6.3: Explicit Print Knowledge Instruction

Teaching Print Knowledge

What Do I Teach?

Over the course of a school year, preschool teachers should plan to teach all 26 letter names and many letter sounds. Additionally, children should be taught:

• Print concepts—specifically, the difference between a letter and a word (and other symbols).
• That in English we read text from left to right.
• That the words (not the pictures) convey the meaning of what we read.

All children, including those who come to preschool knowing some letters and those who do not know any letters, benefit from effective instruction. It is important to use the features of effective instruction when teaching print knowledge. Those features include using systematic instruction, following a scope and sequence, teaching explicitly, using scaffolding, and differentiating instruction.

Where Do I Teach?

Scope and Sequence

Research has not yet demonstrated one “right” scope and sequence to teach letter names and letter sounds. But there is some evidence to guide your instructional decisions. For example, it is effective to focus on just a few letters per week, including cumulative review, or practice that builds on skills you have already taught (Lonigan, Purpura, Wilson, Walker, & Clancy-Menchetti, 2013; Phillips & Piasta, 2013).

Children learn best when they have frequent exposure to letters and plenty of repetition (Justice et al., 2006; McBride-Chang, 1999; Treiman, 2006). Letter names and letter sounds should be introduced, practiced, and revisited multiple times as needed during the school year. For example, when the letter sound for T is explicitly taught one day, that letter sound is referenced multiple times across the school day and reviewed in future lessons. It does not drop out of the scope of instruction. This allows time for children to master their learning goals (Byrne, Fielding-Barnsley, & Ashley, 2000), which vary depending on the child and his or her prior learning opportunities (Hatcher, Hulme, & Snowling, 2004; Hindson et al., 2005; Xue & Meisels, 2004).

When planning your sequence for teaching letter names and letter sounds, it is beneficial and motivating to begin with the letters in children’s names (Gibson & Levin, 1975; Treiman, Cassar, & Zukowski, 1994). During high-quality letter-name and letter-sound instruction, it can be helpful to make connections from specific letters to children’s personal experiences. For example, when teaching M, mention to a child that his cat’s name, Mittens, begins with M.

Research also shows that knowing certain letters’ names can help children learn their sounds (Treiman et al., 1994). This is because the names of many letters contain the sound that the letter typically represents. For example, when you say B (/b/ /ee/), the first sound that you say is the sound /b/ which is also the letter sound for B. Other examples like this include P and K—and there are several more. Knowledge of these letter names can help children learn their letter sounds. Conversely, when you say the letter “H”, the letter-sound for H, /h/, does not contain any sound that is said when the letter is named. This makes it harder for some children to learn the sounds of letters like H and W.

How Do I Teach?

Print knowledge is essential for learning to read and write, so it is critical that teachers use effective instructional practices for teaching letter names, letter sounds, and concepts of print. Teachers who practice intentional, effective instruction include explicit, pre-planned lessons and follow up with implicit instruction for children to practice skills, as well as incidental instruction when they seize teachable moments. Together these learning opportunities can accelerate development of print knowledge (Justice & Ezell, 2002). The remainder of this session focuses on the first of two evidence-based instructional practices for teaching print knowledge: small-group explicit instruction.

Using Small-Group Explicit Instruction

Small-group explicit instruction is an effective instructional practice for teaching children letter names and letter sounds. Explicit instruction typically includes the I Do, We Do, You Do instructional routine when introducing any new skill or concept. Cumulative review is an important part of small-group instruction because children need to have opportunities to practice with the same letters many times. Children also need to be able to go back to earlier taught letters and keep practicing so that they can maintain mastery and build fluency.

The next section provides a breakdown of the components of a sample small-group explicit lesson for introducing the letter M and reviewing previously taught letter names.

Breakdown of a Sample Lesson with Small-Group Explicit Instruction

Objective: Learn the letter name M and review previously learned letters.

Materials: Puppet and letter cards or magnetic letters, including multiple M, m, and various other previously taught letters.

	1. Explain and model The teacher uses a puppet named Max and letter cards or magnetic letters to explain and model the objective and why the skill or concept is important to learn. She shows or writes the uppercase and lowercase letter M, m and points to each letter as she names them. She restates the name of the letter multiple times and encourages the children to name the letters with her. She explains that Max likes to eat letters and today, Max wants to eat as many uppercase and lowercase letter M’s as possible. She feeds Max an uppercase M and lowercase m as she names each letter. Max refuses to eat letters that are not Mm.
	2. Provide guided practice with scaffolding The teacher asks the children to practice naming the letter as she points to it. This is repeated at least three times for both the uppercase and lowercase forms. She holds up an M, asks the children to say, “M,” and feeds the letter to Max. She also holds up previously taught letters that are not M for the children to practice letter discrimination (differentiating one letter from another). When the children name the letter, she provides feedback like, “Yes, this is an uppercase T” and tries to feed it to Max. If the letter is not M, Max “spits it out” and says, “I’m only eating uppercase and lowercase M’s today, not uppercase T’s.” If the children make an error, she provides scaffolding, “This is an uppercase A. Say A.” The children repeat the letter name and she tries to feed it to Max who spits it out and says, “Yuck, that is an A not an M!” This provides the children another opportunity to hear letter names and match them to letters.
	3. Allow for independent practice and cumulative review The teacher provides each child within the small group opportunities to identify the letter M and feed it to Max. She scaffolds each child’s response and encourages the other children in the group to continue to watch and listen when it isn’t their turn to see whether Max is eating M’s or not.

