The Right Order to Teach Letter Recognition
There is a right order to teach letter recognition that helps preschoolers learn the alphabet letters and sounds more easily. It’s not alphabetical order, either. And random letter recognition activities won’t cut it, either. Rather, a strategic approach that supports frequency of letters in the written language is more effective.
By focusing on high-frequency letters, visually distinct shapes, and meaningful connections, teachers create a smoother and more effective learning process. Choosing the best teaching order ensures preschoolers develop strong pre-reading skills in a way that feels natural while also being efficient.
I’m just going to come out and say it. If you’re teaching letters in alphabetical order, you’re doing it wrong. Not because I say so, but because research says so. Now you’re asking yourself, “Well, what order should I teach letter recognition?”
I’m going to tell you…what the research says. The right order to teach letter recognition isn’t A to Z—it’s an approach that helps kids recognize letters more easily and build confidence along the way. Instead of overwhelming kids with random letters that have little relationship with one another, a research-backed sequence focuses on high-frequency letters first.
Of course, teaching letters isn’t just about the order—they also need to be introduced in fun and meaningful ways. That’s where engaging letter recognition activities come in. The goal is to make sure kids aren’t just memorizing letters but truly recognizing and understanding them.
And that’s what we’re going to talk about here.
Read this: Why Teach the ABCs in Preschool.
But First – the Importance of Letter Recognition
Letter recognition is the ability to name letters, identify characteristics (like shape) specific to said letter, and letter formation of all 26 uppercase and lowercase letter symbols used in the English language. That’s 52 letters total.
Children’s reading development is dependent on their understanding of the alphabetic principle – the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language. So in turn, letter identification and letter sound knowledge is a critical piece to developing reading skills.
We can’t skip it, and we can’t spend precious time teaching letter recognition in the wrong order, either.
You can follow its structured sequence and reinforce learning by linking to Letter Recognition for Three-Year-Olds because it complements the order with age-specific activities.
What Order to teach Letters to Preschoolers
There is no one agreed upon order in which to introduce letter sound relationships. However, it is generally agreed upon that:
- Letters should be introduced in an order that allows children to begin decoding as quickly as possible.
What does this mean?
Well, we aren’t going to start with letters s, q, f, k, l, and a. You can’t make any words from those letters! We want to empower children by teaching them letters in an order that gives them the knowledge to begin reading as soon as they feel confident enough in the letter-sounds they have already learned.
For some of my preschoolers, decoding basic cvc words happens at the first vowel I introduce. For other preschoolers, this doesn’t happen until the end the school year. It’s important to remember that either is appropriate development for preschool, but learning to read during the preschool years is not typical of most students.
Best Order to Teach Letters
We follow the recommendation of reading experts in the Daily Lessons in Preschool Phonics Curriculum in that letter-sound relations that occur with high frequency get introduced first. Letters are taught in the following order.
Letter Order – the First 10 Letters
- m, s, r, t, n, p, o, c, a, d
The above list of letters are taught explicitly the first twelve weeks of preschool. Take a break every fourth week to review all the previously taught letters. Once a child has mastered these letters, she may (but not always) be ready for simple decoding.
For example, using the above letter set, the following cvc words can be decoded:
- cat, mat, sat, rat, pat
- ran, tan, man, Dan, can, pan
- mad, sad, Tad, Dad, pad
- am, Sam
- cap, tap, sap, nap, rap, map
- pot, rot, not, Dot, dot
- rod, sod, pod, nod, cod
- Mom, Tom
- on
Now, add a few high frequency words like the, a, and to, and preschoolers cab begin reading simple sentences like:
- A rat!
- A tan rat!
- The cat ran.
- The cat ran on the mat to the rat.
- Mad Dad.
- Dad ran to the cat.
- Dad pats the cat.
- The rat nabs a pot.
Using a list like this to guide the order in which you introduce letters and sounds to your students is a powerful way in which to teach children to read. And the above examples are only a small snippet of what is really possible when phonics instruction is supported by systematic oral language development and phonological awareness.
Read this: Why Teach Recognition of Letters in Early Childhood.
Letter Order – the Next 8 Letters
During week thirteen, we introduce the letter i, which, because it is a vowel, opens up new word families for decoding.
The next set of letters taught are in the following order:
- g, f, b, k, i, l, h, w
From here, we spend at least another week reviewing the previously taught letters of the alphabet. Letter recognition and letter sound relationships are critical to reading success, so taking our time to learn visual discrimination between the letter shapes is mandatory.
Remember, this is in a preschool setting, so the goal is for preschoolers to have mastered the letter names and sounds by the end to the year.
The goal is not to be reading decodables by the end of the year. That’s a kindergarten standard.
Letter Order – the Last 8 Letters
Finally, during weeks 25-34, our Daily Lessons in Preschool Phonics curriculum leads us through teaching the following letters:
- e, v, j, u, y, z, x, q
Again, every fourth week is a review week, and this becomes especially important as we progress through the alphabet because students have more and more to remember. Don’t skip these valuable review weeks! They are designed for teachers to really hone on the missing skills so that overall progress does not unnecessarily slow down.
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Engaging, ready-to-use lesson plans designed for early learners.
Get a Free Printable for Letter Teaching Order
Looking for a scope and sequence of instruction for letter teaching order? You can download a free copy of our scope and sequence. It will share exactly what letters we introduce each week, and well as how we teach oral language and phonological awareness.
FAQ About Order to Learn Letters
Teaching letters in order from A to Z doesn’t align with how children naturally acquire letter knowledge. A research-based sequence prioritizes high-frequency letters and those with distinct sounds and shapes, making it easier for children to recognize and use them in early reading.
A recommended sequence starts with high-utility consonants and vowels, such as m, s, r, t, n, a, and o, which allows children to quickly begin forming simple words.
While both cases are important, many educators start with lowercase letters since they appear more frequently in text. However, some programs introduce uppercase letters first because they are easier to distinguish visually.
In preschool, just one letter per week, and no more. Introducing 2-3 new letters per week in kindergarten allows children enough time to practice recognition and recall without overwhelming them.
If a child has difficulty recognizing certain letters, use multisensory approaches like tracing letters in sand, air writing, or using letter stamps to reinforce learning.
Most preschoolers begin recognizing letters between ages 3-4, while mastery typically occurs by kindergarten. Every child learns at their own pace, so ongoing exposure is key.
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
