Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

1 2

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Education

Teaching the alphabet - phonetic names or letter names?

31 replies

melpomene · 02/09/2006 20:42

DD1 is 3 and can recognise a few letters of the alphabet. But I'm not sure whether we should be calling the letters by their 'proper' names or by the phonetic names. I thought phonetics had taken over so dh and I have been using the phonetic names ever since we started talking about letters. e.g. The first letter of dd1's name is S and we've always told her it's 'letter suh' (instead of 'letter ess') IYSWIM. But her best friend calls it 'letter ess' so it's a bit confusing.

Are we doing the right thing? Or should we be using the 'proper' letter names? Or even trying to teach both phonetic and 'proper' names for all the letters, just to make things more complicated?

OP posts:

Report

littlerach · 02/09/2006 20:43

I think thwy ususally do phoneitcs, so you'd say it sounded suh.

Hope that helps.

Gillian76 · 02/09/2006 20:44

Phonics all the way in Scotland.

hunkermunker · 02/09/2006 20:44

If you're doing phonics, it's not "suh" it's "sss".

DS1 knows all the "names" of the letters from watching too much Countdown when DS2 was newborn... So if he says "ess" to me, I say "what noise does an ess make?" and he says "sss" - like it's a cow or a dog!

MoreTeaAnyone · 02/09/2006 20:44

phonics, please, please, please.

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 02/09/2006 20:45

HM - Ditto the countdown thing - DS1 learned all his as we say the alphabet - he's since learned the phonetic names at school and it's not been an issue at all

TwoToTango · 02/09/2006 20:46

I would tell her both. I thought same as you that schools taught letters by phonics only but when my ds started last Sept I found out that they teach sounds and proper name because when they taught phonics only some kids had problems later on because they could only spell using phonic sounds and couldn't/wouldn't? use the proper letter names. Tbh I was quite amazed that 4/5 year olds could take in so much information.

tissy · 02/09/2006 20:47

well I don't think it matters too much!

I thought we should be teaching dd phonics, so carefully avoided using the letters' names. Dh didn't know any better, so has taught her names.

Now she's at school, she has come home and announced it's called "Cee" and it says "cuh".

waterfalls · 02/09/2006 20:47

I taught ds
its name (letter S)
it makes ths sound (SSS)

He was so very eager to learn he new the whole alphabet, upper and lower case befor he was 2.

MoreTeaAnyone · 02/09/2006 20:47

In Scotland we don't touch the Letter Names (ABC) until the kids are confident with the sounds (abc) Phonics is the way children learn to read and write without it they will (unless very bright) struggle. IMO

tissy · 02/09/2006 20:48

I'm in Scotland, too, so practice varies, mta!

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 02/09/2006 20:49

TBH I think we worry too much in this country about 'teaching' our children before they start school! They already start incredibly early compared to many children around the world (DH's family were stunned that DS1 is going into YR1 next week - when some of their children the same age aren't even starting their equivalent of Reception until next school year!).

MoreTeaAnyone · 02/09/2006 20:50

Surprised about that tissy. Jolly Phonics is a big thing just now.

tissy · 02/09/2006 20:53

I got all the JP bumph for use at home- school said not to bother, they don't use it! Think they like Letterland, can't stand it myself!

Gillian76 · 02/09/2006 20:53

Jolly Phonics here in West Dunbartonshire and also in Dundee

Gillian76 · 02/09/2006 20:53

Oh god, Letterland...

tissy · 02/09/2006 20:54

I'm in Ayrshire- but talking to Mums, I don't think it's consistent within the town, let alone the county.

MoreTeaAnyone · 02/09/2006 20:59

Gillian76 I teach in WDC.

melpomene · 02/09/2006 21:13

Thanks for the quick replies everyone - there seem to be 2 schools of thought on the thread though, so I'm still a bit confused!

Can anyone recommend any useful links/websites so that I can make sure I get the phonic letter names right? I've been wondering whether the letter X has a phonic name or whether it's just 'ex'...

OP posts:

MoreTeaAnyone · 02/09/2006 21:19

try this
It deals with both letter names and souns. Hedge your bets

Gillian76 · 02/09/2006 21:24

MTA, we are in Dumbarton

MoreTeaAnyone · 02/09/2006 21:25

Taught there for 18 months, C/Bank for 7 years. I'm just along the road from D/ton now.

Gillian76 · 02/09/2006 21:27

I teach too but haven't for a year or so. Keep toying with putting my name on the supply list again...

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 02/09/2006 21:29

scary stuff - DH's family are in Dumbarton and C/Bank. My dad is from Balloch (bloody dive lol)

Hi all you up there from us down here!

Gillian76 · 02/09/2006 21:29

Small world, JARM!

MoreTeaAnyone · 02/09/2006 21:31

The probationer system has caused at bit of an increase in the volume of teachers around. Supply is good in that you can leave and never return if there's one of those days.

Flip

1 2

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.