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Letter Names and Sounds Skill Explainer

Quick Look: First Grade Letter Warm-Up with Flash Cards

At Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, teacher Carla Miller works with her kindergarten students to practice saying letter names and sounds, so it becomes automatic for them. They run through this evolving warm-up deck at the beginning of every phonics lesson. Notice how they name the letter, produce the sound, and sky write the letter formation — three important pathways for building accuracy and fluency.

Video thumbnail for Quick Look: First Grade Letter Warm-Up with Flash Cards — Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book

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Teacher Carla Miller: [music] We're just going to say the name of the letter and the sound. Are you ready?

Carla Miller and Students: 'G', /g/. 'Y', /y/. ['Y' sound is garbled.]

Teacher Carla Miller: Okay, let's do that one more time.

Carla Miller and Students: 'Y', /y/. 'E', /ĕ/.

Teacher Carla Miller: Long sound.

Carla Miller and Students: /Ē/.

Teacher Carla Miller: Good.

Carla Miller and Students: 'Q', 'u', /kw/.

Teacher Carla Miller: Rule.

Carla Miller and Students: 'Q' and 'u' are stuck like glue.

Teacher Carla Miller: So good. [music]

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Support Materials

Lowercase Letter Flash Cards without Keyword Pictures (5x7)

Lowercase Letter Flash Cards without Keyword Pictures (2x4)

Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale; the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (opens in new window); the AFT (opens in new window); the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation (opens in new window); and several anonymous donors.

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