Children generally do not develop in their abstract thinking skills until they are about 9 years old. Spelling is actually a very abstract concept. The letter characters and the stories about them make it easier for the children to understand. For example, they may not be able to remember that ‘c’ says /s/ with ‘e’, ‘I’ and ‘y’, but they can easily remember that Clever ‘C’ says /s/ with the girls in Alphabet Island, ‘Everloving ‘E’, Innocent ‘I’ and Yours Truly ‘Y’.