Teaching your child her alphabet is the spring board to teaching her how to read. Getting the basics down pat is very important in this process. Take a look at some of these fun ways to teach the alphabet, including letter sound recognition. Print the alphabet poster pages below to hang up, or any other way you like.
Flashcard Frenzy
For this activity you will need a set of plastic or magnetic letters. You will also need flashcards with pictures of things that begin with a different letter of the alphabet (Ex., Lion (L), House for (H)). You can make your own set of flash cards by using images off of the Internet, so long as they are just for personal use.
To play, place all of the plastic/magnetic letters into a jar. Set out all of the flashcards on a table face-up, so your child can see the pictures. Have your child pull out a letter from the jar and then match that letter to the picture that sounds with same sound.
Chalk it Up
Give your child a small chalkboard some chalk. Also give her a wet rag or an eraser. Call out one of the letters of the alphabet and have your child write that letter on her chalkboard. When she is finished, she will hold up the chalkboard for your to check.
Big and Little Letters
Print out all the letters of the alphabet in both capital and small letters. Laminate the paper for durability. Cut out each letter into the same sized square. Now turn all the letters faced down and mixed up. Play a game of concentration where your child must match the capital letter with its small letter to make a match. Play along, too!
My Very Own ABC Book
Obtain a three-ring binder (1/2 inch size) for this activity. Hole punch regular white copy paper to fit into the binder. Label each piece of paper with a letter of the alphabet. Make the letter big. Have your child go through old coloring books and/or magazines to find pictures that start with each letter of the alphabet. Have her cut out the pictures and glue them into their correct place in the binder. This ABC book can be done over a few weeks and supplement other curriculum you are working on.
Alphabet Rubbings
For this activity you will need sand paper, scissors, crayons, and white copy paper. To prepare, cut shapes of letters out of sand paper at least 3 inches tall. Have your child put the letters under the white copy paper. Let your child rub over the top with the crayons. Have them practice writing their name, too!
Letter Scavenger Hunt
Go around your house and find objects that begin with different letters of the alphabet. Make up clues for your child to figure out what the objects are. For instance, you choose the television for the letter "T." Your clue might be, "It is something we watch and where we see Big Bird." Your child will say it is the TV. Do this for as many letters as you can. This is a really fun game!
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