ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

Action Research Portfolio

Julia Sansom
Sanford University

Initial Teacher Meeting

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

I met with my cooperating teacher; Ms. Bosley who teaches special needs preschool at
Trace Crossing Elementary School. Ms. Bosley suggested that I work with Student A and
Student B on there letter recognition skills because letter identification is the core focus of their
literacy instruction at this stage of the school year. She felt that these target students needed
additional instruction in the area of letter recognition and would benefit from having additional
instruction time on their letters.

Student A
Student A was selected because he was struggling in the area of letter recognition.
Student A has a will often confuse certain letters and needs additional instruction on how to
discriminate between letters. His teacher believed that additional instruction would help
solidify Student As letter knowledge. Ms. Bosley asked if I could work with Student A
specifically on his letter identification skills.

Student B
My cooperating teacher highlighted Student B to work with due to his struggles with
letter identification. Student B has an (IEP) individualized education plan, and my teacher felt
that giving the student additional instruction time would be beneficial for this learning.

Essential Question
After Ms. Bosley and I determined which two students should take part in the Action
Research Plan, we found a similar struggle between Student A and Student B. The question that
will serve as the prime focus for my Action Research Plan is: How can these students letter
identification skills be improved in order for them to accurately identify the letters of the

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

alphabet? This question was generated because each of the select students needs additional
support in their letter recognitions skills. Letter identification is a vital skill that students need
to master in order to move towards learning phonics and phonemic awareness. Through
continual practice working of recognizing, matching, reciting, and writing each letter of the
alphabet the students should progress towards the end goal of be able to identify each letter of
the alphabet.

Revision of the Essential Question

How can the target students letter identification skills be improved in order for them to
accurately identify letters A-G?
*Post Session Four Revision for Student B
How can Student Bs letter identification skills be improved in order for him to
accurately identify the letters in his name?

Evidence
November 3

rd

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

Julia Sansom
Ms. Bosley,
I wanted to see if it would be ok for me to work with my action research group for a few
minutes on Thursday! Also, I saw on our calendar that our last day at Trace this semester (we
will be back in our same placements next semester! Yay!) Is December 3rd! We will not be at
Trace next week because we have conferences on campus. I was wondering if you it would
work for me to teach a lesson November 19th and December 3rd? I know that is a ways away
so no rush at all! Just let me know if you have standards in mind!
Thank you so much!
Julia Sansom
Ms. Bosley
Yes, please work with them on Thursday! I think pulling them right after they finish breakfast
would be best. If that doesn't work, pull them any other time you can find.
November 29th
Julia Sansom
Hi Ms. Bosley! I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving break! I can't believe that this semester
is already coming to a close! This Thursday will be my last clinical day for this semester. I am
so looking forward to being back in your classroom next semester!
I had a question about the standard for Thursday's lesson:
"Demonstrate one to one correspondence in counting objects and matching numeral name with
sets of objects"
I was wondering if you wanted me to focus on one to one correspondence with numbers 1-10
or 1-20 or if there was a particular range you think would be best?
Also, I was wondering if there would be time available to meet with my Action Research group
one more time?
I appreciate all your help very much!
Julia
Ms. Bosley
You can absolutely work with your group on Thursday!
I'm sad this Thursday is your last day, but I'm so glad you'll be back with us next semester!
Hope you're have a great Monday!

Initial Assessment Reflection

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

The letter name knowledge assessment showed that Student A knew nine out of the
twenty-six letters (34%) he had been tested on. Student Bs initial assessment showed that he
knew three out of his twenty-six letters (11%). I realized through this assessment that the
students were uncomfortable with the amount of letters on one page. Reflecting back I would
have used flashcards with just a single letter to assess my students. Student B was especially
overwhelmed by the amount of letters he did not know. I realized from the initial baseline
assessment that the goal of my research plan needed to change. I no longer needed to focus on
the alphabet as a whole rather; I needed to focus on one letter at a time in order to allow the
students to get in-depth letter recognition instruction.
After this assessment I discussed how I could revise my goal for each student with my
cooperating teacher. The focus of my question remained the same; I still wanted to increase my
students letter recognition knowledge. I decided instead of working on the whole alphabet I
would focus primarily on letters A-G.

