Letter Naming and Learning to Read [electronic resource] / Richard L. Venezky.
The assumption that the learning of letter names in their proper sequence is a prerequisite for literacy can be questioned. There is disagreement over the value of early letter-name training. It is variously said to aid in letter or word discrimination, to aid in attaching sounds to letters, and to...
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
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[S.l.] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
1971.
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| Summary: | The assumption that the learning of letter names in their proper sequence is a prerequisite for literacy can be questioned. There is disagreement over the value of early letter-name training. It is variously said to aid in letter or word discrimination, to aid in attaching sounds to letters, and to interfere with both of these tasks. An analysis of the letter names and of experimental and pedagogical evidence lends little support to the claims of letter-naming benefits. Only 16 English letter names begin with a sound which they represent, and of these, seven (the five vowel letters, plus c and g) do not begin with the sound introduced first in most reading programs. In several countries, including the United States, the Soviet Union, and Israel, letter-name knowledge has been found to interfere with learning to attach sounds to letters. But letter-name knowledge has also been shown to be one of the best single predictors of reading success, and no matter what can or cannot be shown experimentally about the utility of letter names, they are efficient labels for the letters and an inseparable element in the popular concept of reading instruction. A bibliography is included. (Author/VJ) |
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| Item Description: | ERIC Document Number: ED058006. Sponsoring Agency: Tel-Aviv Univ. (Israel). Sponsoring Agency: Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC. Contract Number: OEC-5-10-154. |
| Physical Description: | 19 p. |