The Letter People

Children's literacy program

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The Letter People is a children's literacy program. The term also refers to the family of various characters depicted in it.

## Original program

[edit]

Card used in a public school classroom from the Alpha Time program that shows the 1968 version of Mister T from The Letter People

Elayne Reiss-Weimann and Rita Friedman, two teachers from George Miller Elementary in Nanuet, New York, created the concept of Letter People.[1] In 1964, first-grade teacher Reiss-Weimann formed the original idea for the Letter People. She had struggled daily to draw the attention of her 24 students (who were typical first-graders, eager and rambunctious) in a distraction-fond hallway classroom at the overcrowded school. Weimann collaborated with an early childhood coordinator, Rita Friedman, to create an educational program that revolved around 26 anthropomorphic characters, each representing a letter of the alphabet, to teach beginning readers how to "decode" or "sound out" the consonants and vowels that form words. They embodied the basic rules of phonics into stories about this clan of make-believe pictograms called the Letter People.

Each letter of the alphabet had a distinct characteristic to help children learn not only the letter but the sound the letter represents in the written word. For example, Mister M has a munching mouth, Mister N has a noisy nose and Mister T has tall teeth. The characters were painted on large, two-dimensional portrait cards. Each character was given an engaging personality to help the teacher bring her or him alive in the classroom, and each character had a song (or a poem at the time) to help children recall the distinguishing feature and sound. With the help of the Letter People, children remained on-task, learned more quickly, and retained what they learned. From the beginning, the children viewed the Letter People like real people and not just letters of the alphabet, phonics devices, or toys. On one occasion, when the Letter People had to be shipped to another school, the children insisted that holes would be placed in the boxes so that the Letter People could breathe as they traveled.[2]

Weimann and Friedman later sold the idea to New Dimensions in Education, Inc. (based in Plainview, New York, and later in Norwalk, Connecticut) which, in turn, copyrighted and published The Letter People educational products in 1968.[3] NDE developed the concept into classroom programs: Alpha One in 1968,[4] and Alpha Time in 1972.[5]

Both program's basic concept was simple: Each letter of the English alphabet was represented by a unique character with traits derived from itself. The consonants were males (as the Letter Boys) and the vowels were females (as the Letter Girls, whom there could be no word without). Reiss-Weimann and Friedman also wrote two series of books about the characters, Read-to-Me (1972–1978) and Fables from the Letter People (1988–1989). Liz Callen illustrated all the books of the latter series. Each Letter Person also had an accompanying song (available on cassette, eight track, and vinyl record), and inflatable vinyl effigies in two sizes 12 to 14 in (300 to 360 mm) or 30 in (760 mm)[6] a.k.a. "life-size") known as "Huggables". Other merchandise included filmstrips, flash cards, giant picture cards, board games, puzzles, other educational vinyl records, and coloring sheets.[7] Educators who adopted the program were trained in its implementation, and The Letter People was soon picked up by over 37,000[8] schools across the US.

One of many giant picture cards used to teach various scenarios with the Letter People characters

### Alpha One

[edit]

Alpha One, also known as Alpha One: Breaking the Code, was a first and second grade program introduced in 1968, and revised in 1974,[9] that was designed to teach children to read and write sentences containing words containing three syllables in length and to develop within the child a sense of his own success and fun in learning to read by using the Letter People characters.[10] Alpha One's game-like approach capitalized upon the child's sense of fun and imagination to develop interest in learning to read and spell. Learning letter symbols and sounds, mastering rules of word formation, and reading and writing are byproducts of the interaction between the child and his 26 "Letter People" friends, his participation in creative and dramatic play, his enjoyment of activities associated with specially developed filmstrips and recorded stories and rhymes, and his programmed success in a variety of visual and auditory discrimination "Letter People" games. This program is the precursor to the Alpha Time program.[11]

#### Contents of the Alpha One Kit

[edit]

Nearly all of the following materials have been described in conjunction with explaining the games and activities used during Alpha One lessons. In addition, teachers could also buy more materials through the NDE catalog along with the base program. The contents of the base Alpha One Kit are listed below with little additional explanation:

* Letter People and Symbol Cards: 26 sturdy placards (14” x 16”) each displaying a large cartoon of a Letter Person; 4 Symbol Charts to help decode words.
* Story Pictures and Easel: 26 scenes illustrated on 19" x 24” placards; the easel is designed to hole' both Story Pictures and Letter People.
* Letter Meeting Greeting Packets and Alphabet Sheets: Each packet contains a pad of 35 Greeting Cards for each of the 26 letters.
* Chatterbooks: 35 individual activity books for decoding, reading, and spelling words.[12]
* Puppets and Stage: Scripts, in verse, are also provided.
* Chalkboards: 35 individual reusable slates to be used for decoding and spelling.
* Chatter Album: 12”, 33 1/3 rpm record which reinforces the learning of the vowel "sounds and some of the basic lessons in the program.[13][14][15]
* Filmstrips: Humorous episodes that reinforce identification of letters with personified characteristics.
* Duplicating Masters: 50 tests to aid the teacher in evaluating student work, and assignments children take home to demonstrate progress to their parents.[16]
* Professional Guide: A detailed step— by— step lesson plan for each learning unit.
* Alpha Wagon: A container which houses the above materials mounted on wheels for portability.

