Today’s teaching tip is primary geared toward kindergarten teachers… However, I bet that pre-k and first grade teachers will get a lot of use out of this one as well! And, it’s sad to say, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some 2nd and 3rd grade teachers needed this tip as well… especially if you work with ELL students or have ESE kiddos mainstreamed into your classroom. (My sister teaches 3rd grade and she called me just last week asking for some tips & tricks to help her ELL babies.) S0, here we go! Today I want to share my all time favorite strategy for teaching letter identification.
Spoiler Alert: It’s letter tracing.
If you aren’t familiar with this technique, stick with me. I was doubtful at first too.
If you have heard about this or tried it awhile ago but it’s not your go-to… Again, stick with me. I may make a believer out of you. (And I’ve got a great FREEBIE for you at the end of this ever-so-short-and-sweet post!)
Here is the low-down:
- It is Research Based. Jan Richardson has conducted much on the research the effects of using this strategy for Pre-A readers (or students who know less than 40 letters). Her research is widely accepted and supported. You can find more on her website. I highly recommend her book The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading. In this book goes into detail about this letter tracing routine and she gives you all the ins and outs that you will ever need for a quality guided reading program. I have been teaching Guided Reading for almost 15 years and I often teach with this book (open to the appendix) in my lap. It is that good. If you don’t have it you need it. (Affil. Link below)
- It is Easy. Letter tracing is and “individual intervention”. Meaning that you do it with one child at a time. You (the teacher) can sit with the student and do it. Or you can train someone else to do it. One of the great things about this is that it is very simple. Almost anyone can be trained to do it correctly. I have had parents, volunteers, hourly teachers, even 5th grade Honor Society students sit with my kindergarteners and trace with them.
- It is Fast. Students who know less than 10 letters should only trace the letters in their own name. Once they know 10 letters (quickly, out of order) then you begin tracing the entire booklet. Tracing the entire booklet should only take about 2-4 minutes. This is not the time to discuss the letters, allow for “think time” etc. The point of this activity is for fluid hand, eye, voice, brain coordination. If the student does not know the letter, simply tell them what it is and keep going.
- It Works. It is crazy how well it works. If you do this routine with fidelity (You have to do it everyday) The results are amazing. In our district the goal is to have all students identifying 40 letters by October and the vast majority of them make it. -Not everyone, of course… But we have kids that start with 0, 6, 10, 12 letters that know 40+ letters in October and are reading in March. Every year. It really works.
So, here is the basic run-down of how it works. You simply sit down with the student and go through the letter booklet page by page. The student traces each letter (using correct letter formation) while saying the letter out loud and then names the picture on the page. (“A, a, alligator. B, b, baby. C, c, caterpillar.”) If the student does not know the letter you simply tell them or model that page and keep them moving through the book. (Don’t stop, don’t break the pace etc.) If the student doesn’t use correct letter formation when tracing you take their hand and do it correctly using a hand-over-hand technique.
That’s it.
Easy-peasy.
And… even better… I made you an alphabet booklet so you can just print it out and start right away! (This does NOT need to be printed in color. It is fine if you want color. But Jan Richardson often uses back and white. She says the simpler the better. So keep it simple!)
You can get your FREE booklet below. Let me know what questions you have in the comments. I’m here to help.
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