Final Assessment Reflection

Overall, it was a very beneficial experience to see Student A and Student B grew from
the initial assessment to the final assessment. Their comfort level, abilities, and overall attitude,
and view of letter recognition have altered significantly. During the initial assessment both
students would frustratingly repeat that they did not know the letters. Even with guiding and
reassurance the students were unhappy with the amount of letters that did not know. During the
course all the instruction sessions and final assessment I saw both students each grow in their
confidence. Through the final assessment, neither student became frustrated with the letters
they could not recognize. Rather they simply paused if I came to a letter they did not know. I
observed through their body language and phrases they were saying, that both students had

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

made large gains in their confidence towards learning. They also made gains in their letter
name recognition. Student A scored a nine out of twenty-six on his first assessment (34%) and
scored a twelve out of twenty-six on his final assessment (46%). Student B scored a three out
of twenty six on his initial assessment (11%) and scored a five out of twenty-six on his final
assessment (19%). Both students made gains in their letter knowledge, work ethic, and overall
academic self-confidence.
Through this experience I quickly learned the importance of not overwhelming the
learner with new information rather focusing intensely on one letter at a time. I found that it
was important to give students time to practice and form an experience with the content. I
learned that clear and attainable goals are more effective then attempting to have students
complete a complicated task. I found that the most straight forwards and simple instruction
strategies proved to be the most effective for the students. I had to learn the importance of trial
and error with the instruction strategies I used. For example, I was confident that my students
would be very receptive to the letter magnet activity that I planned. I thought that they would
enjoy using this resource and that it would be an effective way for them to complete a letter
scramble. Although this activity was engaging and hands one I do believe that had two many
letter options for them and it became overwhelming. Then I tried an activity with whiteboards
during the final session. I had my students practice writing select letters (Student A) or writing
their name (Student B). Surprisingly, this was one of the most effective strategies that I used
throughout my entire research plan. I saw the biggest breakthrough with Student B in
particular. To scaffold Student Bs writing I pre drew dots from him to trace over to write his
name (midway through the process I gave Student B the goal of learning the letters in his
name). After he had erased this particular practice, I asked his to write his name on his own. I

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

set letter flashcards above his whiteboard that spelled out his name to give him an example to
refer back to. When I looked at the work he had done, he had drawn his own dots and traced
over them, writing his name independently (typically he needs assistance in writing his full
name). I thought this was I breakthrough moment for Student B, because he used a tool that
was modeled for him in order to independently complete a task.
Overall, I found that I learned a significant amount of information about data collection
and creating an action plan for learners. Reflecting over the strategies I utilize I would have
incorporated more tactile and interactive practice opportunities for my students. Through
research I have consulted and observations I have of my student I can come to the realization
the creating the experiences for students are very effective intervention strategies. I would have
used a variety of material such as forming letters out of play dough, using geoboards, tracing
letters in sand, letter cut and sorts, and letter puzzles. I believe that utilizing these concrete
hands on activities would have increased Student As and Students letter knowledge. (Webster,
2015) When these sort of materials are used with young learners I have come to learn that it is
most effective to use these hands on resources is by not using too many but making the
materials used count.
Additionally, I believe it would have been beneficial to have more sessions with
Student B focusing on the letters of his name. I believe the extra time would have solidified
this students learning, and utilized the repetitive teaching strategy.

Initial Assessment: Student A

Administered October 1st

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

Modified B6 Letter Recognition Assessment

*Student A identified 9 out of the 26 letters

(A, B, C, O, S, F, H, N, T)

Midpoint Assessment: Student A

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Final Assessment: Student A

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10

Administered December 3rd

Modified B6 Letter Recognition Assessment

*Student A identified 12 out of the 26 letters

(A B, C, D, E, O, S, F, H, N, I, T)
*Student As target letters throughout the Action Research Project were: A, B, C, D, E, F,
and G. In Student As final assessment he identified A, B, C, D, and E but did not identify
F or G.

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

Initial Assessment: Student B
Administered October 1st
Modified B6 Letter Recognition Assessment

*Student B identified 3 out of the 26 letters

(O, K, A)

11

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12

Midpoint Assessment: Student B

Administer November 29th

*The purpose of this assessment was to prompt the student to discriminate between
letters and be able to select the letter the teacher asked them to find. For his letter hunt
assessment the student was able to select H and O.

Final Assessment: Student B:

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13

Administered December 3rd

Modified B6 Letter Recognition Assessment

*Student B identified 5 out of the 26 letters

(H, O, L, D, A)
*Student Bs target letters were: O, H, L, D, E, N. Students B identified the letter H, O, L
and D but did not identify E or N.

