Letter Sounds are a Critical Early Literacy Skill Letter sounds. They are quite possibly the single most important academic skill that children must learn to be well-prepared to read. Letter sounds are the backbone of phonics instruction…children can begin to decode words and understand how written language works with a strong letter sound foundation. This knowledge is critical for reading comprehension, and it lays the foundation for success in all aspects of education.

We all know that letters are a critical part of early literacy. In fact, studies show that alphabetic knowledge in preschool and kindergarten is one of the strongest predictors of reading success in later elementary years. There is a clear connection between difficulty learning letter names and future challenges with reading. We know this is important, but how are we supposed to tackle teaching letters in the first place? Should we teach a letter a week? Go in ABC order? Star

We send our children to preschool. They sing songs, learn nursery rhymes, and start recognizing letters and sounds. We hear them proudly chant rhymes from the backseat and cheer when they point out the letter “M” on a sign. That was me in 2020. My son was in the 3-year-old preschool class. My daughter was in kindergarten. We were living in Rogers, Arkansas, loving our preschool and all the joy it brought into our home. Then COVID hit. Suddenly, we were all in the dining room.