn Jager Adams (1990)–yes, that long ago!

So now…the most recent research indicates that the addition of the motor element when learning letter names and sounds is equally important. Learning letter formations provides more sensory input, which aids in learning. Again, most pre-kindergarten classrooms help children to learn to hold a writing utensil correctly (this is another topic to explore at a later time) and write their names at a minimum. I’ll add that most parents are eager to have their children learn to write their names. Again, at this stage of the game, the emphasis for pre-kindergarten children is ‘exposure’ versus ‘mastery’. If mastery occurs, great. If not, there is time before the train leaves the station.

The Train Has Left the Station – The Kindergartener

These days, formal reading instruction definitely begins in kindergarten. Here is what Louisa Moats, author of Speech to Print and LETRS (professional development program for teachers) had to say on the subject just last week:

“It would be great if most students come into kindergarten knowing the names of the letters; however, many do not. Letter names are needed for various purposes — spelling students’ names, finding objects with letters on them, singing/saying various songs and rhymes, completing puzzles, etc. These activities are typical for Pre-K before formal reading instruction begins. How many people waited until formal reading instruction began to teach their kids the names of letters?

I recommend making sure that kids entering K are familiar with letter shapes and names for the first few weeks — and then, formal reading instruction should proceed using any approach that links sound, letter form, and key word in a comprehensive lesson routine.”

Louisa C. Moats Ed.D.
Spell-Links correspondence 5/25

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of explicitly teaching correct letter formations, first of lower case letters, as they appear far more frequently when reading and writing, and then of upper case letter formations. The foundational years of school set the stage for what is to come in grades 3 and above. In the same Spell-Links conversation, Dr. Margie Gillis of Literacy How emphasized the importance of teaching the integration of letter name, letter sound, and letter form, referring to the great Dr. Virginia Berninger, who said it best: “Language by eye, ear, mouth, and hand.”

In other words, seeing the letters, hearing the sounds, forming sounds with the mouth, and transcribing letters by hand. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I want to also add that knowing letter names, in general, helps children to learn their corresponding sounds despite the confusions I noted earlier. The images below (Images©Lori Josephson 2024) explain this integration in ‘easy-to-understand’ language:

In closing, I ‘interviewed’ my nearly 5-year-old granddaughter just this week on this very topic. Now, this child is raised in a language rich environment, attends preschool, was taught to hold a pencil, and can write her name (she is working on her last name). She is able to decode one syllable words, as well as recognize many high frequency non-phonetic words. Here is the conversation:

Me: “Is it more important to learn the names of the letters or the sounds the letters stand for?”

JJ: “The sounds.”. (Immediate response)

Me: “Why?”

JJ: “I don’t know.”

Me: “Think about it and then tell me.”…..I waited…patiently..

JJ: “The sounds make the words.“

Take some time to think about her response. From the mouth of babes.

Check out my book, Callng All Neurons! How Reading and Spelling Happen to learn how human beings attain literacy from the moment of birth. The Bottom Line: The ‘littles’ often learn many letter names; use this knowledge to their benefits, then teach letter names, sounds, and formations at the same time. Keep it FUN!!

Featured image by Pexels