21 ways to learn the alphabet | Learning with Littles

Learning letters is very important to being able to read. Children need to be able to identify the letter and the sound that is associated with the letter in order to be able to read. It is important to start early, even infants learn from the conversation and vocabulary you are providing them, with no expectation for your little to identify or remember the letters. You just point out letters to them as you are walking through the store or reading a book. It is planting the language and knowledge for your child. Now, when to start and where to start and how to make it fun? Keep reading for the answers.

When toddlers begin to learn letters, it is best to begin with the letters in their name starting with the first letter of their first name. Beginning with the letters in their name allows them to add meaning and purpose to learning the letters. Have you ever noticed when a child learns the first letter in their name they say “That is my C”. I respond by saying “Yes that is a C like the first letter in your name Christian.” Again giving the letter meaning and purpose. They will enjoy finding the letters in their name and refer back to their name to gain meaning.

I do have a few cautions when you are teaching your child letters.

Teach the capital and lowercase letters together. This way they can associate them together. Introduce sounds as you go, some will stick and some won’t. Watch for other posts on learning letter sounds.
Do Not teach just one letter a week. This is not how letters are seen in the real world, but also don’t over due it either. Focus on two or three letters at a time and add to them as you go. Once they know them, just add to them don’t stop working on them.
Do Not get frustrated if they do not seem to be learning the letters quickly, just keep working on them and telling them the letter and sound. They will begin to learn them, it takes a lot of practice and repetition.
When your child is tracing or writing the letters make sure they always start at the top of the letter and pull down. Don’t let them write the letter any old way, these habits are very hard to break and makes their writing hard to read.

Activities for Toddlers (12-36 months)

Letter Puzzles:
- Matching letters to their shape on the letter puzzle is an excellent way to begin working with your toddler. Let them match as many letters as they want, but focus teaching the names of the letters to the ones in their name and refer it to their name.
Magnetic Letters: (with constant supervision)
- Magnetic letters on the fridge or a cookie sheet is a great way for them to begin interacting with letters. Put all the letters on the fridge or tray, but talk to them about the letters in their name and point them out. You can even spell their name and a say the letters in order. This will help them begin to identify their name.
Felt Letters:
- I have made a felt board for my granddaughter. When using the felt letters only give them the letters you are working with, because they are usually bigger, which will distract them more.
Rice Tub Letter Hunt:
- Materials: rice (food coloring if you want to make the rice different colors), plastic bin, magnetic letters or the letters from the puzzle
  - Fill a plastic tub half way with rice, colored/confetti rice is so much fun. Then use the letters from the puzzle that you are focusing on and hide them in the rice. They stick their hands in the rice to find them. When they find them they say the letter. If they don’t remember it tell them the letter and sound and they find where it goes in the puzzle.
Letter Hunt:
- Materials: index cards, marker
  - Write the letters on the index cards and hide letters you are working on around a room and have them look around the room to find them. When they find it they say the letter. If they do not remember it tell them.

Activities for Preschoolers (3-4 year old)

You can continue the activities from the toddlers. These are always fun activities. But you can add the following activities:

Park Your Car:
- Materials: Large construction paper, Index cards, matchbox car for each player, marker
  - On a larger sheet of construction paper draw a parking lot. In each parking space write a lowercase letter out of order, then make cards that have the capital letter on them. Mix them up and lay them face down. Your child picks a card says the letter and drives their car the matching parking space, then the next person takes a turn. Game Pieces
Bubble Wrap Letters:
- Materials: large bubble wrap, marker;
  - Write a letter on each bubble on the bubble wrap sheet, say a letter, then the child pops the correct letter. If more than one child is playing they can race to see who pops it first.
Hop and Say:
- Materials: Index cards, marker
  - Write letters on index cards. lay them out around the floor, close enough your child can hop from one to another. Have them start at one letter hop on it and say the letter, then they continue to hop to each card and say the letter. If they know simple words such as hat they can hop on the letters to spell them, saying each letter and then after they have hopped on the three letters they say the word.
Bean Bag Toss and Say:
- Materials: beanbags index cards, markers
  - Write letters on index cards and lay them out on the floor. Have your child toss the beanbag onto a card they have to say the letter they tossed it onto.
Playdough Letters:
- Use playdough to make the shapes of the letters. Have them look at the letter and try to make the playdough into the shape and say what letter it is.
Paint Brush Letters:
- Use a large paintbrush and water to write the letters you say on the driveway, sidewalk, or side of the house. Or you can write the letters with chalk on the sidewalk or driveway and they can trace them with water saying the name of the letter.
Muffins Pan Letter Sort:
- Materials: Muffin/cupcake pan, cupcake liners, Lima beans, marker
  - Take a muffin/cupcake pan and put cupcake liners in it. On the bottom of the cupcake liner write the capital letters. Then use Lima beans and write the lowercase letters on them. Do several of each lowercase letter. Have your child sort the beans into the correct muffin cup while saying the letter.
Goldfish Letters:
- Materials: Game board, Rainbow goldfish,
  - Say and cover each letter with a goldfish. When they do it correctly they get to eat the goldfish.

Activities for Kindergartners (5 year old)

You can continue the activities from the toddlers and preschoolers. These are always fun activities. But you can add the following activities:

Mail the Letter:
- Materials: Shoe box decorated in red and blue to look like a mailbox and cut a slit in the top to mail it, envelopes, index cards, marker
  - Write a capital letter on each envelope. Then write the lowercase letters on each index card. Your child will then pick a card find the envelope that matches, put the card in the envelop and mail it in the shoe box
SWAT:
- Materials: Large paper, marker, fly swatter or duster
  - Write the letters you have been working on on the paper. give your child the swatter, call out a letter on the paper and they swat it. If you are playing in the classroom; make 2 teams call out a letter and the first person to swat the letter gets a point for their team.
ZAP or Crash:
- Materials: index cards, marker, bag or basket
  - Write letters on the index cards upper and lowercase. On 3-4 cards write ZAP or CRASH. put them all in the bag or basket. hove your child pull out a card, say the letter, if they get it correct they keep the letter, if they get it wrong tell them the letter and it goes back in the basket. If they get a ZAP or CRASH all their cards go back in the basket. Game Cards
Shaving Cream Letters:
- This can be done in the bathtub (the tub is clean when they are done) or in the classroom do it on the table tops for sparkly tables. Spray shaving cream on the tub sides or table top, call out a letter and they write it in the shaving cream. When you are done, rinse and everything is clean.
Salt Box Writing:
- Materials: small tub with lid, salt
  - put a thin layer of salt in the tub, call out letter and they write it in the salt. For a treat use sweetened jello or kool-aid they lick their finger, write the letter if they get it right they get to lick their finger again.
Chalk Tracing:
- Write the letters on a chalkboard or the sidewalk. Your child says the letter, then can trace it with chalk or a wet paintbrush.
Letter Hunt Collage:
- Materials: Large construction paper, old magazines or newspapers, marker, glue, child friendly scissors
  - Write the letters you have been working on on a larger sheet of construction paper. Hand your child the magazines, glue and scissors. They look through the newspaper or magazines for the letters on the page. When they find one they cut it out and glue it next to the letter on the paper.
Memory:
- Materials: 2 different color index cards, marker
  - Write the capital letters one set of index cards and the lowercase letters on the other color index cards. turn the cards face down. choose one of each color if they match you get to keep them and go again. If they do not match turn them back over and it is the next persons turn. Make sure to say each letter you turn over.