Alphabetic Principle
Teaching Strategies and Examples: Letter Sound Correspondence
Video Clip Examples of Instruction
| Kindergarten |
| Letter-Sound Correspondence |
| Fluency with known Letter-Sound Correspondences |
| Letter Formation |
| First Grade |
| Letter-Sound Correspondence |
| Letter-Sound Correspondence |
| Letter Formation |
| Letter-Sound Correspondence with Common Letter Combinations |
Kindergarten: Letter-Sound Correspondence
Specific Skill: Letter sound correspondence using e as an example
Skills taught prior to this clip were:
- Letter-sound correspondences with high instructional utility (e.g., m, s, t, r)
Things to look for in this clip:
- What the teacher does:
- Models each step of the activity (i.e., letter name, letter sound, how to make the sound, and tracing the letter) using consistent wording
- Provides many opportunities for both group and individual student responses
- Corrects errors immediately
- What the student does:
- Produces and practices the new skill multiple times
- Answers with highly accurate responses in group and individually
- Participates actively during instruction
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Kindergarten: Letter-Sound Correspondence |
The next instructional objectives for this group:
- Review previously taught letter sounds
- Introduce new letter sounds
- Blend letter sounds into 1-syllable words
Instructional Materials used in this clip:
Simmons, D. & Kame'enui, E. (1999) Optimize. Eugene, OR: College
of Education, Institute for Development of Educational Achievement, University
of Oregon.
Kindergarten: Fluency with known Letter-Sound Correspondences
Specific Skill: Fluency with known letter-sound correspondences
Skills taught prior to this clip were:
- Identification of letter matched to sound
Things to look for in this clip:
- What the teacher does:
- Differentiates between stop and continuous sounds with her finger movements
- Prompts students to respond together
- Corrects errors immediately
- What the student does:
- Waits for teacher to cue before responding
- Tracks progress made in one minute
- Participates actively during instruction
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Kindergarten: Fluency with known Letter-Sound Correspondences |
The next instructional objectives for this group:
- Review previously taught letter sounds
- Introduce new, unfamiliar letter sounds
- Blend letter sounds into 1-syllable words
Instructional Materials used in this clip:
Simmons, D. & Kame'enui, E. (1999) Optimize. Eugene, OR: College
of Education, Institute for Development of Educational Achievement, University
of Oregon.
Kindergarten: Letter Formation
Specific Skill: Letter formation instruction using s as an example
Skills taught prior to this clip were:
- Letter formation of other letters with high instructional utility (e.g., m, p, f)
Things to look for in this clip:
- What the teacher does:
- Models correct letter formation
- Assesses correct letter formation
- Monitors student performance closely
- What the student does:
- Participates actively during instruction
- Works independently
- Waits for teacher cues
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Kindergarten: Letter Formation |
The next instructional objectives for this group:
- Learning new letter-sound correspondences
- Writing letters associated with each sound in one-syllable, phonetically regular words
Instructional Materials used in this clip:
Simmons, D. & Kame'enui, E. (1999) Optimize. Eugene, OR: College
of Education, Institute for Development of Educational Achievement, University
of Oregon.
First Grade: Letter-Sound Correspondence
Specific Skill: Letter-sound correspondence using v as an example
Skills taught prior to this clip were:
- Letter-sound correspondences with high instructional utility (e.g., m, s, t, r)
Things to look for in this clip:
- What the teacher does:
- Models how to track words with her finger
- Differentiates between her turn and the students' turn
- Uses consistent wording
- What the student does:
- Participates actively during instruction
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First Grade: Letter-Sound Correspondence |
The next instructional objectives for this group:
- Reviewing previously taught letter sounds
Instructional Materials used in this clip:
Sprick, M. & Howard, L. (2000) Write Well.
First Grade: Letter-Sound Correspondence
Specific Skill: Teaching letter-sound correspondence using alphabet cheer as an example
Skills taught prior to this clip were:
- Letter-sound correspondences with high instructional utility (e.g., m, s, t, r)
Things to look for in this clip:
- What the teacher does:
- Leads students through activity
- Paces lesson appropriate to students' instructional level and to maintain student interest
- What the student does:
- Answers with highly accurate responses
- Participates actively during instruction
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First Grade: Letter-Sound Correspondence |
The next instructional objectives for this group:
- Reviewing previously taught letter sounds
Instructional Materials used in this clip:
Sprick, M. & Howard, L. (2000). Write Well.
First Grade: Letter Formation
Specific Skill: Testing students' knowledge of sounds and sound combinations through letter formation using z, er, and ch as examples
Skills taught prior to this clip were:
- Letter formation of other letters and letter combinations with high instructional utility (e.g., m, t, th)
Things to look for in this clip:
- What the teacher does:
- Prompts students to produce sounds before writing
- Assesses correct letter formation
- Confirms student understanding by repeating correct responses
- What the student does:
- Participates actively during instruction
- Produces highly accurate responses
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First Grade: Letter Formation |
The next instructional objectives for this group:
- Writing letters associated with each sound in one-syllable, phonetically regular words
- Spelling single-syllable regular words correctly and independently
Instructional Materials used in this clip:
Sprick, M. & Howard, L. (2000). Write Well.
First Grade: Letter Formation
Specific Skill: Letter-sound correspondence of common letter combinations using ee, sh, and oo as examples
Skills taught prior to this clip were:
- Letter-sound correspondences
Things to look for in this clip:
- What the teacher does:
- Leads students through instruction
- Models each step of the activity
- Paces lesson appropriate to students' instructional level and to maintain student interest
- What the student does:
- Produces highly accurate responses
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First Grade: Letter Formation |
The next instructional objectives for this group:
- Decoding
Instructional Materials used in this clip:
Sprick, M. & Howard, L. (2000). Write Well.