Alphabet Learning

This week I listened to another weekly podcast from Voice of Literacy.  Dr. Shayne Piasta was the guest on this podcast.  Dr. Piasta is an assistant professor at the Ohio State University.  She specializes is researching early literacy skill and alphabet learning and instruction.  Dr. Piasta did her undergraduate work at Florida State University in developmental psychology.  Doing most of her work with the Florida Center for Reading Research.  Dr. Piasta got interested in alphabet learning and early literacy when she noticed the lack of basic or applied research being done in the classrooms.

Meta Analysis was her method when researching.  Meta Analysis is a quantitative approach to synthesis research in a particular area.   The interventions or instructional programs impact on children's alphabet knowledge was the focus.  Wanting to see what impact she saw between the students who got the program vs. those who didn't get the programs. 

Alphabet instruction has to do with familiarity not only with letters but the sounds associated with them.  Alphabet knowledge is crucial for emergent literacy and we do not always consider this.  Eventually alphabet knowledge will help with phonological awareness.  Phonological awareness is the ability to not only hear but to manipulate sounds.  For example a student knowing batman is composed of bat and man.  Dr. Piasta also mentions that alphabet knowledge instruction doesn't have to be done independently.  Teachers can include it during many areas of teaching. 

Working with children at a young age is important.  Parents need to help out when possible too, especially when reading with your child.  Parents and teachers focus on letters and sounds in the stories you are reading.  Include explaining the meaning of the story but find a balance between the meaning and letters and sounds.  This will help young children's alphabet knowledge and begin them early on a path for success. 

Dr. Piasta mentions that the future she hopes that schools develop a curriculum to include alphabet knowledge instruction.  Having regular instruction and it included in the curriculum is her goal.

Including alphabet knowledge instruction into your classroom is vital.  Getting past the classic "sound it out" is needed in classrooms.  Though that strategy is needed it could be better used by students with alphabet knowledge.  We as teachers of the future need to get past just drilling on isolated letter sounds.  Students can learn so much better when skill and drill  or rote memorization.  I hated that method when I was a student.  Listening to people like Dr. Piasta better us as teachers.  There is research to backup why this is effective.  I hope this starts being implemented in younger grades it will be effective.