Letter of the Week (LOTW) is a 26-week preschool curriculum teaching one alphabet letter per week with themed activities, crafts, and practice—popular but not supported by current literacy research.
What is Letter of the Week?
Letter of the Week (LOTW) is a structured approach to alphabet instruction where preschoolers focus on one letter per week over 26 weeks. Each week centers on a thematic topic starting with the featured letter—"A" week might include apples, airplanes, and alligators. Activities typically include letter tracing, sound practice, related crafts, books featuring the letter, and sorting activities. The approach appeals to parents seeking organized, ready-made curriculum with clear weekly structure. Numerous free and paid LOTW curricula provide thousands of printable pages covering the entire alphabet.
Key Takeaways
- One letter per week for 26 weeks, typically for ages 3-4
- Includes letter recognition, sound practice, themed crafts and activities
- Popular curricula: Confessions of a Homeschooler, Freedom Homeschooling (free)
- Current literacy research does NOT support this as the most effective approach
- Names-based and multi-letter approaches show stronger results in research
What Research Says
Here's the uncomfortable news: literacy researchers consider LOTW outdated and ineffective. The approach assumes all letters require equal attention and that sequential introduction (A-Z) matches how children learn. Neither assumption holds. Children learn the first letter of their name 11 times faster than random letters—personal relevance matters enormously. Names-based instruction typically produces complete alphabet knowledge by November; LOTW takes until spring. The pacing problem compounds: one letter weekly is too slow when kindergarten expects letter mastery for reading instruction.
Alternatives Worth Considering
Names-based literacy starts with each child's own name, then expands to classmates' or family members' names, making all 26 letters personally meaningful from day one. Letter cycles teach 3-4 letters weekly with repeated practice, covering the alphabet faster with more reinforcement. Emergent literacy approaches embed letter learning in meaningful contexts—environmental print, favorite books, child-authored writing—rather than isolated instruction. These approaches align better with how children actually develop reading readiness.
When LOTW Might Still Work
Despite research concerns, LOTW isn't educational malpractice. If your child is young (just turning 3), a leisurely pace may be appropriate. If you value the structure and have ample time before kindergarten, LOTW provides organized activities even if not optimally efficient. The crafts and themed learning create engagement. Just don't assume completing LOTW means your child is reading-ready—supplement with phonological awareness activities, and be willing to adjust if your child already knows many letters or seems bored with the slow pace.
The Bottom Line
Letter of the Week offers appealing structure and ready-made activities, explaining its Pinterest popularity. However, current literacy research favors approaches that make letters personally meaningful (names-based) and cover the alphabet faster with more repetition. If you choose LOTW, treat it as one component of literacy development rather than a complete reading readiness program—and be prepared to accelerate or adjust based on your child's actual needs rather than the curriculum's predetermined pace.
