Alphabet OverviewOne of the first steps in becoming a successful reader is to learn to recognize the letters of the alphabet. The alphabetic principle teaches that spoken language is represented by written words that are made up of varying combinations of letters, and that these letters and combinations of them make up all of the sounds in spoken language. Attaching sounds to these letters and learning to write them paves the way to successful reading and writing. Reading A-Z provides a number of downloadable resources to help teachers, parents, and caregivers teach the alphabetic principle. BooksAlphabet Books for each letter help teach the critical alphabetic principle to emerging readers. Each page contains a picture and word that represent the featured letter. Use the alphabet books to acquaint children with objects that start with the target letter and sound, and to introduce them to concepts of print. Alphabet books are also a good way to expose children to vocabulary words. Second-language children will benefit greatly from the singular focus of word and picture.ChantsAlphabet Chants are fun and amusing one-page alliterative rhymes for each letter of the alphabet that help children with naming and with learning the alphabet.FlashcardsAlphabet flashcards are great for games and letter recognition activities in classrooms and small groups. They are available in Zaner-Bloser style and D’Nealian style.Flashcards WorksheetsOne of the best ways to teach letter shapes is to have children write the letters. The Letter Formation Worksheets are ruled worksheets for each letter of the alphabet that provide practice in uppercase and lowercase letter formation. They come in Zaner-Bloser style, D'Nealian style, and cursive style.Letter Formation Worksheets Strategy BankThe Strategy Bank provides more information on teaching the alphabetic principle and assessing reading readiness, as well as ideas for using the Reading A-Z alphabet resources.FriezesThese full-page sheets featuring numbers 1 through 10 and letters A through Z include picture representation for each character. The alphabet friezes, available in Zaner-Bloser, D'Nealian, and number styles, are downloadable for use as flashcards or as a classroom reference display.Zaner-Bloser-style Frieze  D'Nealian-style Frieze |
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