### Alpha Time

[edit]

Alpha Time, also known as Alpha Time: Beginning Reading, was a kindergarten program introduced in 1972, and revised in 1976 and 1980 that was meant to help children develop oral communication; dramatic play; oral/aural discrimination; visual discrimination and letter identification; and social living through the use of the Letter People.[17] In Alpha Time, kindergarteners were introduced to the child-sized vinyl characters commonly known as the Huggables",[18] which were large enough for small children to hug (though there were smaller-sized Huggables as well), instead of the 2D picture cards used in the 1st and 2nd grade Alpha One program.[2] Alpha Time was meant to be used before Alpha One to introduce children to basic concepts.

#### Contents of the Alpha Time Kit[19][20]

[edit]

* 144 Picture Squares: These pictures belong to the Letter People whose sound is heard in the picture word. Activities involving these Picture Squares include the following skills: auditory discrimination, associating words with pictures, sorting, matching, classifying, counting, visual memory.
* 5 12" RPM Disc Recordings
* 27 Puzzles: These puzzles have interlocking pieces graduated from simple to advanced muscular coordination. The puzzles are a means of individually reinforcing the association of the Letter Person with his characteristic, (sound symbol), his letter, and a word that begins with his sound.[21]
* 162 Duplicating Masters: These whimsically illustrated activity sheets serve as -reinforcement and evaluation of each day's learning: experience -which the children may take home. Each has a-note for the parent, 'thus serving as a liaison between school and home. Included are letters to parents describing the Alpha Time process.[22]
* 6 Filmstrips: These colorful films may be used as a medium for group or individual activities to review the stories they depict, or as a basis for discussing color, shape, number, comparative sizes and location.
* Four "Read to Me" books: These are entertaining, vividly illustrated stories about four of the Letter People, which the teacher reads to the children, or which may be looked at while listening to the "read along" recording of the story [23][24][25][26].
* 420 Picture Books (70 copies each of six different books): The topic of each of these eight page picture readers is exclusively drawn from the children's classroom experiences. No matter what a child's background, he can share in the comprehension of the Story as it unfolds.
* The Huggables (26 inflatable Letter People): Inflatable vinyl effigies in two sizes 12 to 14 in (300 to 360 mm) or 30 in (760 mm).
* 16 Giant Picture Cards: These cards depict familiar scenes in a child's life, or illustrate a story that has been told in class. It is the first step in picture reading. It draws on the child's personal experience for discussion and serves as a basis for role playing. (oral communication, identification from context clues, numeration, extracting the main idea).
* 2 Board Games: These colorful games are designed to be used in simple as well as more advanced activities. As more Letter People are introduced in the lesson the activities become more challenging. Skills which are reinforced in these games include: matching, sorting, classifying, relating picture to sound, visual, oral, aural sound discriminating, following directions, counting, visual memory. [27]
* 4 Decks of Playing Cards: Used alongside the 2 board games.
* 1 Professional Guide: The guide has an easy to follow step by step lesson plan for each day. It may be adapted for use with small or large groups. Each lesson has an "On Their Own" section which is a suggested list of activities related to the content of the lesson. "On Their Own" gives children the opportunity to choose individual activities for enrichment or reinforcement.[19]

### Reception and criticism

[edit]

#### Gender controversy

[edit]

The original Letter People program faced significant criticism in the early 1970s for its gendered portrayal of the alphabet, with vowels depicted as female ("Miss A," "Miss E," etc.) and consonants as male ("Mister B," "Mister C," etc.). Feminist groups and educators objected to how female characters were often portrayed as weak, emotional, or dependent on male characters, while male characters were depicted as strong and active.[28][29]

In 1972, Suffolk Women's Liberation, led by kindergarten teacher Lois Rodriguez, protested the program as "blatantly sexist," citing examples like a poem where a consonant declares, "A girl's no good for work or play."[30] The group met with publisher Dr. Bernard Kauderer of New Dimensions in Education, who defended the program's emphasis on cooperation but acknowledged some content could be revised.[31] The Suffolk County Human Rights Commission investigated the complaints, with commissioner W. Burghardt Turner questioning whether the program reinforced children's biases rather than challenging them.[32]

While some educators and students defended the program - including first-graders who wrote letters pleading to keep their "letter people"[32] \- critics like educator Thelma Taub argued that "reading can be fun without the stereotypes."[33] In response to the criticism, publisher Ruth Lerner agreed to modify some content, such as reducing the number of crying female vowels, but maintained the gendered structure was essential to the program.[34]Additionally, some vowel characters who received particularly pointed criticism, including Miss I (originally "Itchy Itch") and Miss O (originally "Obstinate"), were later revised to become the "Incredible Inventor" and "Optimistic Optimist" respectively after the television series' run.

## Television series

[edit]

The Letter People

Country of origin| United States
No. of episodes| 60
Production
Running time| 15 minutes
Original release
Network| PBS
Release| March 13, 1974 (1974-03-13) –
1976 (1976)

lan J. Pratt, Ph.D., a director and vice-president of NDE, Inc. approached KETC-TV, a PBS affiliate in St. Louis, Missouri, about creating a TV series based on the escapades of the Letter People. After five pilot programs were produced, Dr. Pratt approached the Council of Great City Schools (the 20 largest school districts in the US). Eventually, with the cooperation of the superintendents of the Council, NDE, and KETC-TV, a joint venture commenced. The series was originally planned to comprise 160 15-minute episodes, but only 60 were produced.[35] Despite this, it became extremely popular nationwide among children who were learning to read. To ensure phonetic and linguistic accuracy in the television production process, Ruth Lerner from NDE served as the Editorial Supervisor.[34] Pratt was the Curriculum Consultant for the TV series. Tom McDonough of KETC-TV was the series' writer-director. While thousands of children were learning about the Letter People in school, thousands of others were being exposed to them through the television series based on the program. The show was extremely popular with children, and it quickly spread to over 105 other television stations across the country, via syndication, mainly to PBS and educational stations. The television series premiered on March 12, 1974.

