Kids love to learn, but while they may be happy to resight to you a giant list of dinosaur names, they often cool considerably when it comes to the alphabet. This is in part because of how they are taught it. Instead of flashcards or singing the alphabet song, here’s a few fun ways to get kids engaged on learning their letters.
ABC Scavenger Hunt
Kids love going on treasure hunts. Searching for the letter of the week can be a fun way to get them thinking about that letter. Once your child has been introduced to the letter “A” for example, ask them to find a few things in the area that start with that letter.
They might bring you a stuffed alligator, or an apple. What ever they bring you, discuss whether it begins with the letter a, makes the “a” sound, or doesn’t belong after all.
This can be a fun way to learn the letters, and also a bit of phonetics too.
Shaving Cream Letters
Who wants to write with boring old pencil and paper? Add some spice to this by letting your child get messy. Shaving cream in a shallow dish can be a great way to inspire them to work on their letters. Show them how they can write the letters in the cream, and then smooth it all down to practice again.
Kids love the sensory experience provided by the shaving cream.
Connect the Dots
If your kids aren’t quite sure how the letters should be formed, connect-the-dot activities can be a great starting point. Tracing and connecting dots can help them gain muscle memory as they learn how to draw the letters.
There’s even cute dot print markers that allow you to create your own connect-the-dots in what ever form you want, and in a variety of colors.
Matching Lowercase and Uppercase
For more advanced learners, a fun activity is to get large, dried beans, and write the different uppercase and lowercase letters on the beans. Give the child a set of uppercase and lowercase beans in a bag, and ask them to try and match the uppercase letters to the lowercase letters.
Practicing matching lowercase and uppercase letters can help kids put together the two in their head.
Eating the Letters
Snack time is also a great way to learn letters. This could be anything from searching for letters they know in a bowl of Alphabet Soup, to sounding out their favorite snacks and trying to figure out what each one begins with.
Learning the alphabet is a critical part of learning to read, and it’s never too early to start. By keeping lessons short and fun, kids will be more willing to learn their letters and dip their toes into reading. Your daycare can help by adopting some of these fun lessons into their own routine. Ask them what they do to help teach the alphabet to your growing children. Whether its playing with their letters or listening to a book, every aspect of learning to read is important.
