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SAISD Early Childhood Education

Letter Links

Children’s Name Writing – An Early Literacy Milestone

Names are complex entities that serve a variety of functions. They connect us with family and sociocultural histories; they are part of our socio-psychological identity, signifying who and what we are. Further, personal names provide a way for children to make sense of the print world as they first

recognize and then learn to produce their own name. -Janet W. Bloodgood, 1999

Research • The first word most children learn to recognize and

write is their own name (Clay, 1975).

• Ferreiro and Teberosky (1982) found that the written form of a child’s name is the starting point for children’s own writing and their understanding of the concept of word.

• Learning to write their own name seems to be one important way that children begin to expand their concept of the role of alphabet letters (McGee & Richgels, 1989).

Recognizing their name…

• Children begin to recognize and write their name

• This does not mean that they understand letter-sound correspondence.

• They may recognize that letters have a specific shape, name and order.

• They may see the letters in their name as one symbol that represents their name.

Concepts for young children…

Alphabetic Principle – knowledge that there is

A systematic relationship between letters and sounds

Phonological Awareness – the general ability to attend

To the sounds of language as distinct from the meaning

Sense of Word – the ability to isolate words

and hold them stable.

Main Concepts

• Learn that printed text conveys a meaning

• Attend to the sound features of a word

• Recognize alphabet letters fairly fluently

Gaining Letter Knowledge Through Meaningful Interaction

• Learning sounds (phonemes) associated with a few letters, however, does seem to lead most children to discover the alphabetic principle. Teachers can help guide this process by helping children invent their own spellings and drawing children's attention to letter-sound associations as they write and read together.

“Systematic teaching of the alphabet, one letter per week, is

not as successful as teaching children letters that are meaningful to them” (Morrow, 1988, p. 131).

What are letter links? The letter links name learning

system pairs a child’s printed nametag with a letter-linked picture for a word that starts with the same letter and sound. Letter Links is a HighScope product.

Aiden A A

A A

More Samples

Oscar O O

O O

Denise

D D

D D

Jaclyn J J

J J

Why use letter links?

• Build on children’s natural attachment to their own name

• Enables you to introduce your students to letter names and sounds

• They use letter links to identify themselves and their classmates

Why use letter links?

• They begin to develop an understanding of the alphabetic principle – the understanding that alphabet letters and the sounds of speech are connected.

• Children also build phonological awareness – the ability to attend to the sounds of language as distinct from its meaning.

Think – Pair-Share

• Think of ways that letter links could be used in the classroom and/or at home?

• Share your thoughts with a partner.

• Share out – large group.

How can letter links be used?

• To label children's artwork

• To label belongings in the classroom

• To identify children in classroom signs, lists, and messages

• To create fun and engaging classroom literacy activities

Use as a sign in sheet…

The teacher can a new

one each day and the

children use it as they

arrive to “write” their

names – in scribbles,

invented spelling, or

conventional spelling.

Where do I start?

• Find a collection of pictures that start with the beginning letters in children’s names using clip art.

• Set up the children’s names and pictures and save to be printed as needed.

Getting Started

1. Learn the name of each child in your class.

2. Learn how to pronounce each child’s name in the way the child is used to hearing it spoken.

3. Make several nametags.

4. Have each child select a picture that starts with the same letter and sound as the first letter (or letter combination) in the child’s name.

5. Repeat step 4 with the teachers and other adults (including parents) who regularly interact with the children.

6. Make multiple letter links for each child. Save them.

7. Identify each child’s belongings with nametags and letter-linked pictures.

8. Write the child’s name and draw the letter-linked image on the child’s work. Share this task with the child.

Creating a collection of pictures

More pictures…

Finding pictures…

• Find the most appropriate nouns to match the first sound in the child’s name.

• Look for images to match the first letter as well as the starting sound in the name.

Jorge J J

J J

Group Activity

• How can I use letter links in my classroom?

• How will I get started?

• What are some challenges?

• How can I overcome the challenges/barriers?

Ideas…

Name recognition:

• Transition time

• Large-group times

• Match letter links

• Identifying names

More Ideas…

Name writing:

• Sign in – attendance

• Sign in – centers

Resources

• www.highscope.org or Google letter links

• Letter Links – Alphabet Learning with children’s Names by Dr. Angrea DeBruin-Parecki and Mary Hohmann

• Enlaces de letras - Aprendizaje del alfabeto on los nombres de los niños