We recommend the following sites for more information about early literacy:

Alphabet origins:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_alphabet
http://www.historian.net/hxwrite.htm
Comments: The alphabet was originally acrophonic in nature--which means that the letters were pictures of whose first sound stood for the sound the letter made. Ti and Mo returns to this system of correspondences, and even goes beyond, by teaching the multiple sounds that letters make through a story association.

Effective practices:
http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/default.htm
http://reading.uoregon.edu/index.php
http://www.projectpro.com/ICR/Research/Phonics/Summary.htm
The Ti and Mo Literacy program is based upon research that shows the importance of phonemic awareness, phonological processing and fluency in letter knowledge. There is a solid and extensive research base for this kind of an approach, which you can investigate at these and many other web sites.

Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print
This book by Marilyn Adams came about from an act of congress to investigate effective beginning reading instruction, and has reshaped the landscape in education! Educators and parents will find this summary version an enlightening text on what kids need to get started right on reading.

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