Which selection is NOT important in choosing materials for teaching the alphabetic principle?

When considering materials for teaching the alphabetic principle, the age of the students is not directly relevant to the selection of teaching materials. The alphabetic principle focuses on the understanding that letters represent sounds and how these sounds combine to form words. While the developmental readiness of the students may influence their ability to grasp these concepts, effective materials should primarily focus on the complexity of words, the frequency of letters, and appropriate illustrations that support understanding.

In contrast, the complexity of the words affects how easily students can decode them and comprehend the connections between letters and sounds. The frequency of letters is also crucial because selecting words that contain commonly used letters reinforces students' ability to recognize these letters in different contexts. Illustrations are important as well since they can provide visual cues that support the learning of the alphabetic principle by making connections between letters and their corresponding sounds more tangible and engaging.