Letters and Sounds:
Naming Capital and Lowercase Letters

Introduction:

Two instructional strategies are provided for teaching the names of letters. The first uses a key word
and picture whose name begins with the letter to form an association between the letter name and its
forms. The next uses a multisensory strategy to make the association.

For each strategy, there is a case-matching activity to review and assess learning. If you use both
strategies in one session, combine these case-matching activities at the end. ____________________________________________________________________________

Materials Needed:
TTS-LS-NCLLetters-KeyW.pdf

Show the student the Key Word Card for k.

Say:     Here is the letter k. The big K is called a capital K, and the small k is a lowercase k.
Here is a word that begins with k. This word is king.
Try to remember the word king when you think of k. K stands for king.

Put your finger on the capital K. Now put your finger on the small k.
What is the word to remember for K? (king)
What letter does the word king start with? (k)

Give the student the Tracing and Writing Letters page. Point to the first pair of letters in the first
row.

Say:      This big letter is a capital letter F. This small letter is a lowercase letter f. Trace each
capital F and each lowercase f. Say the name of the letter as you finish tracing each one.

After the student finishes tracing,

Say:     Now write some f’s of your own in the spaces between the ones for tracing. See if you
can make them look just like the ones you traced. Say the name of the letter as you
write each one.

Use the same strategy for the remaining letters to be taught: Dd, Mm.

On the Student Record Form, note whether or not the student had difficulty.

To review these letters and assess learning, use the following activity. (If also reviewing the letters
from the strategy Using Key Words, add the letter tiles for K, k, S, s, P, p, R, r, N, n, H, h.)

Place the capital and lowercase letter tiles (F, f, D, d, M, m) in front of the student in random order.

Say:      Here are all the letters we have been working with. Please point to each letter and tell
me its name.

 On the Student Record Form, note any errors.

Tell the student the names of any letters missed.

Say:      Now I would like you to put the capital letters with the lowercase letters they match.
When you have a pair of letters together, say the name of the letter.

On the Student Record Form, note the student’s responses.

Show the student the correct match for any letters missed.
____________________________________________________________________________

Interpreting and Using TTS Results:

Use these strategies to design practice activities as well as for instruction. Combine instruction in
letter names with instruction in letter sounds as soon as possible. See the TTS for
Phonological Awareness: Hearing Initial Consonant Sounds and Word Analysis: Consonant
Sounds for additional instructional strategies.