Teaching kids the letters of the alphabet is needed for reading and writing. Usually around the age of 2 children start showing an interest in learning these letters. Below is a list of some of my favourite ways to teach kids the letters of the alphabet.
Sing Songs
Singing songs is a great way to introduce your child to the letters of the alphabet. And, you can start from the time they are a baby and they will slowly pick up the words to the songs. There are many great CD’s available with fun alphabet songs that kids will love.
Read Books
Read, read and read. Read all sorts of books, starting from when your child is a baby. There are many books that focus on just the letters of the alphabet which are great, but don’t forget, nursery rhymes and other picture books are also great to read to your children. These alphabet flashcards can be printed out and laminated and placed where your child can see they daily and used alongside simple alphabet books to help with letter recognition and vocabulary.
Keep it Fun
Puzzles are fun and will help with letter recognition and vocabulary. Here is a great printable alphabet puzzle; and another one. For these I recommend laminating for durability.
Kids love playing with playdough, and will enjoy creating the letters of the alphabet. They can also use alphabet cookie cutters to cut out the letters of the alphabet. These playdough mats are a great resource that I recommend laminating before use.
Playing games such as dominoes with these printable dominoes and bingo will also encourage learning while having fun. Also, matching cards are great for learning the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. These Shark Alphabet Matching cards are great for this use. They can also be used to help spell out simple words, such as the cvc words or their name. If your child is interested in bubbles or basketball, then these matching cards can be used also. These alphabet game cards can be used for a variety of fun learning activities. These alphabet punch cards are a great way to work on fine motor skills as well as letter recognition.
Write, Write, Write
Once your child is old enough to hold a pencil, they can practice writing the letters. These handwriting mats are great as are these letter recognition mazes. These No-Prep Lowercase and No-Prep Uppercase Letter Worksheets are a great way to introduce kids to writing the letters of the alphabet. Another way is with these fun alphabet tracing cards.
These Letter of the Week printables are great for kids in preschool and kindergarten. These printable packs contain a variety of learning activities from fun puzzles, size sequencing to writing and matching.
This cut and paste book is great for those who enjoy colouring and working on scissor skills. Another fun activity for those kids that enjoy colouring is these Colour By Letter pages.
Be Flexible
Some kids learn quickly while it make take others more time to learn the letters of the alphabet. Remember, each child is different; they will learn when they are ready. You know your child best, so choose activities that will suit your child’s learning – activities that your child will love.