Rethinking How We Teach Letters & Sounds

Have you ever read any of the diet books in the series, "Eat THIS, not THAT!"?

These books gained popularity years ago by giving healthier food swaps for favorite restaurant foods. I was shocked to learn that a McDonalds Big Mac actually has less calories and grams of fat than a chicken and avocado salad from the Cheesecake Factory. What?!?!

Sometimes we think we're making the best decisions, when in reality there's a much smarter and effective way. Have you ever heard the quote, "When you know better, do better"? 

This analogy applies when teaching our children their letters and sounds. We may think we're using the most effective method, but we may need to reframe our thinking and try a "swap" for a more effective approach.

In this blog post, I'm going to share 5 "swaps" for how to help your child learn their letters and sounds (and make it stick!)

Swap #1:

Instead of... Teaching the letters in A-Z order

Try... Teaching the letters in small, meaningful groups

Singing the alphabet from A-Z is a great skill, but learning the alphabet from A-Z might not make the most sense. By grouping letters in a strategic order, you can help your child master a small set of letters and sounds at a time. Plus, it makes more sense to start with letters that are most commonly found in words (a, m, s, t) than letters that are less common but earlier in the alphabet. 

To see our recommended sequence for teaching the letters and sounds, download our free "Letters & Sounds Guidebook" and learn how we've grouped the alphabet into 6 meaningful groups of letters. Just click on the image below, enter your email address, and instantly receive your free copy!

Swap #2:

Instead of... Telling your child what letter they're going to learn

Try... Encouraging your child to discover the new letter & sound on their own!

Guided discovery is a process that we can use with our children to help guide them to discover a new concept on their own. This gives our kids a sense of pride and accomplishment when they discover it all by themselves! Here's how you can use guided discovery to introduce a new letter and sound:

1. Put a few items in front of your child that begin with the same sound (pen, paper, pencil, pot, plant). Say each word aloud and have your child figure out what sound they all start with (/p/).

2. Praise your child for discovering the  new sound, /p/. Now, write the words on a piece of paper. Have them look for what's the same at the beginning of each word. (They should notice that all of the words start with the same letter.)

3. Introduce the letter's name and sound ("This is the letter P. The sound it makes is /p/.")

You can imagine how this is more fun and engaging than starting with, "Today, we're going to learn about the letter P." 😉

Swap #3:

Instead of... Always starting with the letter's name and asking what sound it makes (print to speech)

Try... Providing a sound to your child and asking what letter makes that sound (speech to print)

It's important for us to go back and forth between print to speech AND speech to print when teaching our children their letters and sounds.

Here's an example of print to speech: "What sound does the letter B make?"

And here's an example of speech to print: "Say /b/. What says /b/?"

Both types are important because we use print to speech when decoding (reading words), and speech to print when encoding (spelling words).

Swap #4:

Instead of... Teaching all of the letters before introducing blending

Try... Modeling how to blend sounds to read words throughout letters instruction

Blending 2- and 3-sounds to make words can be challenging for kids in the beginning. Multiple exposures and repeated practice are crucial. The earlier we introduce blending, the more exposures our children will have over time. If we wait until all 26 letters are taught and then introduce blending, a lot of time has been wasted that could've been spent introducing them to this important skill.

For example, after the first group of letters is taught (a, m, s, t), we can introduce how to blend sounds in this group to make words (at, sat, mat, am, Sam). Even if this is tricky for your child at first, modeling and repeated practice will pay off!

Swap #5:

Instead of... Using workbooks to practice each letter and sound

Try... Using a multisensory approach with items you have around the house!

While it's important for your child to learn how to write each letter with a pencil and paper, this isn't the only way to practice letter formation. Here are a few ideas for making it multisensory with items you probably have on hand!

• Using a cookie sheet, pour a thin layer of sugar, salt, or rice on top. Make sure it just barely covers the surface and isn't too deep. Gently shake the tray to spread it out. Use the following script:
  • Parent: "Say /f/."
  • Child: "/f/"
  • Parent: "What says /f/?"
  • Child: "F says /f/"
  • Parent: "Write and name"
  • Child: Writes the letter F in the sand/sugar/rice with their finger while saying "F says /f/"
  • Gently shake the tray again to "erase" the letter and start again!
• When first introducing a new letter and sound, have a hand-held mirror nearby. Encourage your child to look at their mouth in the mirror while making the sound. Is their mouth open or closed? If it's a consonant sound, do they have to block the sound with their lips, teeth, or tongue? Have your child put a hand on their throat. Do they turn their voice on when making the sound (such as /m/)? Or is it an unvoiced sound (such as /f/)?

 If you're looking for more ideas for teaching letters and sounds to your child, remember to check out our FREE "Letters & Sounds Guidebook." Just click on the image below, enter your email address, and we'll send you the free guide instantly!

AND... if you're still overwhelmed with teaching your child their letters and sounds, let us do the teaching for you! Our LIFT OFF! to Literacy: Letters & Sounds program will teach your child all 26 letter names and sounds, along with introductory blending lessons spread throughout! It is a one-of-a-kind program that your child will be ASKING you to do! Learn more about the program by clicking the image below!

Please let us know if you have any questions and happy teaching!

-Erin