Teaching ABCs: Is There a "Right" Order?

Should I teach the alphabets starting from A to Z?

Most phonics books in Korea start from A to Z. But I find it really slow although it does teach lots of vocabulary words but I want speedy progress as a hagwon owner. I want to show output to parents as soon as possible.

Colorful wooden alphabet blocks stacked playfully on the floor, forming the letters A, B, and C.

So I have done research about which order is the best. I also tried them in my class and after 6 years, I have made a conclusion. 

But first let's compare the 3 different orders that are commonly used. 

Alphabet Order vs. SATPIN vs. Custom Order (b, m, t...)

	Alphabetical Order (A–Z)	SATPIN Order (s, a, t, p, i, n)	Custom Order b, m, t, d, s, p, n, c, k
Pros	Familiar and traditional (e.g., ABC songs, alphabet books) Easy for parents and teachers to follow	Allows kids to blend early (sat, pin, tap, pat, tin, sip, etc.) High-frequency sounds in English Encourages reading real words quickly	Mostly common consonants Blending-friendly (bat, mat, sad, etc.) Logical groupings of sounds (some voiced/unvoiced pairs like p/b, t/d)
Cons	Not optimized for early blending Many letters are hard to blend or rarely used early (e.g., q, x, z) Slower reading progress	May seem "random" to those unfamiliar with phonics methodology Some educators may initially find it counterintuitive	Slower path to full blending flexibility Less flexible than SATPIN for early word combinations Doesn’t include a vowel immediately (SATPIN includes a early)

Best Practice Recommendation:

1. Start with the SATPIN order if your goal is to:

• Get kids reading real CVC words quickly

• Build early confidence in decoding

• Align with well-established phonics frameworks 

2. Suggested first 6–10 letters in order of introduction: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, o, g

(After these, you can make: dog, mad, tip, pan, dig, mop, etc.) 

3. Then continue with: c, k, e, u, r, h, b, f, l, j, v, w, x, y, z, qu:

Conclusion: 

• Use SATPIN for best blending opportunities and faster reading development.

• Alphabet order is good for letter recognition, but not ideal for learning to read.

• Custom Order b, m, t, d,  is not wrong — but SATPIN gives quicker early reading success.