Should I teach my child the alphabet?Why teaching letter sounds before letter names makes all the difference.
- pandasplay
- Aug 27
- 3 min read
As parents, we all want to give our children the best possible start when it comes to reading and writing. One of the most helpful ways you can support your child in the early years is by focusing on teaching them the sounds that letters make, called phonemes, before teaching them the names of the letters in the alphabet.
You might be wondering why this matters, especially when many of us were taught the alphabet from A to Z before we even stepped foot into school. But when it comes to learning to read, understanding how letters sound is what truly unlocks the world of words for young children.
So Why Are Sounds More Important Than Letter Names?
When children start learning to read through phonics, they are taught to blend sounds together to read words. For example:
The word cat is made up of the sounds /c/ - /a/ - /t/.
If a child only knows the letter names "cee - ay - tee", they can’t use that knowledge to decode or read the word.
By learning how each letter sounds, children can begin to blend those sounds to read simple words and break words into sounds to spell them too (segmenting). It’s a much more natural and effective way to build early reading confidence.
It's All About the Pure Sounds
When we say a letter sound, it’s important to use the pure sound, that means saying just the sound itself without adding an extra “uh” on the end.
For example:
We say /m/ (like the humming sound you make when something is yummy), not “muh”
We say /s/ (like a snake), not “suh”
You might think this isn't that important, but using pure sounds helps children hear how words are made up of individual sounds, which is key to successful blending and segmenting. By adding an extra "uh" the word becomes harder to blend, or can make a completely different word when blended.
In fact, I’ve made a short video to help you hear how to pronounce each letter sound correctly, It’s perfect to watch by yourself or alongside your child.
But What About the Alphabet Song?
You might be wondering: “Should we stop singing the alphabet song?” Absolutely not! Singing the alphabet song, looking at alphabet books, and exploring letter shapes are all still great ways to help your child become familiar with letters.
However, when you’re looking at letters together, it’s most helpful to focus on saying the sound the letter makes rather than its name. That way, your child builds the skills they need to begin reading words more easily when they start school.
So yes, sing the song, enjoy the rhythm, and build letter awareness, but when it comes to recognising and using letters in reading, sound first is the key.
When your child starts school they will quickly start learning to read through phonics sessions. There are a number of different government approved phonics schemes available for schools to choose from and there are slight differences between them. But the key principles are the same, they are systematic and structured allowing children to build their knowledge step-by-step from simple to more complex sounds and spelling patterns.
Want to Know More About How Phonics Works?
Many parents say they’d love to support their child at home with early reading skills, but don’t feel sure where to start, or they worry about saying the sounds “wrong.” That’s completely understandable!
So here’s a question for you:
Do you feel confident helping your child with phonics? Would you be interested in a friendly, informal parent session where we explain how phonics works and show you simple ways to support your child at home?
If that sounds like something you’d find helpful, let me know! I’d love to run some short parent information sessions if there’s enough interest.
You can comment below or message me directly, we’re here to support you and your child every step of the way.
We've also popped together a printable information sheet linked to this blog which can be downloaded below and the link to our Etsy shop where you can purchase our downloadable phonics cards. We also have a few other resources ready to download and more on the way soon!
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