It is important to include all the components listed above in your explicit instruction. High-quality, explicit instruction ensures that:

• Children are given the appropriate amount of responsibility in their learning. The responsibility gradually shifts from the teacher to the child.
• Each child is given the appropriate amount of support needed to succeed.
• The teacher and child are clear on the lesson’s objective.

Providing Opportunities for Practice

After small-group explicit instruction, it is important to provide ongoing opportunities for children to practice identifying the newly learned skill or concept and to reinforce skills and concepts that have previously been explicitly taught. These reinforcement activities can be completed as small-group explicit instruction, whole-group instruction, at learning centers, or independently. In the sample small-group explicit instruction above, children can engage in a variety of activities to reinforce both the new letter name taught, M, as well as other letter names that have been previously been explicitly taught. For example, ask children to:

• Search through magnetic letters to identify target letters at a learning center
• Search for and name target letters in a text previously read aloud to them.
• Find and name target letters in the classroom.

The next section shows instruction of print knowledge in action in a sample classroom. It discusses how the teacher, Ms. Scott, structured her day to support small-group literacy instruction. As you read, think about the components of explicit instruction and how Ms. Scott’s lesson leads to opportunities for implicit instruction later.

Instruction of Print Knowledge in Action: Ms. Scott’s Classroom

Daily Literacy Routines

Ms. Scott implements small-group explicit instruction as part of her literacy instruction in her preschool class. Each day, she works with small groups of 3–4 children for about 10–15 minutes. Each homogenous (similar ability) group is flexible, so children move in and out of different groups as needed based on assessment and teacher observation. Ms. Scott sits at the teacher table facing the rest of the class, so she can monitor as needed. While she teaches a small group at the teacher table, the rest of the class engages in other classroom activities, such as center time or in independent literacy centers practicing skills and concepts that she has explicitly taught. Children might also engage in group activities led by an assistant teacher, such as shared reading, math and science activities, or art projects.

Literacy Curriculum

Ms. Scott uses a preschool literacy curriculum that includes a detailed scope and sequence for teaching letter names. The curriculum includes letter cards with the uppercase and lowercase letter and a commonly known picture. If your curriculum does not provide a clear scope and sequence for how and when all letter names and many letter sounds will be taught, you will need to develop your own plan.

At the Teacher Table

Ms. Scott explicitly teaches a print knowledge lesson with a small group of four children. These children have previously learned the letter names for uppercase and lowercase H and A. Ms. Scott knows, based on prior assessment and her observations, that these children do not know the letter name D.

Explicit Instruction

Explain and Model

First, Ms. Scott explicitly explains and models the skill they are learning, naming the letter Dd and the activity: Recognizing D and H in print. She shows the letter card for D, which has the uppercase and lowercase D on it. She holds up the letter card and says, “Today, we are going to learn a new letter name. This letter’s name is D.” She points to the uppercase and lowercase letters saying, “This is uppercase D, and this is lowercase d. Notice the uppercase D has a straight line down and then a curve from top to bottom. Let’s write an uppercase D in the air. Now, look at the lowercase d. How many straight lines? How many circles? Let’s draw the lowercase d in the air. Begin with a straight line and then go to the middle of the straight line and draw the circle. Each time we see this letter, we will say D. Say D with me.” (Children respond.) Ms. Scott continues, “So, remember when we see this letter, we will say D.”

Provide Guided Practice with Scaffolding

Next, Ms. Scott provides guided practice and scaffolds instruction as needed. She says, “Now I’d like you to practice. When I point to a letter, say the letter name.” Ms. Scott alternates pointing to the uppercase and lowercase D as the children chorally say, “D.” When she hears a child say, “L,” Ms. Scott says, “This letter’s name is D; say it with me. (They say the letter together.) Now what is this letter’s name? (Children respond, “D.”) Great job of saying D!”Then, she asks the group to respond as she points to the uppercase and lowercase D one more time.

Then, Ms. Scott provides discrimination practice by pointing to different letter cards as the children name them. The letters are those that have been taught explicitly before (Dd, Hh, Aa). She says, “Now, when I hold up a letter card, you tell me the letter name.” She holds up one letter card at a time, and the children chorally respond. When the children are correct, Ms. Scott moves quickly to the next letter card. If an error is made, Ms. Scott provides scaffolding by saying, “This is the letter D. Say it with me. What letter?”This provides the children another opportunity to practice.