The filming of "Meet Mr. Q".

The Letter People (relatively primitive puppets) undertake various adventures in Letter People Land, a dark, featureless place populated by strange people and creatures. Episodes usually focus on introducing new Letter People or new sounds formed by combining two Letter People together (such as /CH/ or /OU/). Other episodes take the Letter People to more exotic (though still featureless) locales such as outer space (eventually, the show would include more standard scenery, like cityscapes, meadows, Miss O's opera house, etc.), while a few highlight the characters' conflicts over various sounds (such as Mister C fighting Mister K for his sound). Another common feature of the show is the Catching Game, which is a game show hosted by Monty Swell (who is a character based on Monty Hall) where the Letter People must form words by positioning themselves correctly side-by-side.

### Opening and closing sequence

[edit]

A little dog is minding his own business when various figures (including a female figure carrying a bunch of helium balloons) enter the gates of Letter People Land as the song plays:

Come and meet the Letter People
Come and visit the family
Words are made of Letter People
A, B, C, D, follow me

### Episode guide

[edit]

No.  | Episode title  | Director  | Writer  | Original airdate

|
|
|
|

1  | Meet Mister M  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | March 12, 1974[36]
2  | Meet Mister T  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
3  | Meet Mister F  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
4  | Meet Mister H  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
5  | Meet Mister N  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
6  | Meet Mister B  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
7  | Meet Miss A  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
8  | What's the Catch?  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
9  | The Tryout  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
10  | The Catching Game  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
11  | Meet Mister Z  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
12  | Meet Mister P  | Gary Twitchell  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
13  | Meet Mister S  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough and William F. Bailey  | 1974
14  | Meet Miss E  | William F. Bailey  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
15  | Meet Miss I  | Gary Twitchell  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
16  | Meet Miss O  | Gary Twitchell  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
17  | Meet Miss U  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
18  | Meet Mister V  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1974
19  | Meet Mister L  | Gary Twitchell  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
20  | The Story of Mister V; The Story of Mister S  | Gary Twitchell  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
21  | The Squoosh  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
22  | Meet Mister D  | Gary Twitchell  | Gayle Waxman  | 1974
23  | Meet Mister G  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Gayle Waxman  | 1974
24  | Meet Mister C  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Harry John Luecke  | 1974
25  | Meet Mister K  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
26  | The Story of Mister C and Mister K; Soft C  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
27  | Meet Mister W  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Gayle Waxman  | 1974
28  | Long Vowel Sounds  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1974
29  | Cooperation (Silent E)  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Gayle Waxman  | 1974
30  | Adjacent Vowels (Two Vowels Standing Side-by-Side)  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Gayle Waxman  | 1974
31  | Review I  | Jeffrey Jones  | Jeffrey Jones  | 1975
32  | Review II  | Jeffrey Jones  | Jeffrey Jones  | 1975
33  | Review III  | Jeffrey Jones  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
34  | Review IV  | Jeffrey Jones  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
35  | Meet Mister Y  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1975
36  | Y as a Consonant and a Vowel  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey  | 1975
37  | Meet Mister J  | Thomas K. McDonough  | William F. Bailey and Patrick Clear  | 1975
38  | Soft G  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
39  | Meet Mister R  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Gayle Waxman, Patrick Clear and Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
40  | Star Trip, part I (AR)  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ron Cohen  | 1975
41  | Star Trip, part II (OR)  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ron Cohen  | 1975
42  | Star Trip, part III (ER, IR, UR)  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ron Cohen  | 1975
43  | Review V  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
44  | Meet Mister X  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough and James Scott  | 1975
45  | Meet Mister Q  | Thomas K. McDonough  | James Scott  | 1975
46  | The Word Machine (Runaway Words)  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ralph St. William  | 1975
47  | Chewy Cherry Choo-Choo (CH)  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
48  | The Thing (TH)  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ralph St. William  | 1975
49  | WH and SH  | Jeffrey Jones  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
50  | Review VI  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1975
51  | The -ING Sound, part I  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ralph St. William  | 1975
52  | The -ING Sound, part II  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ralph St. William  | 1975
53  | Words in Parts, part I  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Ralph St. William  | 1975
54  | Words in Parts, part II  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Ralph St. William  | 1975
55  | OU and OW  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ralph DiGuglielmo  | 1976
56  | OI and OY  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Ralph DiGuglielmo  | 1976
57  | Double O (OO)  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Ralph DiGuglielmo  | 1976
58  | AU and AW  | Jeffrey Jones  | Ralph DiGuglielmo  | 1976
59  | Sentences, part I  | Jeffrey Jones  | Jeffrey Jones  | 1976
60  | Sentences, part II  | Thomas K. McDonough  | Thomas K. McDonough  | 1976

### Availability

[edit]

The show continued to air reruns on PBS stations until late 1994.[37] NDE released the show's episodes on a 5-tape VHS set of Letter People "Learning Advantage Videos" as part of the Letter People curriculum in 1995;[38] on the other hand, fans have preserved the episodes on many VHS recordings taped off of TV while the show was still on the air, and various DVDs having the episodes preserved can be found from time to time on auction sites such as eBay. The entire series has been preserved online.[39]

## Revised

[edit]

