Jan Richardson is a well known early literacy expert and author. She is a former reading specialist and Reading Recovery teacher who is now a national consultant. Dr. Barbara Chuby, reading specialist at Arno, Steve Zielinkski, Arno’s principal and I had the opportunity to spend a day at Wayne RESA learning some of the most recent research and strategies for targeting the specific needs of the youngest readers and for helping struggling kindergarten and first graders acquire letter names and sounds more quickly. Letter and Sound knowledge are important early indicators of future reading success.

By this time of year, kindergarteners should already know most of the letter names and their sounds. Children who don’t benefit from direct instruction and specific interventions. Help your child learn the letters/sounds they don’t know by using letter books and magnetic letters. They can practice writing letters on white boards, and you can mix it up using apps and computer games. The key is consistency. Even a few minutes of daily practice can result in big gains!