Standard 2: Reading Foundations

Students will develop foundational skills for future reading success by working with sounds, letters, and text.

PHONICS AND WORD STUDY: Students will decode and read words in context and isolation by applying phonics and word analysis skills.

Student Actions

Teacher Actions 

*Students at this level require guidance and support during instructional opportunities for this objective.

• Students will begin to identify the letters in their first name.

• Students will begin to identify uppercase and lowercase letters.

   

Students at this level require guidance and support during instructional opportunities for this objective.

• Teachers explain that our names are made up of letters in a particular order.

• Teachers model touching the letters and saying the name of the letters out loud.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to interact with the letters in their names and say the letters in their names out loud.

• Teachers monitor and provide feedback, helping students who need help identifying the letters in their name.

• Teachers explain that each letter of the alphabet is represented by an uppercase (capital) letter and a lowercase letter.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to interact with letters.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to practice naming letters (letter cards, ABC books, digital media supports).

• Teachers monitor and provide feedback to students who need help identifying the letters of the alphabet.

Resources

Teacher Insights 

Teaching Decoding by Louisa C. Moats (PDF) 

Name Songs (webpage)

• Students need guidance and support naming letters.

• Students begin to learn letters that are important to them first, such as those that are in their name.

• Use sign language or other  motions when teaching the letters of the alphabet.  There are many videos or programs that support motions, such as ABC Phonics Sing, Sign and Read. 
• Provide many interactive alphabet activities, such as sorts, alphabet stamps, magnetic letters, play-dough letter mats, letter cookie cutters, etc.

• The use of multi-sensory activities provides scaffolding for beginning and struggling readers and include visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile activities to enhance learning and memory.

• Letters should not be taught using letter of the week. Research shows that a letter of the week is not the best way to teach the alphabet.  

• The ability to identify letter names is known to be one of the most powerful predictors of early reading ability.

• Letters should be identified as upper or lowercase when teaching letters in name.

• Uppercase letters do not need to be mastered before introducing lowercase letters. At this stage, casual exposure to letters and the opportunity for identifying and naming builds a strong foundation for later more explicit instruction.

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.