Chapter 4: Concepts About Print, Letter Recognition, And The Alphabetic Principle

Question 1

Define the concepts about print, explain their role in early reading development and define instructional strategies to teach those concepts.

Answer 1

Be able to describe lessons using the following strategies: (a) teaching the concepts about print through explicit (direct) teaching and (b) the shared book experience

Lesson using Shared Book Experience (normally predictable books)

1. Introduce the book and point out features, predictive questions
2. Read dramatically. Point to words.
3. Discussion before, during and after
4. Reread on subsequent days

Question 2

State the importance of letter recognition in reading development and describe instructional strategies to teach letter recognition.

Answer 2

Be prepared to describe a lesson using tactile and kinesthetic methods to teach letter recognition.

Identifying letters is a strong predictor of future achievement in tests of word identification and comprehension

Instructional Strategies - multi sensory, word sorts, singing and pointing to the letters of the alphabet, ABC books

Question 3

Define the alphabetic principle, and state its role in reading development.

Answer 3

The alphabetic principle is as follows: In English, speech sounds are represented by letters. Children who understand the alphabetic principle will, eventually, know that every sound in a word must be represented by at least one letter.

Question 4

Differentiate instruction in the concepts about print and letter recognition for struggling readers, English learners, and advanced learners.

Answer 4

Be sure you can describe one way to differentiate instruction for a lesson teaching the concepts about print for each of the following., there should be different methods of differentiation for each group.

Struggling Readers:

1. Key concepts
2. Reteaching concepts, letters, and skills that are lacking
3. Variety of concrete examples
4. Extra practice
5. Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile techniques

English Learners:

1. Transfer knowledge from primary language
2. Key features of English language

Advanced Learners:

1. Pace
2. Extending knowledge: ex. Different languages such as logographic language and similar purpose.

Question 5

Describe the assessment devices used to assess concepts about print and letter recognition and explain how to analyze, interpret and use the results of those assessments.

Answer 5

On an essay question, would you be able to describe how a teacher would informally assess a child’s knowledge of the concepts about print?

Clay’s Concepts About Print Test- Sand or Stones, words are backwards and upside down, Point to front cover, where would you start reading, recognize beginning and ending of words. Measure orientation directionality, beginning and ending of a story, word sequence, and recognition fo punctuation and capital letters.

Question 6

5.1 What are the four concepts about print?

Answer 6

1. Awareness of the relationship between spoken and written English and an understanding that print carries meaning
2. Letter, word, and sentence representation - how many letters in a word? How many words in a sentence?
3. Directionality of print and the ability to track print - return sweep
4. Book Handling skills - cover,title page, starts, when and how to turn pages, location of back cover

Question 7

5.2 Instruction: The Shared Book Experience

Answer 7

The Shared Book Experience - big books with group of children. Predictable books

1. Pointing out features “what do you think it will be about?”
2. Reads dramatically. Pause for predictable texts.
3. Discussion before, during or after text reading,
4. Reread on subsequent days with the whole group or small groups - acting out and enjoying the language pattern

Question 8

5.3 Assessments concepts about print

Answer 8

Informal assessment by teacher

Or

Clay Concepts About Print Test

Question 9

5.4 Differentiate concepts about print for struggling readers and English Learners

Answer 9

Struggling readers: reteaching key concepts such as directionality
EL: take advantage of transfer between L1 and English (Spanish directionality is the same from Spanish to English)

Question 10

6.1 The differences among letter recognition, letter naming, and letter formation.

Answer 10

Letter recognition - ability to correctly point to a letter when the teacher says the name of that letter

Letter Naming - say the name of a letter when the teacher points

Letter Formation - write the letters of the alphabet so the reader can easily discern the letter

Question 11

6.2 Instruction for Letter Recognition

Answer 11

Direct instruction with practice writing the letters.
Multi sensory
Associating names and things with letters - word sorts
Singing alphabet - point to letters

Question 12

6.3 Assessment for letter recognition, letter naming, letter formation.

Answer 12

Letter recognition: teacher names letter, child points
Letter naming: teacher points, child names letter
Letter formation: isolation - teacher names, child writes; and context- assessing a writing sample

Question 13

6.4 Differentiation for letter recognition: SR and EL

Answer 13

Struggling Readers: tactile (touch) and kinesthetic (motion) methods
EL: take advantage fo transfer between L1 and English (similarities in letters in Spanish and English)