Student Profile

  • Age: 5 years old (just turned 5)
  • Grade: Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
  • Current Level: Low reading ability
  • Primary Goals:
    1. Recognize own name and friends/family names
    2. Recognize all alphabet letters in those names
    3. Full alphabet recognition

Why Start With Names?

Research-Based Benefits

  • High Motivation: A child’s name is the most important word to them, making it a powerful teaching tool
  • Personal Meaning: Names are empowering and motivating because they’re personally relevant
  • Natural Learning Progression: Children first recognize the shape of their name, then individual letters
  • Strong Foundation: Name recognition activities build phonemic awareness - the foundation for reading
  • Predictive Success: Letter recognition + letter sound awareness is one of the strongest predictors of future reading success

The 3 Stages of Name Learning

  1. Recognition Stage: Child recognizes the shape/pattern of their name as a whole
  2. Letter Identification: Child begins to identify individual letters in their name
  3. Transfer Learning: Child recognizes those same letters in other contexts (friends’ names, signs, books)

Phase 1: Own Name Recognition (Weeks 1-2)

Goal

Complete mastery of recognizing and identifying own name, plus the first letter.

Activities

Daily Environmental Exposure

  • Label personal items with name + picture:
    • Bedroom door
    • Toy bins
    • Clothing hooks
    • Snack chair
    • Personal storage spaces
    • Artwork display area
  • Point out the name throughout the day naturally

Hands-On Name Activities (15-20 min/day)

  1. Name Tracing (Days 1-3)

    • Print name in large letters on paper
    • Child traces with finger while saying the name
    • Use different colors for each letter
    • Trace in sensory materials (sand tray, shaving cream)

  2. Name Building (Days 4-7)

    • Use magnetic letters or letter blocks
    • Build name while saying each letter
    • Mix up letters and rebuild
    • Add photo of child next to completed name

  3. Name Puzzles (Days 8-10)

    • Write name on cardstock, cut between letters
    • Child reassembles in correct order
    • Use reference card with name for support

  4. First Letter Focus (Days 11-14)

    • Emphasize the first letter of the name
    • Find first letter in books, signs, other names
    • Make the letter with Play-Doh, wikki stix, or pipe cleaners
    • Practice letter sound: “Your name is [Name]. [Name] starts with [Letter]. [Letter] says [sound].”

Success Indicators

  • ✓ Identifies own name among 3-4 other names
  • ✓ Can point to first letter of name
  • ✓ Can trace or write first letter independently
  • ✓ Excited to find first letter in environment

Phase 2: Family & Friends Names (Weeks 3-4)

Goal

Recognize 5-7 important names (parents, siblings, close friends) and identify shared letters.

Preparation

Create a “Name Wall” or “Name Book” with:

  • Child’s name (largest/first)
  • Mom’s name
  • Dad’s name
  • Siblings’ names
  • 3-4 best friends’ names
  • Each name paired with a photo

Activities

Name Comparison Games (10-15 min/day)

  1. Letter Detective (Days 1-4)

    • Compare child’s name to family member’s name
    • Find matching letters: “Look! You both have the letter ‘A’!”
    • Circle matching letters in different colors
    • Count how many letters are the same

  2. Name Sorting (Days 5-8)

    • Write each name on a card
    • Sort by: “Names that start with the same letter”
    • Sort by: “Names that have the letter [X]”
    • Sort by: “Long names vs. Short names”

  3. Name Memory Match (Days 9-12)

    • Create matching cards: photo + name cards
    • Play memory game matching person to name
    • Start with 3-4 names, increase difficulty

  4. Letter Harvest (Days 13-14)

    • Make a chart with all family/friend names
    • Circle/highlight each unique letter found
    • Count occurrences: “We found 5 letter A’s!”
    • This creates your “letter pool” for next phase

Success Indicators

  • ✓ Recognizes 5-7 family/friend names
  • ✓ Can identify first letters of close family members
  • ✓ Finds shared letters between names
  • ✓ Shows excitement when finding familiar letters

Phase 3: Full Alphabet Recognition (Weeks 5-12)

Goal

Master recognition of all 26 letters (uppercase first, lowercase later).

Research-Based Teaching Order

Use this strategic sequence (based on Jolly Phonics approach):

  1. Letters in child’s name (already learned)
  2. Letters in family/friend names (partially learned)
  3. Remaining high-frequency letters: S, A, T, I, P, N
  4. Next set: C, K, E, H, R, M, D
  5. Final set: G, O, U, L, F, B, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z

Important: Space out similar-looking letters (b, d, p, q) to prevent confusion.