Strategies Used

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14

Letter Discrimination: Research has proven the letters are most effectively learned
when they are compared and contrasted with each other (The Literacy Connection).
Letter discrimination is when students have to pick a select letter out of several letter
options, therefore comparing and contrasting letters. I used this strategy the most
because I felt that this helped the students determine difference between letters. I
noticed early on the my students would confuse letters that looked alike such as Z
and S. I found that giving students letter scrambles, and letter hunts helped them
make that right discriminations.
Visual Representations of words that begin with the target letter: I would tie this
strategy into the directed writing work that we did.
Directed writing: I chose to use this exercise with students because I feel that when my
students would learn a new letter having the experience of writing the letter helps them
make the name to symbol connection they need for letter recognition.
Using letters that have meaning to the student: For Student B I made his target
letters the letters in his name, because he had a prior knowledge and a personal
connection to those letters
Letters Embedded in Text: I read The Berenstain Bears Weekend At Grandmas by Jan
and Stan Berenstain and had Student A use a pointer to point to the Bs he found in

the book.
Letter Matching: I used this strategy when I used the letter magnets with my students.
Repetitive Teachings: I utilized this strategy primarily with Student A. When I would
teach him new letters such as letters: A, B, C, and D I would review those letters with
him during the next session. I found that he greatly benefited from this strategy. I
wanted to use this same strategy with Student B, but due to Student Bs two absences I
was not able to implement the repetitive teaching strategies.

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15

Timeline of Implementation
Pre-Session
Initial meeting with Ms. Bosley
Selected students to work with
Discussed areas of fluency that the selected students need improvement on

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16

Determined the focus question

Finalized the focus question

Session 1
Initial Assessments
Modified B6 Letter Recognition Assessment (to determine the students ability to identify the letters of
the alphabet)
Letter embedded in text: focus letter the was the letter B using The Berenstain Bears Weekend At
Grandmas by Jan and Stan Berenstain
Session 2
Action Research Group
Focus letters: A-D
Student A
Directed writing letter worksheet letters A-D
Matching letter symbols to letter names through use of letter flashcards
Letter Identification Quiz on letters A-D (Letter Scramble)
Using a letter arc to help students visualize the sequence of letters
Session 3
Action Research Group
Student A
Focus letters: A-D
Review the letters from the last week by looking back at the letter arc
Letter Hunt with letter flash cards
Associating letter to picture and seeing the letter used in a full word
Letter sorts (recognizing simple similarities and differences in letters)
Letter Scramble Quiz: discriminating between different letters
Session 4
Action Research Group
Student A and B
Student A Plan
Focus letters: E-G
Directed writing with letters E-G

Missing Letter Decks: Students must identify the missing letter by filling in the blank with the correct
consecutive letter of the alphabet
Letter matching: matching letter flashcards to the correct corresponding card
Letter scramble assessment

Student B Plan
Focus letters: A-D

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17

Review the letters from the last week by looking back at the letter arc
Letter Hunt with letter flash cards
Associating letter to picture and seeing the letter used in a full word
Letter sorts (recognizing simple similarities and differences in letters)
Letter Scramble Quiz: discriminating between different letters
Session 5

Action Research Group

Student A Plan
Focus Letter: Review of letters A-G
Student B Plan
Focus Letters: Letters in students name (O, L, E, D, H. N)
Directed drawing by tracing name
T-chart: Using a magnet board and making one half for all the letters in the students name and the
other side for letters that are not in students name (letter discrimination)
Assessment Letter Hunt: discriminating between letters
Session 6
Student A Plan
Using whiteboards to review letters A-G
Retest using modified version of B6 Assessment (to measure students growth)
Student B Plan
Student using whiteboard to trace over letters in their name
Retest using modified version of B6 Assessment (to measure students growth)

Anecdotal Timeline

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18

Date/Duratio
n of session

Strategy/Skill
taught

Assessment

Observations

10/1/15
(Session 1)

I administered
the letter
recognition
assessment to
Student A and
Student B

Modified B6
Letter
Recognition
Assessment
Student A:
34%

Student A:

Initial
Assessment
(15 minutes)

Student B:
11%

Next Steps (instruction/focus

for next lesson)

Student A and Student B:

I believe student A needs letter
Student A seemed recognition instruction that is
a little nervous
geared towards discriminating
about taking the
between letters. I am going to
letter recognition
instruct Student A by first
assessment ever
having him complete a
after reassurance.
directed writing hand out on
The student
each letter we are learning,
confused certain
how visuals of words that
letters such as H
begin with the letters we are
with A, and U with working on in order to make
B. My prediction
connections to the letters,
is that the student
using letter flashcards to
began guessing
instruct the student in letter
letters out of
discrimination (selecting the
nervousness.
letter A from a cluster of
The student
letters) and word scramble
identified nine
assessments.
letters correctly
out of twenty-six.
Student B:
We extremely
apprehensive
about taking the
assessment. I
encouraged and
reassured the
student along the
way. Student B
began to become
flustered midway
through the
assessment. The
student identified
three letters out of
twenty-six.