In 1990, Abrams & Co. Publishers Inc. (founded in 1989) of Austin, Texas, bought the rights to The Letter People from the previous owner, Norwalk, Connecticut-based New Dimensions in Education, Inc. At first, the company slightly revised the program, such as adding lowercase letters to the back of each Letter Person (previously they had been placed on each character somewhat randomly), but in 1996, they gave the program a major update, completely redesigning the look of the characters (however, some Letter People keep half of their designs from their original counterparts) and the associated materials, and also made sweeping changes to many of the Letter People, especially over half of their genders themselves, most obviously equalizing the proportion of male to female characters (vowels are now distinguished by their ability to light up via "LetterLights", which appear as yellow suns on their right shoulders). The male characters' names changed from "Mister" to "Mr.", and the female characters' names changed from "Miss" to "Ms.". Most of the characters' associated characteristics were changed as well, such as all references to "junk food" being swapped for non-food-related characteristics (Mr. D's "delicious donuts" were exchanged for "dazzling dance", for example) and any Letter Person that Abrams deemed as expressing negative images being changed to be more positive (Mr. H's horrible hair became happy hair instead, Mr. R's Ripping RubberBands became Rainbow Ribbons, and Mr. X was no longer all wrong and became different, albeit still mixed-up). AlphaKid A was used as the newer program's mascot.

New Letter People storybooks were written, many with simple rebus and decodable words. In 2002, a newer "Read-to-Me" book series was also written, with an eye toward teaching conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, and features a variety of genres including storybook, mystery, biography, poetry, and nonfiction.

The program is divided into three levels with increasing emphasis on phonics: Let's Begin with the Letter People for preschool, Land of the Letter People for kindergarten, and Lives of the Letter People for first grade. The program has been taught to about 35 million children.[2]

Though the program is generally well received by educators, some have criticized its strong focus on phonics at the expense of other literacy-building techniques.

In 2008, after Abrams & Co. Publishers, Inc. was acquired by Learning Trends and merged into Abrams Learning Trends, The Letter People program, along with other Abrams & Co. Publishers properties, eventually became incorporated into the DIG Pre-K curriculum.

In the early 2010s, four new Letter People characters were added to the program in order to teach children Spanish.[40] The four characters are Srta. Ch, Sr. Ll, Srta. Ñ and Sr. Rr.

In May 2019, Abrams Learning Trends, along with its properties including The Letter People characters, was acquired by Excelligence Learning Corporation and became incorporated into a subsidiary of Frog Street Press, thus causing Abrams Learning Trends to cease operations as an individual company.[41] As of September 21, 2020, The Letter People had no more new content made but the franchise continued to be kept alive as a learning unit of the DIG Pre-K program, with the hand puppets, certain educational materials, a CD with the songs, and most of the big books of the Letter People (all only available for purchase as part of the DIG Pre-K program) having been available on Frog Street Enterprises' online store until early 2024. All discontinued material such as worksheets, flashcards, the Huggables, and other books of the Letter People are still available second-hand from time to time through other online stores such as eBay.

As of February 1, 2024, Frog Street Press discontinued the DIG Pre-K program, ending the life of the Letter People franchise due to low sales.

## The Number Workers

[edit]

Along with the original program of The Letter People, its mathematics-equivalent program The Number Workers was also created. The Number Workers are referred to as the numerical cousins of the Letter People from a planet called "Number Workers World" and were created to help children learn not only about numbers, their sounds and how many there are in each number, but also symbols, mathematics, time, addition, and measurement. They range from numbers 1–9 with the odd numbers being males (as the Number Boys) and the even numbers being females (as the Number Girls). Each Number Person carries a number of objects to teach children how many there are to represent the number (such as Mister 1 having "only one of everything: a one-legged table, a one-legged chair, one microscope, one test tube and one clock with one hand"),[42] and also represents the job they employ: Mister 1 as a scientist, Miss 2 as a doctor, Mister 3 as a pilot, Miss 4 as a construction worker, Mister 5 as a sports player, Miss 6 as a shape stacker, Mister 7 as an ice-cream salesman, Miss 8 as a photographer and Mister 9 as a magician. ( Note that the Number Workers are called "Number People" even though they are never referred to the Number People in the official program)

Unlike The Letter People, The Number Workers (and its later revamped version "The Number People") was lesser-known and had very few products, including an Alpha Math workbook (Number World Book), flashcards, giant picture cards, a teacher's guide, and a vinyl-containing accompanying songs for each Number Worker[43].

## The Number People

[edit]

When The Letter People program was revamped in 1996, The Number Workers program was also revamped along with it and was renamed "The Number People". This version features six males (Mr. 0, Mr. 2, Mr. 4, Mr. 5, Mr. 9, and Mr. 10) and five females (Miss 1, Miss 3, Miss 6, Miss 7, and Miss 8), with two new numbers introduced, which are 0 and 10. Each Number Person has the numeral placed to the top-right corner of his/her uniform, while a number word was also added to the back of each Number Person. A Spanish-language version was also available to teach the Spanish names of the numbers.[44]

## Place where the Letter People live

[edit]

In the original 1968 program, the place where the Letter People live was originally a fictional town called "Letter People Land" but, when the program was revised in 1990, it was renamed the "Land of the Letter People". As the newly revised program in 1996 utilized the newer version of the characters and town structures, the name of the Letter People's residence still remained the same.

