It can feel overwhelming when a student comes to kindergarten with zero letter or sound knowledge. But I promise, there’s no need to panic. In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how I approach this situation with compassion, confidence, and a clear plan. Just because they don’t know their letters yet doesn’t mean they won’t. Most students just need time, exposure, and support. This episode shows you how to give them all three.

In this episode I share:

• Why starting with name recognition and phonological awareness is key
• What to actually focus on in those first few weeks
• How I build foundational literacy skills in just 5–10 extra minutes a day
• When to loop in families (and when it’s not necessary yet)
• Easy ways to track progress and offer extra support

Related Episodes:

• Teaching the Alphabet - 6 Things To Do with Each Letter w/ Droppin' Knowledge with Heidi ~ Ep. 104
• How I Teach my Students Letter Names and Their Sounds ~ Ep. 54
• Engaging Families in Supporting Struggling Learners ~ Ep. 67

Learn More:

• Empowering Educators with Effective Student Progress Tracking
• Phonological awareness versus phonemic awareness: what and how to teach

Resources:

• Year-Long Literacy Support for Small Group Instruction BUNDLE -Reading & Writing

Connect with Zeba:

• Instagram - @kindergartencafe
• Facebook - @kindergartencafe
• Website - www.kindergartencafe.org
• Tik Tok - @kindergartencafe

Mentioned in this episode:

Kindergarten Essentials

Grab the year-long, mega-bundle kindergarten activities here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Teacher-Essentials-Year-Long-Mega-Bundle-Kindergarten-Activities-8356704