10/8/15
(Session 2)

Student A was
the only
student I was

I used the
letter
scramble as

Student A
responded very
well to the

I feel that we need to spend

more time on letters A-D
because I do not feel that

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

Letters
A-D
(15 minutes)

able to work
with during
this session. I
used letter
flashcards,
directed
writing
worksheets, a
letter arc, and a
letter scramble
assessment to
aid
discriminating
between letters
A-D.

the
assessment.
Student A
misidentified
one out of
the four
target letters.
(75%)

(Webster,
2015)
(Intervention
Activities for
Letter Naming
Fluency)

19
flashcard practice.
He was able to
discriminate
between letters and
select the letter I
asked him to find.
He really struggled
with the letter C.
We went back to
the directed
writing guide in
order to prompt his
memory on
learning about the
letter C. We
discussed words
that begin with the
letter C in order to
help the student to
make a relatable
connection to the
letter C.

Student A feel confident about

these letters yet. I believe that I
gave Student A too many
letters for one session. Next
time I would only work on 2
maximum 3 letters at a time. I
also would like to do more
hands on experience-based
strategies with the letters. I do
not feel that the strategies and
activities I have selected are
interactive enough. I think it is
important for Student A to
form experience with the letter
to connect meaning to it. (i.e.
forming the letter out of play
dough). I believe that this type
of interaction would be helpful
for Student As understanding
of the letters.

Student A was
very compliant and
had a great attitude
while we worked.

10/15/15
(Session 3)
15 minutes
Review of
letters A-D
(Rosenberg,
2015).

I used the
repetitive
teaching
strategy letter
comparing and
contrasting,
visual
representations
of words that

Student A
completed a
letter
scramble
with the
letter A-D.
He was able
to identify
all four

He did not
understand the
letter arc that I had
created for him. I
think the arc is too
abstract and I do
not think I will
continue using the
arc.
I only have
Student A today
because Student B
is absent. Student I
could tell that
Student A felt
much more
confident during
this session

Looking forward to the next

lesson I plan to instruct
Student A on letters E, G, and
F. I plan to still incorporate
questioning about letters A-D,
but focus instruction primarily
on the select target letters.
I hope to instruct Student B on

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

begin with the
target letter,
and directed
writing.

letters in the
scramble.
(100%)

(Webster,
2015)
(Intervention
Activities for
Letter Naming
Fluency)

10/29/15
(Session 4)
15 minutes
Student A:
Focus letters:
E, F, G
Student B:
Focus letters:
A, B, C, D,
*After this
session I
discussed
revising
Student Bs
goal. Ms.
Bosley and I

Student A:
I utilized
directed
writing, visual
representations
of target
letters, and a
flash card
letter hunt
game with
letters E, F,
and G with
Student A.
Student B:
I utilized
directed
writing, visual
representations

Flash card
Assessment:
For this
assessment I
questioned
the students
on their
letter
knowledge
by using
flashcards
and asking
students to
identify the
letter.
Student A
struggled to
identify the
letter F. I

20
because we are
reviewing the
letters that we
targeted from last
session. I think this
was helpful for
Student As overall
self-assurance.
He did very well at
recognizing letters
A-D, and showed a
huge improvement
in his letter
fluency
(recognizing the
letters quickly and
accurately). In the
previous session
Student A
struggles
recognizing the
letter C. During
this session he was
able to identify the
letter C each time I
asked him to select
the letter C.
Student A has
become
accustomed to the
resources I have
been using with
him, which was a
goal of mine. He
did well with
recognizing the
new letters I gave
him today but
incorrectly
recognize the letter
F through the
session. I
purposely wanted
utilize the strategy
of repetition with
my students. I feel

letters A-D. I need to plan

ahead on how I will instruct
the students on different target
letters during the same session.

For both of my students for the

next the session I also want to
incorporate more interactive
and hands on materials. I want
to think of an engaging yet
effective way to help both of
the students form strong
connections with their target
letters.

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

decided to
focus on the
letters in the
students
name.

