How to teach phonics through writing the first letters

According to McCracken and McCracken (1982), the first step in teaching phonics through writing is to teach learners how to listen for and write individual letters.

Here are some objectives of teaching phonics through writing the first letters:

Here are some objectives of teaching phonics through writing the first letters:

• To help learners understand the alphabetic principle
• To begin developing their spelling skills

McCracken and McCracken chose to teach six consonants first, then some vowels that could be used to build words.

Here are some guidelines to follow when you teach phonics through writing the first letters:

• Choose consonants that can easily be felt in the mouth as you say them.

• Choose consonants and vowels that are

  • common (high frequency)
  • used often (productive), and
  • made quite differently in the mouth (have different points of articulation).
• As learners become confident with writing letters, go on to the second step and teach them how to listen to and write sequences of sounds.

1. Introduce the new letter for the day by
   • writing the letter on the chalkboard
   • pointing at it and saying the name of the letter
   • saying the sound of the letter
   • showing the learners how to write the letter
   • having everyone make the sound together, and
   • helping the learners understand what part of their mouth is making the sound.
2. Have the learners
   • say the sound of the letter
   • write the letter while saying the sound, and
   • say the name of the letter.

• How to teach phonics through writing

• Task module: How to teach phonics through writing the first let...
• In task module: How to teach phonics through writing
• In task module: Developing spelling skills
• In task module: Developing literacy skills, by Martha A. Lane (contributor), Delle P. Matthews (contributor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), Anne Klaassens (editor), and Trudy K. Stewart (editor, contributor)
• In task module: Teaching people to read and write, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In task module: Implementing a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 7 July 1998

© 1999 SIL International