How can teachers support letter-sound knowledge for English learners?

• A. Use only translation dictionaries
• B. Rely solely on English pronunciation
• C. Provide explicit, multisensory phonics instruction with visuals and opportunities for oral practice; activate L1 knowledge.
• D. Ignore phonics until later grades

Answer: (C)

Letter-sound knowledge for English learners grows best when instruction is explicit, systematic, and multi-sensory, and when it connects to students’ first language. Explicit phonics means clearly teaching how letters and letter combinations map to sounds, rather than hoping students will figure it out on their own. A multisensory approach engages seeing, saying, and doing—for example, tracing letters while saying their sounds, using visuals or gesture cues, and blending sounds together to read simple words. This variety helps memory and supports accurate pronunciation.

Connecting to students’ L1 knowledge is also important. They bring existing language patterns, sounds, and strategies that can transfer to English. By activating and leveraging that background—using bilingual supports, comparing similar sounds across languages, and building on familiar concepts—teachers reduce confusion and make new sound-letter connections more meaningful.

Other options don’t support decoding as directly. Relying only on translation tools doesn’t teach the sounds or how letters correspond to them, and focusing solely on English pronunciation without explicit, guided instruction leaves gaps in foundational reading skills. Delaying phonics until later grades misses critical time when young learners are most able to establish strong decoding abilities.