As Easy as ABC? Teaching and Learning About Letters in Early Literacy

Abstract

Letter learning is nuanced, complex, and essential to the development of an effective literacy processing system. Forming and naming letters, rapidly differentiating between visually similar letters, and recognizing their sound correspondences are foundational to becoming a reader and writer. Indeed, control over letters affects monitoring, searching, and self‐correcting in reading and writing. The authors argue for (a) assessment that monitors evolving letter knowledge, (b) instruction that is focused and brief and capitalizes on students’ unique strengths and ways of knowing, and (c) isolated letter work that is balanced with the use of authentic texts. Transcripts of teacher–student interactions during reading and writing, personal alphabet books, magnetic letter sorts, and links to teacher resources illustrate how letter learning can be fostered in a variety of activity settings while ensuring student engagement and supporting overall literacy development.

Beyond Labels and Agendas: Research Teachers need to Know about Phonics and Phonological Awareness

“…In this context, educators learn to use "the right terms," but may not know the reading science. Second, there is a need to update phonics and PA instruction with the most current research (e.g., Ehri, 2020;Piasta & Wagner, 2010;Roberts, 2021;Sunde et al, 2020;Vadasy & Sanders, 2021) and scholarship (Aiken et al, 2021;Blevins, 2019;Duke & Mesmer, 2019;Kaye & Lose, 2019). Third, there are topics that are not getting the attention they deserve.…”

Identifikasi Wawasan Literasi Dasar Guru Dalam Pembelajaran Berbasis Level Kemampuan Siswa

“…Kedua subjek belum mampu mengidentifikasi media yang mungkin efektif dalam meningkatkan kemampuan literasi atau paling tidak dapat mengubah level kemampuan literasi dasar siswa menjadi meningkat. Ruang lingkup literasi dasar yang meliputi kemampuan mengenal huruf, kata, paragraf dan cerita ini yang merupakan ruang lingkup utama kemampuan literasi dasar (Kaye & Lose, 2019;Reutzel et al, 2019).…”

“…Subjek 15 juga sudah mampu menyebutkan dan mengidentifikasi ruang lingkup literasi dasar yang ditampilkan dalam bentuk pertanyaan post-test, namun Subjek 15 belum mampu menjelaskan persiapan atau langkah utama dalam pembelajaran berdasarkan level. Ruang lingkup literasi dasar yang meliputi kemampuan mengenal huruf, kata, paragraf dan cerita ini yang merupakan ruang lingkup utama kemampuan literasi dasar (Kaye & Lose, 2019;Reutzel et al, 2019).…”