Ep. 180: Teaching the Alphabet with Shayne Piasta

Shayne Piasta discusses best practices for teaching alphabet knowledge. She tells us what the research suggests about teaching  letter names and sounds, why teaching a letter of the week may not be the most effective approach, and an order to teach letters. The best part? She shares concrete ideas and strategies for classroom practice. 

Takeaways

Teach both letter names and sounds simultaneously.Consider the acrophonic principle, where the letter name gives clues to its sound.Avoid teaching letters of the week and consider a faster pacing for letter instruction.Be intentional about the order of teaching letters, considering children's names and frequency of letters in text.Use differentiated instruction and embedded mnemonics for effective alphabet instruction.

Resources

Handbook on the Science of Early LiteracyThe Science of Early Alphabet Instruction, chapter 7Ohio State University Alphabet Learning and Instruction research and articlesOhio State University Early Literacy and Learning LabEpisode 164: Misconceptions About Learning to Read with Carolyn Strom 

We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night

Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram

Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com

Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.