11/5/15
(Session 5)
15 minutes

of target
letters, and a
flash card
letter hunt
game with
letters A, B, C,
and D with
Student B.

think this
may be due
to the close
similarities
between
letter E and
F.
(66%)

(Webster,
2015)
(Intervention
Activities for
Letter Naming
Fluency)

Student B
was able to
identify the
letter A, but
not letters B,
C, or D.
(25%)

This was the

first session
that I

Student B:
Student B
was able to

21
for there age level
and specific needs
repetition is an
effective strategy
to use for them.
Student B
struggled through
todays lesson on
letters A-D.
The strategies that
I used (directed
letter writing,
letter flashcards,
and letter
scrambles) were
not effective. After
the lesson I spoke
with Ms. Bosley
and we came to the
conclusion that I
need to set a new
goal for Student B.
I have revised
Student Bs goal to
be for him to
recognize the
letters in his name.
I think this will be
an effective
strategy for
Student B because
he has a personal
connection with
the letters in his
name. I believe
that his schema on
the letters H, E, D,
O, L, and N will
assist him in being
able to connect
letter name to
symbol.
Both students
For the final session, I would
really enjoyed
like to review the letters that
using the magnetic each student has learned by

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

Student A:
Review of
letters:
A, B, C, D, E,
F, G
(Rosenberg,
2015).
Student B:
Focus letters:
O, L, H, E, N,
D

implemented
Student Bs
new goal. My
new goal for
Student B was
for him to be
able to
recognize the
letters in his
name.
(N, E, O, L, D,
H)
My goal for
Student A was
to use the have
him practice
identifying his
letters by
matching them
to the
corresponding
letter.
I used
magnetic
letters on a
magnet board
and focused
primarily on
having
students
compare and
contrast letters.
For student B I
divided the
board into two
sections. I one
section Student
B had to place
the letters that
ARE in his
name. The
other section
was for letters
that ARE NOT
in his name.

identify
letters H, O,
and L when
questioned
with flash
cards.
(50%)
Student A:
Student A
was able to
identify
letters A, B,
C, D and E.
(70%)

22
letters and magnet
boards. I think the
hands on aspect of
this session and
the fact that they
were concretely
moving around the
letters really
helped them make
important
connection. I think
the new plan for
Student B was
very effective; I
just wish I had
more time to work
on his goal with
him.

utilizing whiteboards. I love

using whiteboards with
preschool ages children
because I find that they at
times get overwhelmed with a
lot of papers. I also think this
will be an effective tool for
them because the boards offer
less scaffold then a directed
writing worksheet. They will
be prompted to form letters
from scratch.

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23

For Student A,
I focused on
reviewing all
of the letters
we had
covered thus
far (A-G). I
laid out sticky
notes that had
letters A-G
written on
them below
Student As
magnet board.
I scrambled the
magnetic
letters on the
board and
asked Student
A to match the
magnet letters
to the letters on
his sticky note.
(Webster,
2015)

12/3/15
(Session 6)
15 minutes
Student A:
Review letters
A-G
(Rosenberg,
2015).
Student B:
Review letters
H, L, O, E, D,
N

(Intervention
Activities for
Letter Naming
Fluency)
Final practice
Modified B6
and assessment Letter
Recognition
I used
Assessment
whiteboards
for students to Student A:
practice
46%
forming and
recognizing
Student B:
letters. I have
19%
found that
having
students form
letters helps

I was so impressed
by both Student
As and Student
Bs work on their
white boards.
Student A was able
to form and
recognize all the
letters we targeted
except the letter
F. Student B
wrote his full
name by himself.
Student A

For both students I believe that

more interactive and hands on
activities that prompt the
students to compare and
contrast letters would be the
most effective intervention
strategy for them.

ACTION RESEARCH FALL 2015

(Rosenberg,
2015).
Reassess both
students using
a modified
version of B6
Letter
Recognition
Assessment

them make the

connection
between letter
name and
symbol,
therefore
increasing their
recognition
skills.
I gave both
Student A and
Student B the
B6 Letter
Recognition
Assessment in
order to collect
more data on
student
progression or
lack there of.

24
increased his letter
knowledge by 3
letters on the final
assessment.
Student B
increased his letter
knowledge by 2
letters.

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25

Data Collection
Progress Monitoring Chart (student copy)
Due to the age level of my students I decided that the most effective way to get feedback on
how my students felt about their personal learning growth would be to converse with them
about the activities, and letter instruction I taught them. Throughout each session and at the end
of the sessions I would ask if the students would give our letter games a thumbs up or

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26

thumbs down. They were very responsive to this technique. I also took into consideration
their overall attitude towards their learning during the sessions.

