Alphabet Finger Tracing & Rainbow Writing

Students require alphabetic knowledge in order to embark on the process of learning to read, spell and write. However, rather than letter naming ability, letter sound knowledge is the more important variable for entry into literacy learning. For example:

In order to spell the basic word ‘dog’ a student must first ‘sound-out’ (or phonemically segment) ‘d’, ‘oh’, ‘g’ and then the student must recall and apply in the correct order the alphabet symbols.

In order to read the word ‘sun’ a student must recognise each letter symbol and convert each symbol into the correct sound ‘s’, ‘uh’, ‘n’ and then the student must blend the sounds together (phonemic blending ability).

In neither of the above early spelling and reading processes did alphabetic letter naming come into the equation. Alphabet Finger Tracing and Rainbow Writing for 4 to 5 year olds aims to establish a strong alphabet sound ability for early literacy through a multi-sensory approach.

Multi-sensory alphabet learning:

• Students kinaesthetically feel what their mouth is doing when they produce the letter sounds.
• Students see what their mouths look like when their mouths produce the letter sound (via the visual representation of the mouth on each page).
• Students also visually connect a core picture/word with the letter sound (e.g. ‘mix’, ‘teeth’ and ‘snake’).
• From an auditory (and phonemic awareness) perspective students identify the initial sound in simple target words (e.g. teeth starts with a ‘t’).
• Students form the letters with correct starting points and while simultaneously chanting the cues that assist correct formation.

Features:

• Created by Occupational therapists and speech pathologists
• Two levels of verbal formation cues.
• 26 x A4 colour double sided alphabet formation cards.