Letter Knowledge includes knowing that letters are different from each other, knowing letter names and sounds, and recognizing letters everywhere.
Why Is It Important?
To read words, children have to understand that a word isn’t one single thing—it’s made up of smaller things, and those smaller things are letters.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
- Look at and talk about different shapes (letters are based on shapes)—circles, triangles with diagonals, squares.
- Play “same and different” type games.
- Look at “search for the picture” books.
- Notice different type styles of letters (“a” or “A”) on signs and in books.
- Read ABC books.
- Talk about and draw the letters of a child's own name.