## List of Letter People

[edit]

Original Program (1968)  | Characteristic  | Revised Program (1996)  | Characteristic

|
|
|

Miss A  | A'choo  | Ms. A  | A'choo
Mister B  | Beautiful Buttons  | Mr. B  | Beautiful Buttons
Mister C  | Cotton Candy  | Mr. C  | Colossal Cap
Mister D  | Delicious Doughnuts  | Mr. D  | Dazzling Dance
Miss E  | Exercise  | Ms. E  | Exercise Energy
Mister F  | Funny Feet  | Ms. F  | Funny Feet
Mister G  | Gooey Gum  | Mr. G  | Gooey Gum
Mister H  | Horrible Hair  | Mr. H  | Happy Hair
Miss I*  | Itchy Itch (originally)/Incredible Inventor  | Mr. I  | Impossible Inches
Mister J  | Jumbled Junk  | Ms. J  | Jingle Jingle Jacket
Mister K  | Kicking/Kicking King/Kind Kick  | Ms. K  | Kaboom Kick
Mister L  | Lemon Lollipops  | Ms. L  | Longest Laugh
Mister M  | Munching Mouth  | Mr. M  | Munching Mouth
Mister N  | Noisy Nose  | Mr. N  | Noisy Nose
Miss O*  | Obstinate (originally)/Optimistic Optimist  | Mr. O  | Opposite
Mister P  | Pointy Patches  | Ms. P  | Pointy Patches
Mister Q  | Quiet  | Mr. Q*  | Quiet Questions (originally)
Questions
Mister R  | Ripping Rubber Bands  | Mr. R  | Rainbow Ribbons
Mister S  | Super Socks  | Ms. S  | Super Socks
Mister T  | Tall Teeth  | Ms. T  | Tall Teeth
Miss U  | Upsy-Daisy Umbrella  | Ms. U  | Unusual Umbrella
Mister V  | Violet Velvet Vest  | Ms. V  | Vegetable Vest
Mister W  | Wonderful Wink  | Ms. W  | Wonderful Words
Mister X  | Mixed-Up/All Wrong  | Mr. X  | Different
Mister Y  | Yawning  | Ms. Y  | Yodeling Yawn
Mister Z  | Zipping Zippers  | Mr. Z  | Zipping Zippers

* Note: The characteristic of Miss I and Miss O changed shortly before The Letter People television series ended its run.
* Note: The characteristic of Mr. Q changed from "Quiet Questions" to just "Questions" to teach children that keeping your questions "quiet" will not answer them.

## Books

[edit]

### Read-to-Me (1972–1978)

[edit]

* A – Ăćhoo^
* B – A Buttonmat for Beautiful Buttons^
* C – The Cotton Candy Caper^
* D – A Dozen Delicious Donuts*
* E – The Exercise Expert^
* F – Fantastic Funny Feet^
* G – Gooey Gum is Not For Chewing^
* H – Hat Helpers Hullabaloo^
* I – The Incredible Inventor^
* J – Jingling Jangling Joggers^
* K – The Longest Kick
* L – Lovely Lemon Lollies*
* M – Meet Me at the Market*
* N – The Noisy Nose Nanny^
* O – The Optimistic Optimist^
* P – Popping Pointy Patches^
* Q – To Be or Not To Be...Quiet^
* R – The Rubberband Roundup^
* S – The Super Sock Sensation^
* T – The Tale of Tall Toothbrush^
* U – A Most Unusual Umbrella^
* V – Vanishing Vests*
* W – Wonderful Winks and Weather Wishes^
* X – The Inimitable Mr. X
* Y – The Yawn-Maker^
* Z – Zipping Zippers Save the Zoo

^Unknown illustrator

*illustrated by James Razzi

### Fables of the Letter People (1988–1989)

[edit]

* A – The Ăćhoo Confusion
* B – Buttonyms for Safety
* C – The Cotton Candy Creature
* D – The Dictionary Doughnut Shop
* E – Exercise Entertainment
* F – Fantastic Friendship
* G – The Gooey Gumball Game
* H – The Hat House Hotel
* I – Inchy, the Incredible Invention
* J – Mr. J's Junkyard
* K – The Kazoo Kicker
* L – Lemonberry Lollipops
* M – Munching Magic
* N – Say No and Fly Away!
* O – Ostrich Express
* P – Parking Pandemonium
* Q – The Best Quiet Meter
* R – The Rubber Band Runner Champion
* S – Super Socks for Courage
* T – Tall Toothbrush Retires
* U – You Forget Too
* V – Valuable Volunteers
* W – The Worry Machine
* X – Mr. X's Mix-Ups
* Y – Yawn-Maker Wanted
* Z – Zip Codes

### Let's Begin with the Letter People (1997–2000)

[edit]

* A – The Apple Pie Man (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* B – Mr. B's Buttons (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* C – Come Out and Play (written by Cathy Torrisi; illistrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* D – Dinosaurs Dance! (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* E – What Does Everybody Need? (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* F – Follow My Funny Feet (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* G – Gubble, Bubble! (written by Irv Dweir; illustrated by Meg Ross)
* H – Where is Mr. H? (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Meg Ross)
* I – If It Is... (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* J – Just Listen (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* K – Ms. K's Kitchen (written by Lynell Johnson: illustrated by Meg Ross)
* L – Laugh with Me! (written by Irv Dweir; illustrated by Meg Ross)
* M – How Much Lunch? (written by Elayne Reiss-Weimann; illustrated by Meg Ross)
* N – What's My Name (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* O – Opposite! (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* P – Pointy Patches Are for Me! (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* Q – Questions, Questions (written by Alison G. Schmerler; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* R – What Is Red? (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* S – Super Socks (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Meg Ross)
* T – One Wonderful Smile (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* U – Up, Up, Up and Away! (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* V – This is the Way (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* W – How's the Weather? (written by Lynell Johnson; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* X – My Upside-Down World (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* Y – Yellow Yarn Yo-Yo (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* Z – Zip to the Zoo (written by Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)

