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7.2: Alphabet Knowledge Continuum

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    216672
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    Continuum of Emergent Reading Development: Letter Knowledge and the Alphabetic Principle

    There are 4 components of developing letter knowledge:

    1. Letter Recognition: The ability to recognize a letter and differentiate it from other letters when asked. ("Can you find the letter Aa?")

    2. Letter Naming: The ability to recognize that a letter shape is associated with a letter name. ("What is this letter?")

    3. Letter Sound Knowledge: The ability to determine the sound that corresponds to a letter shape or name. ("What is the sound for this letter?")

    4. Letter Writing: The ability to trace or write the letter.

    The chart below shows a general timeframe of when you can expect to see alphabet knowledge skills and behaviors. Refer to your state's early learning standards. In Wisconsin see https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/fil...itionfinal.pdf

    Looking at the chart below or your state early learning standards, try to identify when the different components of letter knowledge generally develop.

    Early Infancy

    0-8 months

     

    Later Infancy

    6-14 months

     

    Early Toddler

    12-24 Months

     

    Later Toddler

    22-36 Months

    • Begins to recognize a few upper or lowercase letters (if taught) (CLLD2.4a)

    Early Preschool

    34-48 Months

    • Begins to recognize more upper, and lowercase letters if taught (CLLD2.4b)
    • Identifies sounds and recognizes letters associated with beginning of first name and last name (CLLD2.4c)
    • Begins to connect alphabet letters and corresponding sounds (e.g., connecting letters and sounds of common letters/words) (CLLD2.4d)

    Later Preschool

    44-60 Months

    • For many, with instructional support, matches the sound with the corresponding letter (CLLD2.4f)
    • For many, with instructional support, matches the letter with the corresponding sound (CLLD2.4g)
    • Recognizes many upper and lowercase letters (CLLD2.4h)
    • Will use a combination of letters and symbols to represent words (CLLD2.4i)

    Table 7.2.1 “A Continuum of Emergent Reading Development: Alphabetic Principle”. Content is from Virginia’s Early Learning & Development Standards (ELDS): Birth-Five Learning Guidelines. It is used with permission of the creators and is not an open education resource covered by a Creative Commons License.


    This page titled 7.2: Alphabet Knowledge Continuum is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Christine Pegorraro Schull, Leslie La Croix, Sara E. Miller, Kimberly Sanders Austin, and Julie K. Kidd via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.