Weekly Structure (8 weeks)

  • Week 5-6: Complete “name letters” + start high-frequency set
  • Week 7-8: High-frequency letters + sounds
  • Week 9-10: Second set of letters + sounds
  • Week 11-12: Final set + full alphabet review

Daily 20-Minute Routine

Day Structure

  1. Review (5 min): Previously learned letters
  2. New Letter Introduction (7 min): Introduce 1-2 new letters
  3. Multisensory Activity (8 min): Hands-on practice

Multisensory Letter Introduction (Do ALL 4 senses)

For EACH new letter:

  1. Visual (See it)

    • Show uppercase letter on card
    • Point out letter in books, names, environment
    • Show object that starts with letter

  2. Auditory (Hear it)

    • Say letter name clearly
    • Say letter sound
    • Sing alphabet songs featuring the letter
    • Find words that start with the letter

  3. Kinesthetic (Do it)

    • Trace large letter in the air
    • Form letter with body movements
    • Build letter with blocks/play-doh
    • Walk the shape of the letter

  4. Tactile (Touch it)

    • Trace letter in sand tray
    • Write in shaving cream
    • Trace textured/sandpaper letters
    • Form with pipe cleaners or wikki stix

Weekly Multisensory Activities (Rotate these)

Monday: Sensory Trays

  • Fill shallow tray with sand, rice, or salt
  • Practice writing the week’s letters
  • Say letter name and sound while tracing

Tuesday: Play-Doh Letters

  • Roll Play-Doh into “snakes”
  • Form letters with the snakes
  • Make objects that start with that letter

Wednesday: Letter Hunt

  • Hide letter cards around room/house
  • Find letters and identify them
  • Sort into two piles: “I know” vs. “I’m learning”

Thursday: Art Letters

  • Paint letters
  • Collage letters with torn paper
  • Decorate letters with stickers
  • Create letter art with the week’s letters

Friday: Movement & Games

  • Alphabet hopscotch (jump on letters)
  • Letter dice games
  • Musical alphabet (like musical chairs)
  • “I Spy” letter edition

Supporting Materials & Resources

DIY Materials Needed

  • Index cards for letter flashcards
  • Magnetic letters or letter tiles
  • Sensory tray (shallow box/tray)
  • Sand, rice, or salt for sensory writing
  • Play-Doh or modeling clay
  • Sandpaper or textured paper
  • Markers, crayons, paint
  • Letter stamps (optional)

Daily Tools

  • Alphabet chart posted at child’s eye level
  • Letter of the day/week display
  • Progress chart with stickers
  • Name wall with photos
  • “Letter treasure box” for found letters

Success Indicators by Week

  • Week 5-6: ✓ All “name letters” + 4 high-frequency letters
  • Week 7-8: ✓ 10-12 letters total
  • Week 9-10: ✓ 18-20 letters total
  • Week 11-12: ✓ All 26 uppercase letters

Best Practices & Tips

Do’s

✓ Make it fun and game-like ✓ Keep sessions short (15-20 minutes max) ✓ Use child’s name as anchor point ✓ Celebrate every small success ✓ Be consistent with daily practice ✓ Use multiple senses in every lesson ✓ Point out letters in real-world contexts ✓ Read together daily (separate from letter practice) ✓ Let child teach you what they learned

Don’ts

✗ Don’t drill or use flashcards exclusively ✗ Don’t compare to other children ✗ Don’t push if child is tired or resistant ✗ Don’t introduce too many letters at once (max 2/week) ✗ Don’t skip the multisensory components ✗ Don’t forget to teach letter sounds alongside names ✗ Don’t make it feel like “school work”

If Child Struggles

  • Return to name recognition activities
  • Slow down the pace
  • Increase repetition and review time
  • Make activities more playful/hands-on
  • Check for vision/hearing issues if persistent difficulty
  • Consider learning differences (consult with teacher if needed)

Maintaining Progress

  • Review learned letters daily (5 minutes)
  • Rotate through different activity types
  • Connect letters to meaningful words (family names, favorite things)
  • Read alphabet books together
  • Play alphabet games during car rides, waiting times
  • Make letter learning part of daily routines (cooking, shopping, etc.)

Expected Timeline

Conservative Timeline (12-16 weeks)

  • Weeks 1-2: Own name mastery
  • Weeks 3-4: Family/friend names
  • Weeks 5-12: Full alphabet (uppercase)
  • Weeks 13-16: Consolidation + begin lowercase

Accelerated Timeline (8-10 weeks)

  • Weeks 1-2: Own + family names (combined)
  • Weeks 3-8: Full alphabet (uppercase)
  • Weeks 9-10: Review + begin lowercase

Note: Every child learns at their own pace. The timeline is less important than building confidence and genuine understanding.

Measuring Success

By End of Phase 1 (2 weeks)

  • Recognizes own name consistently
  • Identifies first letter of name
  • Shows interest in letters

By End of Phase 2 (4 weeks total)

  • Recognizes 5-7 names of family/friends
  • Identifies first letters of those names
  • Finds shared letters between names

By End of Phase 3 (12 weeks total)

  • Recognizes all 26 uppercase letters
  • Can name most letters quickly
  • Associates letters with their sounds
  • Finds letters in books and environment
  • Shows confidence and enthusiasm for reading

Next Steps After Alphabet Mastery

  1. Lowercase letter recognition
  2. Letter-sound correspondence (phonics)
  3. Blending simple CVC words (cat, dog, run)
  4. Sight word recognition
  5. Simple sentence reading

Additional Resources

  • Jolly Phonics program materials
  • ABC picture books with clear letter examples
  • Alphabet songs and videos (educational, not just entertainment)
  • Magnetic letters for refrigerator play
  • Alphabet puzzles

Notes & Observations

(Add personalized notes about what works best for your son)

Remember: The goal is to build a love of reading, not just letter recognition. Keep it fun, celebrate progress, and adjust the pace to match your child’s interest and energy level.