### Take-Home Books (2000)

[edit]

* All – Look At Us! (written by Cynthia Cappetta; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* A – I See You and Me (written by Cynthia Cappetta; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* B – I Made a Face (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* B – Bugs at Camp (written by Beth Lyons; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* C – My Cap (written by Cynthia Cappetta; illustrated by Lane Yerkes)
* D – My Dinosaur (illustrated by Thomas Sperling)
* D – Tap and Dip (illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* E – Piglet Gets Wet (written by Beth Lyons; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* F – I Like the Forest (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* G – The Grab Bag (illustrated by Thomas Sperling)
* H – My House (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* I – I Measure (illustrated by Thomas Sperling)
* I – Is It a Fit? (illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* J – Jog and Jump (written by Patricia W. Abrams; illustrated by Thomas Sperling)
* K – Stop That Dog! (written by Fran Lehr; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* L – I See My Shadow (written by Colleen Barile; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* L – Fun in the Sun (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* M – I Like to Munch (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* N – I Made Noise (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Thomas Sperling)
* O – Hop in the Mud (written by Beth Lyons; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* P – The Farm (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* Q – A Quiz (written by Kathleen Duffy; illustrated by Thomas Sperling)
* R – I Win! (illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* S – I See Rain (written by Cynthia Cappetta; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* S – At Bat (written by Beth Lyons; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* T – Friends (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* U – In the Tub (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* U – Up and Down (illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* V – In the Van (illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* V – My Vest (illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* W – I Have Fun (illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* X – What A Mix Up! (written by Elayne Reiss-Weimann and Kathleen M. Fischer; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* X – Am I Like Max? (written by Cynthia Cappetta; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* Y – Did You Nap Yet? (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* Z – I Like Zippers (written by Elayne Reiss-Weimann; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)

### Read-to-Me (2002–2003)

[edit]

* A – Who Will Help Ms. A? (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Crista K. Moehl
* B – Beautiful Buttons: A Biography on Mr. B (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* C – The Clue (written by Amy O'Neil; illustrated by Crista K. Moehl)
* D – The Dinosaur Detective (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Thomas Sperling and Marcy R. Laska)
* E – Is It an Earthquake (written by Sallianne Norelli; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* F – The Fib (written by Sallianne Norelli; illustrated by Maggie Swanson and Rick Wetzel)
* G – Where Does the Garbage Go? (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* H – The Right Day for a Haircut (written by Elayne Reiss-Weimann; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* I – Incredible Insects: A Poetry ANThology (written by Mr. I; illustrated by Thomas Sperling and Margaret C. Ianniello)
* J – The Jazz Jamboree (written by Sallianne Norelli and Amy O'Neil; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* K – KABOOM! (written by Kendall Martin, Elayne Reiss-Weimann and Rita Friedman; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* L – Ha! Ha! Ha! (written by Alison G. Schmerler; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* M – The More the Merrier! (written by Sallianne Norelli; illustrated by William H. Peckmann and Luciano DiGeronimo)
* N – Not Now, Mr. N! (written by Cathy Torrisi; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* O – The Opposite Obstacle Course (written by Sallianne Norelli; illustrated by Rick Wetzel)
* P – The Perfect Pet (written by Ginny Stiles; illustrated by Maggie Swanson and Rick Wetzel)
* Q – I'm Glad I Asked (written by Amy O'Neil; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* R – Real Friends (written by Elayne Reiss-Weimann and Rita Friedman; illustrated by Barbara Yeagle)
* S – A Super Day for Sailing (written by Colleen Barile; illustrated by Bruce van Patter)
* T – Time for a Taxi (written by Ginny Stiles; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* U – There's No Space Like Home (written by Amy O'Neill; illustrated by Bruce van Patter)
* V – Ms. V's Vacation (written by Patricia W. Abrams; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers)
* W – Weather Watch (written by Colleen Barile; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* X – I'm Different (written by Elayne Reiss-Weimann; illustrated by Dean Yeagle)
* Y – Just for You (written by Amy O'Neil; illustrated by Pattie Silver)
* Z – Who's New at the Zoo (written by Elayne Reiss-Weimann; illustrated by Rick Wetzel)

## Credits

[edit]

### Original program (1968)

[edit]

#### Creative Team

[edit]

* Elayne Reiss-Weimann and Rita Friedman – Creators
* Elizabeth Callen – illustrations
* Sharon Kovesdy – illustrations
* James Razzi – illustrations
* Barbara Yeagle – illustrations
* Ruth Lerner Perle – editorial Supervision
* Joe René and Jacquelyn Reinach – Music and Lyrics, Producers

#### Songs (1972)

[edit]

* Paul Evans – Mister F, Mister N, Mister S

### Television series (1974)[45]

[edit]

#### Creative Team

[edit]

