The roles of letter names and letter sounds in connecting print and speech

Three experiments were carried out to examine the cues that are used in learning to read and spell new words. In a reading task (Experiment 1), even preschoolers who could not read simple real words were able to benefit from print-sound relationships that were based on letter names. They found it easier to learn that the made-up word TM was pronounced as “team” (name condition) than thatTM was pronounced as “tame” (sound condition) or as “wide” (visual condition). The letter-name strategy persisted among college students (Experiment 2). In a spelling task (Experiment 3), prereaders and novice readers again did better in the name condition than in the sound condition. The ability to use relationships based on letter sounds emerged later than the ability to use relationships based on letter names. However, sound-based relationships were used to a greater extent in spelling than in reading.