✨ Why I Use This Letter Order—and Why It Matters! ✨

🔖 Quick Answer:
We use the classic IMSE Orton-Gillingham letter order (c, o, a, d, g, m, l, h, t, i, j, k, p, u, b, r, f, n, e, s, w, y, v, x, z, q) because it aligns naturally with phonemic blending practice and handwriting skills (Magic C letters: c, o, a, d, g). This combination creates early reading success and confidence for preschoolers. ✨

I frequently receive questions about the letter order I teach in my preschool classroom, so here's a quick breakdown of our intentional approach—and why it’s so effective. 📚👇

In our preschool classroom, we follow the classic IMSE Orton-Gillingham letter order:

c, o, a, d, g, m, l, h, t, i, j, k, p, u, b, r, f, n, e, s, w, y, v, x, z, q

When IMSE updated their recommended letter sequence, we stuck with this classic version because it aligns perfectly with our teaching goals. Interestingly, this sequence also naturally aligns with the "Magic C" letters emphasized in Handwriting Without Tears (C, O, A, D, G). While these Magic C letters aren't officially the first taught in the Handwriting Without Tears lowercase sequence, they are grouped together for handwriting practice due to their common formation. This fortunate alignment supports both handwriting and phonemic skills simultaneously, boosting confidence and reducing early frustration. 🙌

🔤 Early Blending & Reading (Orton-Gillingham)
This letter order supports early phonemic awareness. After introducing just a few letters, students immediately begin blending them into simple Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) words like dad, dog, mad, cat, and dot. This early success makes reading exciting and meaningful right from the start!

✨ Real & Nonsense Words (Orton-Gillingham)
Another strength of Orton-Gillingham is blending practice with nonsense words (dag, cag, tad, mig, gat). Nonsense words are fantastic for assessing genuine phonemic decoding skills rather than rote memorization. The initial letters taught lend themselves naturally to blending, making phonemic practice engaging and highly effective.

🌟 Why This Matters
This carefully selected sequence of letters provides preschoolers with a solid, structured foundation in both handwriting and phonemic skills. It's proven successful year after year, and that's why I confidently recommend and use this method! 🎯💪

Have you tried this approach or something similar? Let me know your experiences or questions below—let’s keep growing together! 🌈