Learning the alphabet is such an essential, foundational skill for early literacy with children. It is one of the very first steps to learning to read and with over 20 letters (and sounds) to teach your kids the task can seem daunting at first. I totally understand, I felt the same way.
However, the good news is that there are some really simple and wonderful tools that you can use to help make learning the alphabet fun as well as successful. Below are seven of my favorite tools for teaching the alphabet that I have used with my children. I even linked some of the exact products that we use and shared some of my favorite tips for being effective with them. I hope you find a new favorite or two to use yourself.
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Wood Puzzles
We love puzzles over here and our alphabet puzzle has been an excellent tool for helping to teach the alphabet.
Tip: You can have you child do them by themselves, but if you facilitate the learning they can be a much more powerful tool. I started with alphabet puzzles when my kiddos were one and I would say the name and sound of each piece that they placed and they were usually happy to say it along with me. Before long they had the letters and their sounds memorized! Another good option if you are looking for something that is more self-led for them is to get an alphabet puzzle like THIS ONE that has sound so that it can teach them the alphabet sounds automatically.
The first puzzle below is the one of our favorites that we have and the others below it are options that also look wonderful:
Flash Cards
Flash cards obviously had to be included because they are a classic tool for learning just about anything. I know that a lot of people feel dread when they think about flash cards because they can be so boring, but there are actually a lot fun practice games that you can do besides simple, rote practice. For example, you can get some inexpensive fly swatters, put all the alphabet flashcards on the ground, then have two players compete for “slapping” the correct letter that you call out first with the swatter. Kids LOVE this game!
Tip: Get two sets of alphabet flashcards (either the same set or two different sets) and play a “matching game” with them to practice! Or you can give your child the card for a letter and have them find the matching letter in the second set. Or you can use them to play “go fish” alphabet style!
Tip: “Fancy font” flash cards are fun and we love and use them. (Like the adorable Jam Tart one below.) However, to start thins off consider using a tradition font that is easy to read and easy to recognize.
The set that we have and love is the first one from The Jam Tart. (Just click/tap the photo for the link) The ones below it are sets that also look wonderful:
Magnets
We have an alphabet magnet set and my kids LOVED playing with it when they were toddlers. Again, it was something that I used to facilitate learning with by saying the alphabet names and sounds as they played with them. They are such a simple yet effective tool. You can use them to play alphabet practice games like the one in the “tip” below and when your child becomes more proficient with the alphabet you can use them to begin spelling practice. It is a tool that is bound to be useful and enjoyed for years.
Tip: Play alphabet games! Put all the magnets on your fridge or a baking sheet and ask your kids to find the “B” for you. You can also sequence the letters that you ask for to spell out words. For example, when they give you “B” place it to the side and then ask for an “A” followed by a “T”. Then point out that they made the word “bat” and sound it out with them.
The alphabet set I have is older, but the ones below look like excellent options as well:
Alphabet Tracing Board
Writing boards are wonderful tools that can be used over and over again. In addition to using them to teach letter recognition and sounds, they are obviously great for helping children learn how to write letters. Practicing their fine motor skills with writing is essential for helping them to be more successful in school.
Tip: When possible get one with upper and lower case letters or arrows to help guide your child on what strokes to make first and in what direction. This arrows aren’t necessary though if you are just looking for generalized practice or are able to help your guide your child with strokes to teach them the “correct” process for each letter.
Our favorite one that we have is from Chalk Full of Design and is the first one below. ( Just click/tap the photo for the link) The next options are ones that look great as well:
Workbooks
I don’t know if it’s the “teacher in me” or what, but I love a good workbook! And you know what, my kids do too! I think they feel all grown-up when they work on them and my youngest likes to call it their “homework”.
Tip: For this age group I think a great workbook is one that has color illustrations inside (at least a little bit!) and cute graphics to make it more appealing. I also like a lot of repetitive practice and formats so that my children can learn what each page is asking for without needing the skill of reading. That way I can assist them when necessary, but they can do quite a bit on their own too.
The first two are two that we have. The first one we are almost done with and my child has LOVED and the next one looks fantastic and we can’t wait to start! They are both really THICK workbooks with lots of pages/activities. The next two are two that also look great:
Books
Obviously books are going to make it on our favorites list! Alphabet books are a fun way to practice learning the alphabet, especially if you read them over and over again. Yup, that’s right, repetition is key. If it starts to drive you crazy my recommendation would be to switch up what alphabet book you are using to practice. There are tons of excellent alphabet books out there right now. HERE is a list of over 15 of our favorite alphabet books from board books to picture books.
Tip: Practice the letter sound as you go through the book. Alphabet books almost never prompt you to do this, but is a great way to start working on phonics in addition to just letter recognition!
Tap/click the photo below to go to our list of 15+ favorite alphabet books:
Online Learning
I am a parent who monitors my children’s screen time and am very selective about what they spend it on. I prefer screen time that is either educational or entertainment for them that is uplifting.
For me, ABCMouse is a great use of some of my children’s screen time. It is a user friendly, ad free program that is easy for young children to use and is a great supplement for preschool education or early education. It is also a wonderful tool for teaching the ABCs. My kids love it! To learn more about it or to subscribe for a FREE one month trial click the image below.
There you have it! Seven of our favorite tools for teaching the alphabet! I hope they make things a little less intimidating and help your child learn their ABCs in an enjoyable way.
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