5 Fun Ways to Teach the Alphabet to Your Kids

Your child is beginning to talk and recognize words and what their parents are saying. They might not have the best vocabulary yet, however; this might be a good time to teach them where words come from by using letters from the alphabet. There are flash cards to help them identify the letter and also a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet. If you start with the letter “A” per se’, the flash card most likely will have an apple under the letter. This is a good way to help your child learn vocabulary and recognize the letter that pertains to the picture on each flash card of the alphabet. All the children love it when you sing to them, so parents can always start by singing the Alphabet song. In addition, your child will know what they like to watch on TV and shows geared for kids also talk about the alphabet as well.

When parents start entertaining the idea of educating their child with learning the alphabet, this seems like it could be quite a challenging task. It doesn’t have to be because all you really have to do is make learning a fun experience. Don’t dwell on which letter you should start with, or what is the best way for them to learn, think about them having fun learning from their parents.

Kids learn many different ways and they learn by playing, exploring, reading, and observing. You want them to learn and not memorize because there are many creative and hands-on ways for kids to learn the alphabet.

Here are 5 ways to teach your child the alphabet:

Reading

You can choose books as a great way for them to start recognizing their letters. When parents read and reread the stories that are the same with their child, this is when parents should point out the letters and teach your child how the sounds of the letters.

Use Touch

Many children learn by using touch and hands-on experiences that coordinate their minds and body. Try using playdough to make letters or buying the alphabet magnets from the store so they can make simple words by putting them together on your refrigerator. Shaving cream is another option and you can squirt a bit of shaving cream on a placemat or your counter. Help your child spread the shaving cream all around so they can create a shaving cream surface to write on. This is how kids can practice writing letters by using their fingers. If they make a mistake, then they can wipe it clean and start again. Try some pipe cleaners to make nice and colorful letters by bending the pipe cleaners. This is how can make the correct form of the letters they are thinking about.

Art with the Alphabet

Some kids are extremely creative so they will enjoy many of these activities because they will make a great piece of artwork, get practice with their letters and have loads of fun doing this. Your child can start with rainbow writing and use every color of the rainbow while they are practicing writing their letters. Parents can purchase alphabet stamps which are fun and easy to use. Your child can stamp the letters in order, or just practice three letter words to start. They can also practice stamping their name, or stamp words they see that are three to four letters long. The nice thing about using stamps is all you need to purchase are rubber stamps with the letters on them and an ink pad or two. This makes learning letters more interesting. Try a letter collage, and give your child some old magazines and have them look for certain letters in the print. This is a good way for them to recognize their letters and they are also using their fine motor skills when they are cutting and gluing the letters they found.

Alphabet food

You can always create a meal by using alphabet snacks and food. Some companies make prepackaged foods with the alphabet in the food. There is alphabet pasta, soup, cereal and many types of crackers at some grocery stores in your neighborhood. There are ABC cookies and most stores sell ABC cookie cutters at the kitchen and home good stores. Your child will be happy to help you with this task and you both can discuss the letters as you eat them! Try ABC pancakes by pouring the batter into a squeeze bottle and start writing the letters for alphabet pancakes.

Activity Alphabet

Parents can help their children form the letters of the alphabet with some creativity by using their bodies. This takes teamwork and anything including forming the letters of the alphabet is possible with teamwork. Go on a letter hunt and take your child to a grocery store or around your neighborhood to see how many letters they can find. Try a sports drill and start by having your child jump rope, dribble a basketball, or walk across a gymnastics beam. Work together and start saying the alphabet loudly and if your kid makes a mistake, you should still encourage them by telling them they made it to the letter before the mistake. For instance, a parent can say “Good for You” you made it to the letter M. Ask your child if they think they can make it a bit farther this next time. Keep practicing with them until they get to the letter Z. This is always a hit when it comes to combining a sport with practicing the alphabet. Remember parents, your child is still practicing too by using their large motor skills in a sports drill.

These are some fun ways to learn, play, observe, write, read, touch and explore the different games you can use to learn the alphabet with your children. Your child will never be bored if you keep finding new ways to practice the alphabet with them until they get it right. This will help them build confidence, self-esteem and they also can develop their fine motor skills along with their large motor skills. Happy learning!