* Thomas K. McDonough – producer, director, writer
* Jeffrey Jones – producer, director, Writer
* Don Jeffries – executive producer
* Gary Twitchell – director
* William F. Bailey – director, writer
* King Hall – Head Puppeteer, Set Designer, Puppet Designer
* Tom Ray – Assistant Head Puppeteer, Puppet Designer
* Alan Pratt, Ph.D. – Curriculum Consultant
* Ruth Lerner Perle – editorial Supervisor
* Gayle Waxman – writer
* Harry John Luecke – writer
* Patrick Clear – writer
* Ron Cohen – writer
* James Scott – writer
* Ralph St. William – writer
* Ralph DiGuglielmo – writer
* Peter Bretz – Technical Producer
* John Muench – Technical Producer
* Filmgrafik International – Animation
* Vic Atkinson Productions – Animation
* Computer Image Corp. – Animation
* M-K Inc. – Animation
* Joe René and Jacquelyn Reinach – Music and Lyrics
* Clayton Frohman – Theme Song and "The Squoosh"
* Miles Goodman – Music
* Tom Tichenor – Puppet Designer
* Art FitzSimmons – Photography

#### Puppeteers and Voices

[edit]

* King Hall – Mister M, Nardo (sometimes), Various
* Tom Ray – Mister W, Various
* Patrick Clear – Mister H, Mister J, Mister R, Nardo, Various
* Lynn Cohen – Miss I, Various
* John Cothran – Mister N, Mister L, Various
* Allan Trautman – Mister C (voice), Mister K, Various
* Gregg Berger – Mister Z, Mister T, Mister V, Various
* Don Boevingloh – Monty Swell, Various
* Cheryl Brown – Various
* Jane Deeken – Miss O, Various
* Pam Dunn – Various
* John Erickson – Mister C, Various
* David Herzog – Mister T (sometimes), Various
* Bert Hinchman – Various
* Bob Kramer – Mister F, Various
* Nancy Swet – Miss A, Various
* Genevieve Bierman – Miss U, Various (voice)
* Sally Eaton – Various (voice)
* Shelley Heeley – Various (voice)
* Joneal Joplin – Mister S, Mister G, Various (voice)
* Barbara Marentette – Miss A (sometimes), Various (voice)
* Nancy Margulies – Miss U (sometimes), Miss E (voice), Miss A (sometimes)
* Thomas K. McDonough – Various (voice)
* Bob Miller – Mister B, Mister D, Various (voice)
* James Scott – Mister P, Various (voice)
* Willy Shaw – Mister Q, Various (voice)
* Gail Simmons – Various (voice)
* Simon O'Connor – Mister X, Various (voice)
* Ken Monroe – Mister C (sometimes), Various (voice)
* Dick Teneau – Mister Y (sometimes), Various (voice)
* Gayle Waxman – Various (voice)

### Revised program (1996)

[edit]

#### Creative Team

[edit]

* Irv Dweir – director, Music and Lyrics
* Joe René and Jacquelyn Reinach – Music and Lyrics
* Lynell Johnson – Lyrics
* Margaret C. Ianniello and Jennifer LaBrie – Graphic Design
* Meg Ross – illustrations
* Thomas Sperling – illustrations
* Lane Yerkes – illustrations
* Barbara Yeagle – illustrations
* Dean Yeagle – illustrations
* Darcy Bell-Myers – illustrations
* Pattie Silver – illustrations

#### Voices

[edit]

* Yvonne Lewis – Ms. A
* Lenny Roberts – Mr. B (original)/Mr. M/Mr. N
* Frank Simms – Mr. B
* Ron Marshall – Mr. C/Cockatoo/Giraffe
* Angel Elon – Mr. D (original)
* Bert Dovo – Mr. D
* Doris Eugenio – Ms. E
* Michelle Lewis – Ms. F (original)
* Jackie Presti – Ms. F
* Darryl Tookes – Mr. G
* Al Dana – Mr. H
* Paul Evans – Mr. I
* Holli Ross – Ms. J
* Damaris Carbaugh – Ms. K/Ms. S (original)
* Myriam Valle – Ms. L
* Shawn Elliott – Mr. O
* Florence M. Warner – Ms. P
* Paul Rolnick – Mr. Q
* Marlon Saunders – Mr. R/Mr. Z
* Emily Bindiger – Ms. S/Ms. Y
* Ellen Woloshin – Ms. T
* Annette Sanders – Ms. U/Caterpillar/Horse
* Vivian C. Cherry – Ms. V
* Robin Small – Ms. W
* Marty Nelson – Mr. X

#### Strategy Tapes

[edit]

* Annette Sanders – Ms. W
* Lenny Roberts – Mr. N/Mr. R
* Marlon Saunders – Mr. M
* Michelle Lewis – Ms. F/Ms. T
* Kathleen M. Fischer – Ms. P
* Stew Merritt – Mr. R (in "Catch a Rime")
* Paul Evans – Mr. I
* Katreese Barnes – Ms. A
* Doris Eugenio – Ms. S
* Al Dana – Mr. H
* Paul Rolnick – Mr. C
* Holli Ross – Ms. U
* Georgia Jones – Ms. E
* Bert Dovo – Mr. O
* Emily Bindiger – Ms. Y

## In popular media

[edit]

### Literature

[edit]

* The May 30, 1970 issue of Billboard magazine has an article about the acquisition of American Artist Corp. by NDE.
* The March 29, 1971 issue of Time magazine has an article about NDE and the Letter People.
* The May 12, 1972 issue of Life magazine has a section about the Letter People called "The Huggables".

