The Letter Name - Alphabetic Stage
The letter name - alphabetic stage is a beginning stage for students to read and write in conventional ways. It is typically seen in Kindergarten-2nd Grade students; however, there are oftentimes struggling students in older grades that are also within this stage. Thus, "students begin to learn words, read text, and their writing becomes readable to themselves and others" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 149). It is important to note that students in this stage typically only know how to read and write a few words.
The letter name - alphabetic stage is a beginning stage for students to read and write in conventional ways. It is typically seen in Kindergarten-2nd Grade students; however, there are oftentimes struggling students in older grades that are also within this stage. Thus, "students begin to learn words, read text, and their writing becomes readable to themselves and others" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 149). It is important to note that students in this stage typically only know how to read and write a few words.
Literacy and Orthographic Development of Students in the Letter Name - Alphabetic Stage
Students as readers in this stage are beginning to acquire a vocabulary of sight words that they can both read and write. Children in this stage begin to transition away from predictable patterned reading, such as "I see a cat. I see a dog. I see a bird" to text that does not have patterned phrases on each page. Most beginning readers in this stage "point to words when they read, and they read aloud to themselves" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 152).
Students as writers in this stage begin to write words more slowly to sound out and hear all of the sounds in words. They also can now read what they have written because they have letter-sound correspondence. Their writing is also typically readable to others.
Students in the letter name - alphabetic stage begin to "use their knowledge about the names of the letters in the alphabet to spell phonetically or alphabetically. For example, students "are likely to spell the word jeep as GP, selecting g as the first letter because of its name ("gee") and p for the final letter because its letter name ("pee") offers a clear cue to the sound it represents" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 155). It is important to also note that students in the letter name - alphabetic stage typically leave out vowel sounds when spelling words because those sounds can also be heard in consonants. For example, the above speller left out the e sound because it was heard in "gee" or g. Please note the Names of the Letters of the alphabet listed below.
Students as readers in this stage are beginning to acquire a vocabulary of sight words that they can both read and write. Children in this stage begin to transition away from predictable patterned reading, such as "I see a cat. I see a dog. I see a bird" to text that does not have patterned phrases on each page. Most beginning readers in this stage "point to words when they read, and they read aloud to themselves" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 152).
Students as writers in this stage begin to write words more slowly to sound out and hear all of the sounds in words. They also can now read what they have written because they have letter-sound correspondence. Their writing is also typically readable to others.
Students in the letter name - alphabetic stage begin to "use their knowledge about the names of the letters in the alphabet to spell phonetically or alphabetically. For example, students "are likely to spell the word jeep as GP, selecting g as the first letter because of its name ("gee") and p for the final letter because its letter name ("pee") offers a clear cue to the sound it represents" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 155). It is important to also note that students in the letter name - alphabetic stage typically leave out vowel sounds when spelling words because those sounds can also be heard in consonants. For example, the above speller left out the e sound because it was heard in "gee" or g. Please note the Names of the Letters of the alphabet listed below.
Word Study Instruction for the Letter Name - Alphabetic Stage
Before beginning Word Study Instruction, students should be given the "Elementary Spelling Inventory" to determine if students are in the early, middle, or late part of this stage. The determining factor is vowel sounds. If students do not attempt vowels, they are at the early part of this stage. If they use and confuse vowels, they are in the middle of the stage. If they spell half or more short vowels, they are at the end of this stage.
Once students have been properly assessed at this stage, instruction can begin. Echo reading and choral reading provide a language experience. In addition, word banks are a wonderful way for students to gather known words together by writing them on small cards to collect over time. These words should be reviewed regularly.
Word sorts should be used to promote consonant and vowel practice, as well as support students in learning word-family rhymes, such as: big, dig, pig, and wig.
Before beginning Word Study Instruction, students should be given the "Elementary Spelling Inventory" to determine if students are in the early, middle, or late part of this stage. The determining factor is vowel sounds. If students do not attempt vowels, they are at the early part of this stage. If they use and confuse vowels, they are in the middle of the stage. If they spell half or more short vowels, they are at the end of this stage.
Once students have been properly assessed at this stage, instruction can begin. Echo reading and choral reading provide a language experience. In addition, word banks are a wonderful way for students to gather known words together by writing them on small cards to collect over time. These words should be reviewed regularly.
Word sorts should be used to promote consonant and vowel practice, as well as support students in learning word-family rhymes, such as: big, dig, pig, and wig.
The study of short-vowel word families is important to do in the early letter name stage because they have difficulty attending to the vowel sound. Words Their Way suggests starting with the short a word families first, such as sorting words like mat and man. In doing so, this "lays the foundation for future vowel study as students begin to look inside the word for common features" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 167).
Word Study with English Learners
Most of languages do not have as many single consonants or blends as English; therefore, English learners may need more time in the Letter Name - Alphabetic Stage because they are practicing English letters, sounds, and how to segment sounds together. In this short video below, Donald R. Bear, one of the writers of Words Their Way discusses how the text supports English learners.
Most of languages do not have as many single consonants or blends as English; therefore, English learners may need more time in the Letter Name - Alphabetic Stage because they are practicing English letters, sounds, and how to segment sounds together. In this short video below, Donald R. Bear, one of the writers of Words Their Way discusses how the text supports English learners.