Student A:
Action Research: Tracking Data Collection and Student Progress
How did you feel about the letter games we played today? Would you give me a thumbs up or
thumbs down?
Initial
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Final
Assessments
Assessment

Goal for student(s):

My initial goal for Student A was to learn the letters of the alphabet. After the initial
assessment I realized that my scope was too broad. I decided to set a new goal for Student A
based on the level he was currently at. My goal for Student A was to master his letter
recognition of letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

Growth Targets:
Student A showed significant gains after each session. Notably he was able to begin to
recognize the letter C (which had been a continually difficult letter for him to recognize). He
also became extremely proficient at using the resources that I gave him to practice his letter
recognition. Student As overall attitude towards learning letters appeared to increase as well.

Student B:

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27

Action Research: Tracking Data Collection and Student Progress

Initial Assessments

Session 4

Session 5

Final Session

*Student B missed the two first sessions due to absences

Goal for student(s):
My initial goal for Student B was for him to be able to identify the letters of the alphabet. After
the initial assessment I decided to revise his goal to be for him to master recognizing letters A,
B, C, D, E, F, and G. After the fourth session (which was my first full session with Student B) I
realized that this was not the appropriate goal for Student B. I consulted my cooperating
teacher and we both came to the conclusion that I needed to target the letters in Student Bs
name. I have learned from this experience that when young learners are learning letter
recognition it is extremely effective for them to begin with the letters in their name. These are
the only letters that the student has created a personal connection to at this point, and this
connection serves as an effective tool for the students letter knowledge growth. The new goal
formulated was for Student B to be able to master recognizing the letters H, E, L, O, D, and N.
Growth Targets:
Although, I had less instruction time with Student B I saw the most growth in his letter
recognition skills after I revised his goal to focusing on the letters on his name. I believe this
was due to the goal being aimed at the appropriate level for this student. He was able to draw

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connections to the letters because they had personal meaning to him. I observed two significant
learning moments in Student Bs learning growth throughout this process. The first one was
during a lesson I taught the class on the letter J. During the end of lesson, Student B formed the
letter J with his hands, using one hand to make the curve and the other hand to make the hat.
This showed significant growth for Student B. He formulated this physical representation of
the letter J all on his own, without any prompting from me. This showed me that he had a deep
understanding on how to form the letter J. The other landmark learning moment that I observed
with Student B was during our last session. I had given Student B a whiteboard to practice
writing his name on. I guided his writing by drawing the letters in dots so he could trace over
them. After we had practiced this several times, I erased the board and set letter flashcards
above his board that spelled out the students name. I asked the students to writing his name for
me. He proceeded by drawing his letters in dots and then tracing over them. He executed his
name proficiently while writing independently. I saw this as a huge moment of growth for
Student B because he scaffolds his own learning in away that assisted him in accomplishing the
overall goal.

Student A
Date

Baseline Data:
Assessments and
Results
(list all)

Date

Midpoint Data:
Assessments and
Results
(list all)

Date

Final Data:
Assessments and
Results
(list all)

October 1st

9/26 (34%)

October
15th

17/18 (94%)

December
3rd

12/26 (46%)

Data Reflection: Student A

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During the initial assessment Student A was fairly apprehensive about his letter name
knowledge ability. I could tell that he second-guessed his thinking and after we were a few
letters into the assessment he became panicked. I could tell that he was beginning to guess the
letters throughout a portion of the assessment.
I consulted research-based strategies to formulate my action plan. I continually found that
providing instruction and opportunities for practice for young learners centered on repetition,
tactile and concrete learning was very effective ways to increase students letter recognition.
(Intervention Activities for Letter Naming Fluency) Specific examples of this type of concrete
instruction are: utilizing letter naming flashcards, letter matching file folders, letter arcs, and
tactile letter sorting sets. I also utilized repetitive teachings throughout my action research plan
with Student A (Rosenberg, 2015). This proved to be very beneficial to Student As learning
because I believe this gave him the opportunity to solidify his understanding and provided
additional opportunities to practice.
For Student A, I found that letter discrimination with letter flashcards (having the
student pick out a select letter from several letter options) and using letter-matching exercises
were most effective practices for Student A. My overarching goal for Student A was for him to
increase his letter name knowledge, but after the initial assessment I also wanted him to
approach letter name acquisition with increased assurance and confidence. When we
approached the midpoint assessment I used a letter scramble format that was designed to
prompt Student A to discriminate letter symbols. I found that this type of assessment was less
intimidating and geared at the correct level for the student. Student A only misidentified one on
the letters on the letter scramble.

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For the final assessment I gave Student A a modified version of the B6 letter name
knowledge assessment again. Student A increased my three letters on his final assessment.
During the final assessment he showed huge growth on his overall test taking ability and was
significantly calmer.

