Colored Letters is based on a simple idea: colour is used as an additional visual cue for a letter's sound. When children look at a letter, they can therefore receive more than one clue.
They see:
- the shape of the letter;
- the letter within the word;
- a colour cue that helps remind them of the sound.
The process in four steps
- See: The child sees the letter and its colour.
- Listen: The child hears and practises the speech sound.
- Combine: The child combines sounds into syllables and words.
- Read: With practice, the connection between letters, sounds and words becomes increasingly familiar.
Colour is a learning aid rather than the final goal. The aim is to help the child progress towards ordinary reading, where letters and words can eventually be recognised without consciously relying on every supporting cue.
Why use colours?
For a beginning reader, the relationship between the visual form of a letter and its pronunciation is not always obvious. Colored Letters adds another visual signal that can make sound information easier to notice during practice.