Pre-Reading : Alphabet Boards

Alphabet Boards are best made of wood. They need to have enough depth to allow holes to be carved into the base board and the spare parts then become the inserts that are matched to each unique cut-out shape. The inserts can either be in the shape of 'letters' or alternatively, 'pictures' that match letters painted onto the base board.

Sometimes they are called 'Lift-out' boards.

I am particularly fond of my 'picture' alphabet board, unfortunately I have had it for such a long time that I cannot remember where it came from and it has no manufacturers' label on it.

You will have to trawl the internet to see if this type of alphabet board is still available - let me, and others know - as they are very useful.

Below is a photograph of my 'picture' alphabet board. The pictures have all been well chosen - they all have single initial sounds to begin the word. There are no 'blends' - blends are two or more consonants that 'blend' together to make one sound. ( Refer : my previous posts on 'Pre Reading : Alphabet Posters' ) Nor are there any 'letter names', that could be confusing too.

By the way 'letter names' are what we say when we recite the alphabet, listen carefully, as you recite the alphabet, it may not have occurred to you before, that the letter names are quite different to the shorter 'sounds' which begin many words.

When we recite the alphabet we say the names of the letters as follows Ay, Bee, see(C), Dee, Eee, eF, Gee, Haitch, eye(I) Jay, Kay, eL, eM, eN, Oh, Pee, Queue, aRe, esS, Tee, yoU, Vee, double-you(W), eX, whY, Zed. In every case ( apart from 'X' ) the names make a 'long' sound.

For example 'Ay' begins 'angel' and uses the long 'ay' sound - however the more usual 'sound' that we associate with this letter, when teaching a young child to read, has a 'short' sound - as in 'a' for 'apple'.

It is my view that when children are at this pre-reading stage, it is more useful and less confusing to focus on the 'short' letter 'sounds' at first. Others may disagree, but that is my opinion.

Here is a list of words, which illustrate the short 'initial sound' for each letter. Say each word aloud so that you can hear for yourself what is meant by a short sound. I hope this may help to make clear, this fundamental idea . :

Ant, box, cup, dot, egg, fan, gum, hat, ink, jam, kit, lip, mat, nut, on, pet, quiz, run, sit, tap, up, van, wet, xmas, yes, zip.

Compare the 'initial' / first sound of these words, with the 'sound' you hear when you recite the alphabet and thereby saying the 'names' of the letters.

You will become aware that it is not merely 26 letter sounds that need to be memorised, but getting on for double, that is over 50 different sounds !

No wonder reading is a difficult skill to master, especially in these first early stages !

This is why I find it a bit disappointing when 'publishers' and 'manufacturers' do not seem to consult educational experts - for many anomalies can be found in material that purports to be helpful.

As an example, some alphabet books or boards, have a picture of a 'giraffe' - which seems innocent enough to illustrate 'g'. However, listen as you say the word and you will quickly realise that 'Giraffe' begins with the 'name' sound 'gee' which is a long sound. 'Gate' would be a better, if more mundane choice, as it begins with the short 'initial' sound of 'g'.

I may be being pedantic, but learning to read is a complicated process and the easier and more straightforward it can be made in those first tenuous stages the better.

The pictures on the 'Alphabet' Board, are in the main familiar objects, apart from - 'elephant, igloo, jack-in-a-box, nest, panda, violin, and x-ray'.

It is always important to begin with what children know, but introducing objects from outside a childs' vocabulary / word range, is extending their knowledge too ! The pictures that I have mentioned above are likely to become a talking point and the parent, adult or teacher can explain what they are and what they mean. Young children are usually keen to absorb new information presented clearly and in an interesting way.

How is the picture alphabet board to be used ?

The board is used by tipping out all the pictures, and the child then selects a picture. They have to say what it is, and then say the initial sound eg, 'sun' begins with the 's' sound. They then have to search on the base board and spot where the letter 's' is. Then they place the picture of the 'sun' in the correct hole. Placing the piece will develop hand and eye coordination, a vital skill which is especially important when children begin to draw and write. This will be explored more fully in my 'handwriting' sections to follow.

Quite a bit of help is likely to be needed at first, for each of the four stages :

1 Saying the word
2 Saying the initial / first sound
3 Matching the sound to the letter
4 Placing the picture in the correct position / cut-out hole

This game can be repeated a number of times until the child is familiar with all the picture words, the initial sounds, and can perhaps find where the pictures live, without any adult help.

This game helps to familiarize a child with all the short letter sounds of the alphabet. Children enjoy it because instead of just looking ( as with Alphabet books or Posters ) they are engaged in an activity which involves them doing something. This kind of activity is an early introduction to problem solving, thinking for themselves and developing concentration skills.