When children have a solid grasp of letter recognition, they can identify letters based on their physical appearance in many different contexts. They can go beyond reciting the “ABCs” and instead, can recognize letters individually in any order or embedded in words.

When teaching the letter “n,” keep in mind that children may easily confuse it with the letter “m.” You may wish to ensure that they have a firm recollection of one letter before introducing the next. Use visual displays of the letter “n” for children to reference, such as alphabet posters or individual alphabet charts they can keep at their table or desk. To help children recall the letter “n,” you can also provide them with sorting opportunities using magnetic letters, letter tiles, letter stamps, and flashcards. They can also go on letter hunts or create the letter “n” using playdough.

Teach children a verbal pathway to help them remember the movements needed to print the letter “n.” When teaching them how to make a lowercase “n,” use the phrase, “Pull down, up, over, and down.” Model how to print the letter as you recite the phrase. For the uppercase “n,” teach children the phrase, “Pull down, slant down, pull up.” Provide lots of opportunities for them to trace the letter and once they are confident, have them print the letter independently.

Be explicit with directions when teaching children how to print. Learning how to print letters correctly, using the proper movements, will support their speed and accuracy. Once they can write letters automatically, their focus can be directed to their message’s content instead of printing the mechanics.

In addition to traditional pencil and paper activities, children can practice printing using sand or salt trays, fingerpaint, chalk, and whiteboard markers. They can also use juggling scarves to mimic the motions needed to create letters.

When teaching children the sounds that letters make, it helps relate each letter to familiar objects that begin with the sound. The letter “n” can be associated with items like nets, nuts, and necks. Pairing these words with pictures can help children recall the letter sound. You could also have them fill a block letter “n” with pictures or drawings of objects that begin with “n.”Provide children with more opportunities to learn the sound an “n” makes by matching the letter to pictures. (e.g., Match the letter “n” to a nurse.”) You can also have them color pictures of objects that begin with the correct sound. (e.g., Color the nest. Don’t color the zebra.) Children can make alphabet books with each page representing a letter and include a picture representing its sound. Encourage them to refer to their alphabet books when they are trying to recall a sound.