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Teaching your preschooler the alphabet can be fun and easy! Preschoolers are naturally curious and absorb information like little sponges! The world is full of signs, books, newspapers, and marquees that can make it easy for you to point out letters and their sounds to your child.
Learning to say the alphabet is a great start for any preschooler, but it is just as important for your child to learn the sounds of the letters. Preschoolers, who know the sounds of the letters of the alphabet, have an easier time learning to read, once they start school. There are many ways that you can help your preschooler learn the sounds and names of the letters of the alphabet.
Using your computer is a great way to help your preschooler learn the alphabet. There are many great software products on the market that identify and sound out the letters of the alphabet in fun, child-friendly ways. Refrigerator magnets are another tried and true way of teaching preschoolers the letters and sounds of the alphabet. Be sure to use these great tools together to spell your child’s name and simple words. Alphabet books and beginning picture books also can be very instrumental in your child’s learning process.
Here are a few fun activities for you and your preschooler that will help increase your child’s phonetic awareness and alphabet recognition skills:
1. Spell out and “read” street signs, such as “stop” together.
2. Look for vowels in the newspaper. Circle them. Sound them out together.
3. Practice writing the alphabet. Purchase learning workbooks that focus on the alphabet. Say the letter sounds together, as your child writes out the letters.
4. Compile word lists for each letter of the alphabet. A words... ant, at, apple, etc.
5. Look for children’s poetry that features alliteration. Read these poems together stressing the repeated sounds.
6. Purchase learning toys for your child that feature the alphabet letters and sounds.
7. Make a habit of saying the letter sounds as you say the alphabet. (A is “a” as in at, B is “b” as in bat, etc.)
8. Teach your child to recognize simple frequently used words. (Words such as go, to, at, the, of, in, out, etc.)
9. Help your child learn to write his/her name.
10. Encourage your child to “read” picture books to you. This promotes a love of reading. Never tell your child he/she is not really reading, if they say they are reading.
Pre-reading “reading” is an important step in the process of learning to read.
Your preschooler will love learning to recite the alphabet and enjoy learning the sounds of the alphabet letters if you show an interest and enthusiasm for these activities. Sing the letters of the alphabet aloud in a happy voice. Make up your own silly letter poems. Practice tongue twisters together and talk about the letters that make them hard to say. The most important thing you can do for your child is to make the learning process fun. If your child realizes that you value and enjoy learning, then so will he/she.
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