Sounds Before Names

I’ve been an early educator for over 25 years and a mother of three beautiful daughters ages, 28, 21 and 12 years. I will never forget back in 2006 when my middle daughter Mia— age 4 at the time (already reading) was at her pediatrician’s office for an eye exam. The physician assistant asked her to read the the smallest letters she could see. Mia began making the sounds of each letter, not the names. The physician assistant turned  and whispered to me, “does she not know her letters, we can do pictures instead?” I said, oh no quite the opposite, she can already read”. 

This began one of my first of many conversations I would have to educate others on the importance of learning the sound of each letter rather than the name.  The first step into reading is knowing the sounds of every twenty-six letters of the alphabet. It is the only way for children to move to the second stage of reading which is CVC words i.e. CAT SAT RAT etc. 

The only skills a child needs to read CVC words is the ability to make every sound of the alphabet. So why do so many early educators teach the ABC’S (names) rather than the sounds? It’s s simple answer, I think,  most early educators are not thinking ahead. The standards in kindergarten have changed from when I grew up in the 80”s and even the 90’s and early 2000’s.  Most schools are now looking for 5-6 year olds who are already reading.  

Let’s think about this for a moment. As adults when we pick up a book do we need to know the name of any letter— in any shape or form? The only examples I can think of is at the eye exam (and clearly we can get away with this— my 4 year old did,  ha ha!)  Or the DMV, but I’m sure by the time we are sixteen we have had enough exposure to reading that we do already know the name of each letter. It is still not necessary to teach this to 3-5 year olds. Sure if they know the names I’m certain it won’t hurt them but I’m also certain it won’t help them when it comes to learning to read— Let’s take a moment to ponder that….

Again I can’t stress enough we should to be thinking ahead and not backward. Learning the names of the letters before the sounds is going backward and most early educators or teaching this way.  Reading can be intimidating for children and parents, so why go backwards? Let’s make this viral, tell others and yes, it is ok to have this conversation with your child’s teacher. Some early educators are “stuck in the mud”. It’s time to unstick them for the benefit of our children.