Among the reading readiness skills that are traditionally evaluated, the one that appears to be the strongest predictor of reading success on its own is letter identification (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Upon entering school, most students have some knowledge of letter names, usually from singing the alphabet song. Some students can recognize letters used in their own names and in environmental print. In order to have true fluency with letter identification, students must be able to identify letter names in and out of context and sequence. It is not just accuracy of letter recognition, but the automaticity that comes from practice and familiarity, that contribute to eventual reading success. (Adams, 1990)

As students learn phonics, this understanding of an ordered sequence of letters and sounds will facilitate strong and efficient decoding skills. Finally, research has shown that learning about letters frequently leads to interest in their sounds and in the spellings of words. (Baron, Treiman, Wilf, & Kellman, 1980). Many letter names share an auditory link with their sounds, bridging the gap between phonemic awareness and letter identification to phonics.

Steps:

1. Show your child how to write the first letter of his or her name

2. Even if it doesn’t look close to the letter, clap and tell him you are proud of the accomplishment. Remember, praise goes a long way in instilling confidence in a child and encourages him to continue trying and make future attempts at learning and expressing

3. Practice building the name by introducing other alphabets sequentially

4. Help your child master recognizing and writing his/ her name before introducing your own name to the list!