In Kindergarten, students spend a significant amount of time learning the alphabet - including the consonant and vowel sounds, letter names, and letter formation. This is the foundation of reading and writing, and it’s critical that each student leaves their Kindergarten year with the alphabetic knowledge they need to master future phonics skills.

There is no one “correct” order in which to teach the letters, and different phonics programs use different sequences.

However, some alphabet letters are more easily learned. You’ll also want to spend more time on certain letters versus others. 

Here are some tips for choosing an order for teaching the letters and sounds in Kindergarten: 

Begin with Letters that Have Continuous Sounds

Continuous sounds can be produced without stopping. For example, say /mmmmmmmmmm/. Now try it with the sound for the letter “d.” (It can’t be done! /d/ is not a continuous sound.)

Continuous sounds are typically a little easier for students to produce. Examples of continuous letter sounds are Ss, Mm, Ll, Nn, Ff, and all of the short vowel sounds. 

You can begin the year by teaching students some letters with continuous sounds. Introduce the letter name, sound, and how to form the letter (handwriting).

Transition to Stop Sounds

After students have mastered a couple of letters with continuous sounds, you can introduce some stop sounds. Stop sounds position the teeth or tongue so that air is blocked while forming the sound. Examples of stop sounds are Pp, Tt, Kk, Dd, Gg, and Bb. 

Pacing Tips

As you choose the letters you are going to introduce, plan to spend more time on the letters that are most “useful.” High-utility letters are the ones that students will need the most often in reading and writing (think about, for example, how often the letter “s” appears in words as opposed to the letter “v”).

Teach the high-utility letters earlier on in the school year, and review them often. 

Try teaching two letters a week. If the letters you are teaching are less useful (eg. Zz, Xx, Vv), you can even teach three in a week. Assess student letter knowledge often, and leave time to circle back and review the letters that students have not yet mastered.

Stick to a Defined Scope and Sequence for Teaching the Alphabet

Once you’ve chosen your sequence, stick to it!

And if you’d like a sequence for teaching the letters that’s ready-to-use, you can grab a free phonics scope and sequence PDF at this link. (You'll register for a login that will give you access to the phonics scope and sequence chart AND some free materials from our phonics programs.)

More Tips on Teaching The Letters and Sounds

For more tips on teaching alphabet letters, you can also check out this video: