Early Literacy in Action: Letter Knowledge

Presenter: Darla Casella, Children’s Librarian

Mockingbird Branch Library

A Workshop Presented By The Children’s Department

Of The Abilene Public Library

February 12, 2015Abilene, Texas

What is it?

Letter Knowledge is knowing that…

• letters are different from each other

• the same letter can look different

• each letter has a name and is related to sounds

Children who have strong letter knowledge skills…

• Know the names of each letter of the alphabet.

• Can identify each letter by its sound.

• Understands that letters have uppercase and lowercase forms.

• Can link sounds together.

• Can identify shapes.

Introduce Shapes

Young children learn by touching and exploring.

– See

– Touch

– Mouth

Why Important?

• Introducing shapes is the first step to being able to distinguish differences in alphabet letters.

Teach Animal Sounds

• Help children hear the differences in sounds.

Why Important?

• Hearing the differences in sounds enables children to hear the different letter sounds.

Play with Patterns

• Watch for patterns around you as well as those used to teach.

Why Important?

• Learning patterns develops an eye for detail, which will help children learn their alphabet letters.

Use Flash Cards

• Make homemade flashcards, cutting the letters out of sandpaper.

Why Important?

• Rubbing fingers over the texture of the letters helps the brain recognize and remember shapes of the letters.

Play Games

• Make learning fun. Play and learn with songs and music.

Why Important?

• Children are more likely to learn when taught in a fun manner.

• Most children learn easier when learning is set to music.

Read Alphabet Books

• Read, read, read!

Books To Encourage Letter Knowledge: Letter, Pattern, Shape

• For Babies and Toddlers

– Color Farm by Lois Ehlert

– Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert

– Eating the Alphabet by Lois Elhert

– So Many Circles, So Many Squares by Tana Hoban

– Hello Day! by Anita Lobel

– Dinosaur Shapes by Henrietta Stickland

– Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

– Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

• For Preschoolers

– Little Green Peas by Keith Baker

– Dr. Seuss’s ABC by Dr. Seuss

– Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban

– Eye Spy Shapes by Debbie MacKinnon

– Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom! by Bill Martin

– Mommies Say Shhh! By Patricia Polacco

– Mister Doodle: C is for City by Orli Zuravicky and Giuseppe Castellano

Books To Encourage Letter Knowledge: Letter, Pattern, Shape

CRAFT

• Make an alphabet shape book.

*Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Song – http://youtu.be/vtB5iGHgNVY