Student A: Initial Versus Final Assessments

100
80
60
40
20
0
Initial Assessment

Final Assessment

Student A Progress Chart

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100
80
60
40
20
0
Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Student B

Session 5

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Date

Baseline Data:
Assessments and
Results
(list all)

Date

Midpoint Data:
Assessments and
Results
(list all)

Date

Final Data:
Assessments and
Results
(list all)

October 1st

3/26 (11%)

November
29th

2/9 (22%)

December
3rd

5/26 (19%)

Data Reflection: Student B

During the initial modified B6 Letter Name Knowledge assessment Student B was
extremely apprehensive about his letter recognition knowledge ability. He repetitively
exclaimed that he did not know the letters that I prompted him to identify. The initial
assessment was the indicator that I needed to be able to formulate a new objective for Student
B. The new goal that I set for Student B was for him to be able to identify letters A-G. After the
first instructional session that I had with Student B I realized that I needed to set a revise this
new goal. I consulted with my cooperating teacher and we decided to begin working on the
letters in Student Bs name. The research I analyzed has proven that using the letters in a
students name is an effective strategy to begin their letter recognition knowledge with
(Literacy Connection). Student B demonstrated the most growth when I utilized this strategy
with him. I felt that I was not fully able to instruct him to the degree I felt he needed, because
of the time that I revised his goal.

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Student B: Initial Versus Final Assessments

100
80
60
40
20
0
Initial Assessment

Final Assessment

Student B Progress Chart

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Session 4

Session 5

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Literature Review

Effective Strategies to Improving Letter Recognition;

A Comprehensive Review
Abstract
This paper showcases the most effective instructional practices for letter recognition that
recent research has revealed. This comprehensive review describes the most operative ways to
frame letter recognition instruction and intervention for emerging readers. Evidence shows
that budding readers will be more likely to be successful if they are proficient in their letter
identification skills (Rosenberg, 2015). Dr. Rosenberg states in her research found in Letter
and Sound Time that, Alphabet recognition is especially important because it is critical for
understanding phonics (Rosenberg, 2015). One of the many goals of letter recognition
instruction is to prime learners for phonics.
Additionally, Research has shone that students that are not performing proficiently in letter
recognition fall behind in their reading acquisition, spelling, reading fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension.(Polk & Farah, 2010) Due to the vast importance on alphabet knowledge for
early learners a huge emphasis is placed on letter identification in the primary classroom.
Effective letter recognition strategies are interactive and dynamic. Practice opportunities
must be filled with variety and collaboration. Some of these practices include: letter arcs,
matching letter games, letter sequencing, letter naming flash cards, and missing letter decks.
These are proven practices that are known to yield successful results. It is also very important
for special needs learners to engage in multisensory activity when learning their letters,
because it strengthens their directionality skills (Webster, 2015). This paper unpacks the

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evidence-based practice that when used to their fullest potential will bring about successful
results in students letter recognition ability.

Effective Strategies to Improving Letter Recognition;

A Comprehensive Review
Letter identification is the ability for students to know the name, characteristics, and
formation of 26 upper and lower case letter symbols. The prime focus of letter recognition
instruction is to equip students to recognize and name letter symbols. Throughout a multitude
of research, letter identification continues to prove to be one of the most significant predictors
of reading success in emerging readers (Teacher Vision, 2015). The United States Library of
Medicine National Institutes of Health states that, many state education curriculum plans are
required by No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 to include letter naming, basic sound
knowledge, and letter writing in their literacy standards in prekindergarten and kindergarten.
(Piasta & Wagner, 2010) Letter identification is considered a two-prong concept: the ability
for students to name letters, and then the ability for students to identify the phonemic sound of
a letter. Jerry Webster, a special education specialist, has found through continued research
letter recognition is most effective when teaching students with developmental delays letternaming separate from letter sounds in order to avoid piling on or overloading students.
(Webster, 2015).
Research Scientist, Shane Piasta and Richard Wagner, authors of Developing Early
Literacy Skills: A Meta-Analysis of Alphabet Learning and Instruction conducted research
studies on which types of instructional practices yielded the greatest results for letter
identification in students. The researchers determined that there are a plethora of instructional

