When planning the introduction of letter-sound correspondences, which should a kindergarten teacher most likely introduce first?

Introducing single consonants first is a fundamental approach in teaching letter-sound correspondences, especially for kindergarten students. This is because single consonants represent the most basic and essential sounds in the English language, forming the foundation for later phonetic skills. Young learners typically start by recognizing the individual sounds associated with each letter, which helps them to decode words as they learn to read.

By starting with single consonants, teachers can effectively engage students in phonemic awareness activities, such as identifying, generating, and manipulating sounds. This builds their confidence and provides a clear understanding of how letters correspond to sounds. Once students are comfortable with single consonants, they can progress to more complex constructions like consonant digraphs, blends, and vowel pairs, which rely on the foundational knowledge of single letter sounds.