### Films

[edit]

* In the 1974 film It's Alive, the "Huggables" are shown when Frank, the main character, visits the school.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "TV to Star in Country Class". Rockland County Journal-News. May 9, 1969. p. 4. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
2. ^ a b c Lehr, Fran R. "Abrams Learning Trends: Research Foundations for The Letter People® Programs" (PDF). abramslearningtrends.com. Abrams & Company Publishers, Inc.; Learning Trends, LLC. Archived from the original on March 24, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
3. ^ "Kids and Words". Parade. June 28, 1970. p. 12. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
4. ^ Rudy, Garcia (November 15, 1970). "Can Alpha End Poor Reading?". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
5. ^ Scott, Marry Ann (November 16, 1972). "The Huggables: from Munching Mouth to Horrible Hair". The Vestal News. p. 6. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
6. ^ ""Alpha-Time" Drums Up Enthusiasm". Wood River Journal. January 14, 1976. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
7. ^ "Alpha One Reading Plan Clicks at Shenendehowa". Schenectady Gazette. June 20, 1973. p. 6. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
8. ^ "Ex-Nanuet teachers win royalty battle". The Journal-News. July 25, 1977. p. 2B. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
9. ^ Alleen Pace Nilsen; Haig Bosmajian; H. Lee Gershuny; Julia P. Stanley (1977). Sexism and language. Internet Archive. Urbana, Ill. : National Council of Teachers of English. p. 167\. ISBN 978-0-8141-4373-5.
10. ^ Robert C. Aukerman (June 1, 1984). Approaches to Beginning Reading. Internet Archive. John Wiley & Sons Inc. pp. 151–158\. ISBN 978-0-02-304950-7.
11. ^ ERIC ED055128: Further Examination of Exemplary Programs for Educating Disadvantaged Children. Final Report. ERIC. July 1971. pp. 179–192.
12. ^ Chatterbook (Revised ed.). New Dimensions in Education, Inc. 1973.
13. ^ Renè, Joe; Reinach, Jacquelyn (1969). Chatter Album (Vinyl). New Dimensions in Education, Inc. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022.
14. ^ Renè, Joe; Reinach, Jacquelyn (1973). Chatter Album (Vinyl). New Dimensions in Education, Inc. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021.
15. ^ Renè, Joe; Reinach, Jacquelyn (1981). Chatter Album (Vinyl). New Dimensions in Education, Inc. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022.
16. ^ Alpha One Student Masters. New Dimensions in Education, Inc. 1973.
17. ^ ERIC (1974). ERIC ED112378: Prereading; Teaching Reading Skills. Volume III. p. 110.
18. ^ "The Huggables". Life Magazine. May 12, 1972.
19. ^ a b Alpha Time Professional Guide - Revised Edition 1978 (Revised ed.). New Dimensions In Education, Inc. 1978. pp. iii–viia.
20. ^ ERIC ED098975: Bilingual Bicultural Materials; A Listing for Library Resource Centers. ERIC. June 1976. pp. 16–17.
21. ^ Alpha Time Puzzles, New Dimensions in Education, Inc., 1971, retrieved March 21, 2025
22. ^ Alpha Time Student Masters. New Dimensions In Education, Inc. 1973. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
23. ^ Reiss-Weimann, Elayne; Friedman, Rita (1972). Achoo. Read to Me Series. New Dimensions in Education, Inc. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
24. ^ Reiss-Weimann, Elayne; Friedman, Rita (1972). Meet Me at the Market. Read to Me Series. New Dimensions in Education, Inc. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
25. ^ Reiss-Weimann, Elayne; Friedman, Rita (1972). Lovely Lemon Lollies. Read to Me Series. New Dimensions in Education, Inc. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
26. ^ Reiss-Weimann, Elayne; Friedman, Rita (1972). Vanishing Vests. Read to Me Series. New Dimensions in Education, Inc. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
27. ^ Follow Funny Feet Road (Board game). New Dimensions in Education, Inc. 1972. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
28. ^ "A Drive to Neuter the Alphabet". Newsday. April 17, 1972. p. 16.
29. ^ "ABCs Plan Called Sexist". The Observer Dispatch. Associated Press. January 25, 1972. p. 13.
30. ^ "Mothers Claim School Program Unfair to Girls". Amsterdam Recorder. Associated Press. January 28, 1972. p. 3.
31. ^ "Alpha One Gets Rereading". Newsday. March 21, 1972. p. 12.
32. ^ a b "Little People Back Their Letter Men". Newsday. January 28, 1972. p. 24A.
33. ^ "Stereotypes Not Needed". Newsday. February 2, 1972. p. 33.
34. ^ a b "Drying the Eyes of Crybaby Vowels". Newsday. July 14, 1972. p. 16. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
35. ^ KETC-TV (1974). "The Letter People" Pamphlet - KETC-TV.
36. ^ "History of Nine PBS". Nine PBS. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
37. ^ "St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri". Newspapers.com. April 8, 1994. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
38. ^ "The Letter People Learning Advantage Videos 1995 TV advertisement". YouTube. July 5, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
39. ^ "Original Letter People TV Series Higher Quality". YouTube. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
40. ^ "Spanish Puppets, Set of 4". abramslearningtrends.com. January 30, 2014. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018.
41. ^ "Excelligence Learning Corporation Acquires Abrams Pre-K Curriculum and the Letter People" (Press release).
42. ^ People, Letter (April 6, 2016). The Number People – Alpha Math Worksheets. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1530900046.
43. ^ The Number Workers - Alpha Math Songs And Dramatizations, 1988, retrieved April 27, 2025
44. ^ "The Number People". Abrams & Company Education Products – Home of the Letter People. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
45. ^ The Letter People KETC-TV Teachers Guide. New Dimensions in Education, Inc. 1974. p. 67.

## External links

[edit]

* Excelligence Learning Corporation
* Ashley's Asylum: The Letter People!
* [1] at Bobopolis

*[No.]: Number