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options when teaching young learners their letter knowledge. These instructional
characteristics are; the type of classroom setting teaching occurred in (clinic setting, general
education classroom), and the size of the group of students receiving intervention. It is highly
effective teaching practices for students to be taught in a small group setting with a familiar
instructor (Piasta & Wagner, 2010). Utilizing this type of learning rich environment is only
truly successful when coupled with highly effective teaching practices. This is a very
important aspect of instruction to note because the environment that a student learns in is a
huge factor in the effectiveness of the instruction and success of student learning. Dr.
Rosenberg states in his research found in Letter & Sound Time, that teaching students letter
identification should be highly interactive, and can be taught effectively through a
combination of systematic instruction and purposeful play. Dr. Rosenberg confirms the
importance of teachers using multiple mediums of practice, and repetitive teachings are very
useful strategies to use (Rosenberg, 2015).
Intervention Activities for Letter Naming Fluency is a very significant resource to
consider when selecting specific strategies for teaching letter recognition. This article suggests
focusing on four main letter recognition strategies to incorporate into letter identification
instruction. These include:

Learning the Alphabet With Songs

Matching Letter Shapes to Letter Names
Letter Sequencing (Alphabetizing)
Building Fluency in Letter Recognition and Naming

The first evidence based strategy is, learning the alphabet by song. The article suggest the
instructors differentiate their alphabet songs by only singing chunks on the song, by singing the
alphabet at varying paces, and singing the alphabet to different tunes (i.e Mary Had A Little
Lamb). It is effective for students to sing the alphabet song in segments to help scaffold their

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learning. To learners that are just beginning to learn their letters, singing the entire alphabet
song could potentially be very overwhelming. When the song is broken into chunks of five
letters the student can focus there attention more specifically than merely trying to memorize
the song rather than focusing on pronouncing letter names. It is very effective to sing the
alphabet with students at varying paces to different tunes because students often mumble or
blend certain segments of the alphabet such as LMNOP or TUV. Slowing the alphabet
down for students and changing the tune will cause students to have to actively think about the
letters they are singing (Intervention Activities for Letter Naming Fluency). The alphabet song
is a good resource for students to have when they are learning the letters of the alphabet, and
will aid student sequence their letters.
A very important aspect of letter identification for young learners, is matching letter
names to letter symbols. There are multiple effective activities to utilize when instructing
students on this aspect of letter recognition. Some of these include:

Letter arcs
Matching letter games (file folders)
Letter sequencing (incomplete letter arcs)
Letter naming flash cards
Missing letter decks (sequencing practice)
Tactile letter sorting sets
Instant letter recognition charts

These strategies are evidence based strategies are proven to be effective intervention tools for
emerging readers that are learning their letters (Intervention Activities for Letter Naming
Fluency). This resource highlights the important point that letter recognition practice for
students should consist of offering learners multiple ways to write, see, and interact with
letters.

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Jerry Webster is a special education specialist and compiled helpful research in Letter
Recognition for Reading in Special Education: A Foundational Skill for Emerging Readers to
help guide educators on effective practices on teaching letter recognition to students with
special needs. Webster suggests that educators should make letter identification practice
multisensory for students. This would include:
Sand writing
Pudding writing
Sidewalk writing
Letter tag writing
Webster stresses that this multisensory approach creates stronger directionality in students
with developmental delays. This is a vital aspect of letter recognition for students, and will
become especially important in their letter writing. Multisensory practice is a very valued tool
to implement in order to strengthen motor skills in young learners (Webster, 2015).
There are many reasons that letter recognition is an imperative skill to building strong
future readers. Letter recognition must occur in order for students to develop their phonics
ability, oral language, vocabulary, spelling, fluency, and comprehension. A students ability
level in letter recognition draws a direct line to their future reading ability. It is important that
educators utilize evidence based teaching practice when engaging in letter identification
instruction. Examples are creating an interactive and dynamic learning atmosphere for
students. Utilizing practice opportunities such as letter arcs, matching letter games (file
folders), letter sequencing (incomplete letter arcs), letter naming flash cards, and missing letter
decks have been proven to yield successful results. Students must actively be involved with
letter recognition in order to become fluent.

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References

Literacy Connection: Learning Letter With Names 2015.

"Letter Identification." - TeacherVision.com. 2015.

"Letter Recognition for Reading in Special Education." About.com Education. 2015.

Read Res Q. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 Jul 28.

Published in final edited form as:
Read Res Q. 2010 Jan; 45(1): 838.

Sound and Letter Time: Building Phonemic Awareness and Alphabet Recognition Through
Purposeful Play. Pgs. 3-22.

Thad A. Polk and Martha J. Farah

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Vol. 95, No. 3 (Feb. 3, 1998), pp. 847-852

8, Chapter. Intervention Activities for Letter Naming Fluency (LNF)

Literacy Connection: Learning Letter With Names 2015

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