The Alphabetic Principle

1
The Alphabetic Principle

• Frederick J. Morrison
• University of Michigan
• October 1, 2004

2
Current Trends in Literacy Research

• Early individual differences
• Multiple sources of influence
• Sources interact
• Variable early schooling experiences

3
Emerging Themes

• Specificity of environmental influences
• Child by instruction interactions

4
Sources of Variability in the Transition to School
5
Child Factors

• Language
• Literacy
• Self-regulation
• Motivation

6
Preschool Language Skills

• Vocabulary
• Receptive
• Expressive
• Syntax
• Semantics
• Pragmatics
• Phonology?

7
Emergent Literacy Skills

• Alphabetic knowledge
• Letter names
• Letter sounds
• Phonological skills
• Syllables
• Sub-syllables
• Phonemes
• Letter-sound correspondences
• Concepts of print

8
Learning the Alphabetic Principle

• Not necessarily intuitive
• Gradual acquisition over school transition period
• Phonemic awareness is most difficult
• Linking alphabetic knowledge and phonological
  skills
• Why important cracking the code

9
Phases of Phonological Development

• Rhyming
• Cat in the hat
• Segmenting
• Initial consonant stripping
• Blending
• /b/r/a/k/e
• Developmental trends
• ReadingPhonologyBreathingAir!

10
Conclusions

• Importance of preschool years
• Development of alphabetic principle is critical
  (but dont forget other preschool skills!)
• For some children, explicit instruction is
  necessary
• Foundation for later reading and literacy

11
Spring Letter-word Recognition

75
5-11 5-9 5-7 5-5 5-3 5-1 4-9
Spring Age Equivalent
75th percentile
25th percentile
0 4 8 12
16
Teacher-managed Word Level - Minutes per Day
12
Spring Letter-word Recognition
75
5-11 5-9 5-7 5-5 5-3 5-1 4-9 4-7
Spring Age Equivalent
75th percentile
25th percentile
0 5 10 15 20
Teacher-managed Higher Order - Minutes per Day