Chapter 4: Concepts About Print, Letter Recognition, & the Alphabetic Principle

Question 1

Concepts about print:

Answer 1

Concepts about print: basic principle about how letters, words, and sentences are represented in written language.

Question 2

Letter recognition

Answer 2

Letter recognition: the ability to identify both upper and lowercase letters when the name of the letter is spoken (“Point to the big A’’)

Question 3

Letter naming

Answer 3

Letter naming: reverse task. Point to a written letter and ask the child to name it.

Question 4

Letter formation

Answer 4

Letter formation: aka letter production. The ability to write out upper and lowercase letters legibly.

Question 5

Alphabet principle

Answer 5

Alphabet principle: letters represent sounds.

Question 6

Concepts about print

What are they?

Answer 6

i. Awareness of the relationship between spoken and written English and an understanding that print carries meaning. Basically, print is talk written down. This is the most important concept!
ii. Letter, word, and sentence representation: the knowledge of the difference between letters, words, and sentences.
iii. Direction of print and ability to track print: left to right, top to bottom; can follow the print with a finger or pointer while it is being read.
iv. Book handling skills: how to hold a book, where the cover or title page is, when and how to turn pages, etc.

Question 7

How to teach concepts about print

Answer 7

i. Read aloud to students: this teaches that print carries meaning and models book handling skills, and book enthusiasm! But doesn’t always teach much about the actual reading.
ii. The shared book experience: digs deeper with more explanation and student involvement. Attempts to achieve with a group what has long been accomplished when an adult sits and reads a picture book with a child 1:1. Has the potential to teach all concepts about print. iii. Language experience approach (LEA): Used to help develop/support reading and writing abilities. Done by having a child verbally share an experience in detail while an adult records it by writing it down. This teaches most concepts about print, including directionality and tracking of print, but not book handling skills.
iv. Environmental print: printed messages that people encounter in ordinary, daily life. Includes signs, packaging, menus, t-shirts, ets.
v. Print rich environment: all classrooms should have plenty of writing language on display. Ideas for this include labels/captions, morning messages, and mailboxes/cubbies.
vi. Explicit/direct teaching of concepts about print: some students will need more attention and support when learning about print.

Question 8

Importance of letter recognition in reading development & instructional strategies

Answer 8

Importance: research shows that acute and rapid letter recognition is an essential component in learning to read.