How does the MTTC expect literacy instruction to address the alphabetic principle in PK–3?

• A. By delaying phonics until later grades.
• B. By relying on picture cues to guess words.
• C. By teaching students that letters represent individual sounds and that these sounds can be blended to form words, using systematic, explicit instruction in letter-sound correspondences and decoding.
• D. By focusing on whole-word memorization without letters.

Answer: (C)

Understanding the alphabetic principle means recognizing that letters stand for individual sounds and that those sounds can be blended to form words. For PK–3, instruction should be systematic and explicit: introduce letter-sound relationships in a careful sequence, provide guided decoding practice, and support students as they blend sounds to read words. This explicit, structured approach builds a reliable decoding process, helping students read unfamiliar words and develop spelling skills. It aligns with how early literacy develops, emphasizing the mapping between letters and sounds rather than relying on pictures or memorizing whole words without letters. Delaying phonics or using picture cues leads to incomplete decoding skills, and memorizing words without letters doesn’t cultivate the ability to decode new words. Emphasizing letter-sound correspondences and explicit decoding instruction is the most effective way to address the alphabetic principle in early grades.