Allow for Independent Practice and Cumulative Review

Next, Ms. Scott gives a copy of the nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty, to each child for independent practice and cumulative review. She holds up the nursery rhyme and points to the words as she reads it out loud. Ms. Scott discusses the poem’s meaning and laughs about what might happen if an egg really sat on a wall. She says that there are many upper and lowercase letters in the nursery rhyme and tells the children that their job is to use a highlighter to highlight each uppercase and lowercase D and H, which they already learned. She tells the children to say the letter’s name each time they highlight it. She displays the D and H letter cards as a support for their search. Children select their favorite color highlighter. As the children work independently, Ms. Scott monitors and provides scaffolding for any errors or questions: “Nina, you have found two uppercase H’s—great job—and there are four in this nursery rhyme. Can you find two more?” She also provides specific positive feedback: “Nathan, you really know your upper and lowercase D’s! I see that you found them all already! Now you can find the H’s!” Ms. Scott helps each child find any letters that may have been missed.

Implicit Instruction

Later that day and throughout the next couple of weeks, Ms. Scott provides opportunities for children to practice identifying D and H. During snack time, she asks them to look for specific letters on food wrappers. She lines them up for recess by pairs of children who search for and tell each other where they see the letters D and H in the classroom. She also provides a literacy center where partners practice naming D and H and tracing those letters in sand.

Videos of Print Knowledge Instruction in Preschool Classrooms

You may wish to watch these videos to see examples of print knowledge lessons in a preschool classroom.

Title	Link	Duration
Video 1: Letter Knowledge and Decoding Connection	https://youtu.be/D6HoPAqepws	2:29
Video 2: Small-Group Explicit Instruction Using Sound Bags (M and S)	https://youtu.be/CIOfy8WBaIg	6:00
Video 3: Implicit Print Knowledge Instruction in Multiple Contexts	https://youtu.be/5os00QtRgkg	7:00
Video 4: Small-Group Explicit Instruction Using Letter Sound Spinners	https://youtu.be/CNUmqyZBSu8	5:10
Video 5: Whole-Group Instruction Using Letter Sound Spinners	https://youtu.be/DqNuragK3nw	6:40
Video 6: Scaffolding During Small-Group Explicit Instruction	https://youtu.be/muPUFun3tes	7:23
Video 7: Print Referencing During Read-Alouds	https://youtu.be/6-375dF6rHw	5:56
Video 8: Small-Group Explicit Instruction for the Letter M	https://youtu.be/rWAItYgEKc0	4:13

References

Byrne, B., Fielding-Barnsley, R., & Ashley, L. (2000). Efects of preschool phoneme identity training after six years: Outcome level distinguished from rate of response. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(4), 659–667.

Gibson, E. J., & Levin, H. (1975). The psychology of reading. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Hatcher, P. J., Hulme, C., & Snowling, M. J. (2004). Explicit phoneme training combined with phonic reading instruction helps young children at risk of reading failure. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(2), 338–358.

Hatcher, P. J., Hulme, C., & Snowling, M. J. (2004). Explicit phoneme training combined with phonic reading instruction helps young children at risk of reading failure. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(2), 338–358.

Hatcher, P. J., Hulme, C., & Snowling, M. J. (2004). Explicit phoneme training combined with phonic reading instruction helps young children at risk of reading failure. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(2), 338–358.

Justice, L. M., & Ezell, H. K. (2002). Use of storybook reading to increase print awareness in at-risk children. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 11(1), 17–29.

Lonigan, C. J., Purpura, D. J., Wilson, S. B., Walker, P. M., & Clancy-Menchetti, J. (2013). Evaluating the components of an emergent literacy intervention for preschool children at risk for reading difculties. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 114(1), 111–130.

McBride-Chang, C. (1999). The ABCs of the ABCs: The development of letter-name and letter-sound knowledge. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 45(2), 285–308.

McBride-Chang, C. (1999). The ABCs of the ABCs: The development of letter-name and letter-sound knowledge. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 45(2), 285–308.

Treiman, R. (2006). Knowledge about letters as a foundation for reading and spelling. In R. M. Joshi & P. G. Aaron (Eds.), Handbook of orthography and literacy (pp. 581–599). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Treiman, R. (2006). Knowledge about letters as a foundation for reading and spelling. In R. M. Joshi & P. G. Aaron (Eds.), Handbook of orthography and literacy (pp. 581–599). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Treiman, R. (2006). Knowledge about letters as a foundation for reading and spelling. In R. M. Joshi & P. G. Aaron (Eds.), Handbook of orthography and literacy (pp. 581–599). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.