UNDERSTANDING LETTER RECOGNITION AND IT’S ROLE IN PRELITERACY
BY MATTHEW LYNCHNOVEMBER 24, 202079562
Spread the love
Understanding Letter Recognition and Its Role in Preliteracy
Letter recognition is the capacity to call out a letter shown or pick out a letter in a group of letters.
Recognition of letters is a foundational part of learning how to read. Without it, kids struggle to learn
letter sounds and recognizing words. Children who cannot identify letters and name them with their
sounds have difficulty learning how to read.
What is Letter Recognition?
Letter identification is the ability to name letters, find characteristics specific to the said letter, and letter
formation of all 26 uppercase and lowercase letter symbols used in the English language. That’s 52
letters in total. Letter identification includes being able to differentiate between distinct letters and their
shapes and should be taught before, or at the very least, in conjunction with letter sounds.
This means that letter identification skills are essential and should not be passed over for letter-sound
practice! Children need to know letter names and letter sounds to ease learning how to read.
Why Letter Recognition is Essential
Many reading skills are regularly assessed as predictors of reading success. Letter identification ranks
among the top predictors. Upon entering school, kids come with a range of skills and an even wider
range of alphabetic knowledge. For instance, they may have experience with the alphabet by singing the
alphabet song. Other kindergarteners can spell their names or identify environmental print.
To have true fluency in letter identification, kids must find letters and say their names in and outside of
context. It’s not the only accuracy but also automaticity, that is, being accurate and fast simultaneously,
which leads to later reading success.
Research has also shown that learning letters and playing with letters often leads to an interest in their
sounds and reading. Most letter names share an auditory link with their sounds, thus efficiently doing
double duty. It helps bridge the gap between phonemic awareness and letter identification to other
phonics skills.
Teach Lettering Recognition to Preschoolers
There are a couple of essential strategies to utilize when teaching letter identification in preschool.
Instruction in letter naming
Sorting activities to recognize letter shapes
Letter creation and formation
Exposure to letters in several text formats
Fluency practice in letter identification
Fluency and accuracy assessments
When planning letter identification activities in the preschool class, keep in mind the following.
Preschool kids have a wide range of skills and capabilities.
Preschool kids may not all be ready to learn letter names simultaneously and never remain at the same
rate as their peers.
Leverage visuals, like alphabet cards and beginning sound cards.
Practice “think aloud” strategies, which means to talk out loud about the things you want your kids to
know and notice about each letter.
Letter Sequence Does Not Have to Be Taught in Alphabetical Order
There are guidelines to follow when determining a teaching sequence for teaching letter identification.
Keep in mind that the suggestions below refer only to the letter naming and letter identification, not
teaching sound-spellings.
Necessary Skills for Learning Letter Recognition
Even before letter identification, there are a few other skills that should be taught. Teach visual
discrimination. This helps kids learn to find differences among lines and shapes. Visual discrimination
can be taught in isolation and in “what’s different” or “what’s the same” activities.
Practice visual discrimination in the alphabet by sorting letters based on shape. Straight lines, versus
curved. Tall letters versus short, etc. Letters versus numbers and symbols.
More on Teaching the Recognition of Letters
Teach high-frequency letters first. This means that it’s not necessary to teach letters in alphabetical
order. Letters with higher frequency will have more meaning and allow kids to practice letter
identification skills in various text contexts.
Separate letters that are visually confusing. For instance, if your preschooler struggles with the letters G
and O, don’t teach them at the same time. Once letters have been learned in isolation, provide sorting
activities for additional comparison and practice.
If a preschooler has a mature pencil grasp, teach letter formation in conjunction with letter
identification. When possible, teach letters that are simpler to print, often those with straight lines,
before more complex letters.
The Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
advocatefored@gmail.com
https://www.theedadvocate.org/understanding-letter-recognition-and-its-role-in-preliteracy/
Preschool Education Improves Alphabet Letter Recognition, Study Finds
NOVEMBER 15, 2016
New study finds children who attend preschool have better letter knowledge
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many education experts believe children’s preschool years are important to their
educational development and preparation for success in school. Although the benefits of attending
preschool may seem apparent, limited evidence exists to support this based on large scale state-wide
studies. Now, a new study from the University of Missouri College of Education has found that, on
average, children who completed preschool make large improvements in their alphabet recognition
skills compared to children have just begun preschool. The researcher says the results of the study help
show the effectiveness of preschool in preparing children to succeed throughout their academic careers
and may prevent future academic failure.
Francis Huang
Francis Huang
For his study, which is one of the largest studies of its kind, Francis Huang, an assistant professor of
educational, school, and counseling psychology at MU, examined data from more than 20,000 children
who attended the state-funded Virginia Preschool Initiative. About half of the children in the study had
just entered the prekindergarten program while the other half had completed the prekindergarten
program and were beginning kindergarten. Huang found that, on average, children who had finished a
year of preschool had alphabet recognition skills that were more than 85 percent higher compared to
those who had just begun the same program.
“Alphabet recognition hasbeen shown to be one of the strongest and most reliable predictors of reading
ability and, on its own, letter name knowledge can be as effective as administering an entire reading
readiness test,” Huang said. “On average, the more letters children can recognize and identify at an early
age, the better their future reading achievement and the lower the risk of academic failure. Learning
letter names can help with learning letter sounds, which benefits overall reading skills. In the study, the
effect of preschool attendance on letter name knowledge was both large and practically meaningful.”
Huang says that although alphabet recognition is just one part of a child’s overall education, it plays an
important, foundational role in developing reading skills, which is one of the most important factors that
can promote a child’s academic success.
“While this study focused on alphabet recognition, children also learn many other important skills in
preschool, such as math and socioemotional skills,” Huang said. “Though this is just one piece of the
puzzle, it does help show how valuable preschool education can be for child development. Many experts
generally agree that early intervention can be more successful and cost effective compared to future
remediation. Kindergarten teachers should be able to differentiate their instruction in order to meet the
needs of students who may begin school with differing ability levels.”
The study, “Does attending a state-funded preschool program improve letter name knowledge?” was
published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
Story Contact: Nathan Hurst, hurstn@missouri.edu, 573-882-6217
Click here for the original News Bureau press release
Events©2022 — Curators of the University of Missouri.
All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information. An equal opportunity/access/affirmative
action/pro-disabled and veteran employer.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
DEAN’S OFFICE
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
118 HILL HALL, COLUMBIA MO 65211
https://education.missouri.edu/2016/11/preschool-education-improves-alphabet-letter-recognition-
study-finds/
