When students begin to read, they must be able to write letters and identify the names and sounds of letters (Stanley & Finch, 2025). This is referred to as alphabet knowledge. This ability is the most accurate predictor of future reading success. Research has shown that providing kindergarten students with instruction that teaches one letter per week is not an efficient use of instructional time. Some letters are easier than others for students to learn (e.g., letters in their names, letters at the beginning of the alphabet, etc.) and do not require a week's worth of instruction. Additionally, all students will learn at different rates and begin with varying levels of alphabet knowledge. The best way to teach alphabet knowledge is through small-group instruction using assessment data to determine groupings and instructional plans.
Research has highlighted the importance of teaching letter sounds and letter names simultaneously (Piasta & Hudson, 2022). Many studies on the subject have declared embedded picture mnemonics a successful strategy for teaching letter names and sounds (Ehri, 2022; Piasta & Hudson, 2022; Roberts & Sadler, 2019; Roberts et al., 2020). Embedded picture mnemonics use images in the shape of a letter to represent that letter and sound. A free resource for printable flashcards can be found on ONlit’s website (ONlit, 2025).
Ehri, L. C. (2022). What teachers need to know and do to teach letter-sounds, phonemic awareness, word reading, and phonics. Reading Teacher, 76(1), 53-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2095
ONlit (2025, May 15). Embeded picture mnemonics. Retrieved August 1, 2025, from https://onlit.org/resource/embedded-picture-mnemonics-print-files/
Piasta, S. B., & Hudson, A. K. (2022). Key knowledge to support phonological awareness and phonics instruction. Reading Teacher, 76(2), 201-210. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2093
Roberts, T. A., & Sadler, C. D. (2019). Letter sound characters and imaginary narratives: Can they enhance motivation and letter sound learning?. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 46, 97-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.04.002
Roberts, T. A., Vadasy, P. F., & Sanders, E. A. (2020). Preschool instruction in letter names and sounds: Does contextualized or decontextualized instruction matter? Reading Research Quarterly, 55(4), 573-600. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.284
Stanley, L., & Finch, M. (2025). Instructional strategies to enhance alphabet knowledge in kindergarten. Journal of Teacher Action Research, 4(2), 31-46.
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