Innovative Ideas for Teaching Your Child the Alphabet
There are lots of different ways to learn the alphabet. Every child learns differently, and what works for one pre-schooler won't always work for others. Here are six innovative ideas that will help you your child to learn the alphabet quickly, and have fun doing so.
The Alphabet Song
The alphabet song is one of the most well-known, and effective, ways of teaching children their ABCs. It is a good way to teach children the order that the letters are in, and to help them learn what they are called.
Alphabet Cooking
Make some cookies and work with your child to write each letter of the alphabet onto them with icing. Ask your child to tell you which letter they want to eat.
Make a Letter Book
Buy a sturdy scrap book and turn it into a giant letter book. Devote a double-paged spread to each letter, and have them write the letter on each page, then make a collage devoted to that letter. They could cut it out of cardboard or cloth, or find different examples of it in old magazine headlines. Help them to cut out as many different versions of each letter as they can find and stick them into the book.
Alphabet Bingo
Make a set of bingo cards with letters of the alphabet on them. Call out different letters and have your child mark them on the cards. Pretend you are a real bingo caller and add some flavour to your calls by saying "B is for Bear", or "M is for Monkey" so that they get a stronger understanding of how the letters they are learning about can be used to make words.
The Hide Away Game
Gather some objects that have names which start with different letter sounds, such as a book, pen or spoon, and show each of those items to your child. Put the items into a big bag, and then have your child find the items by touch. While they're looking for each item, ask them to say the sound that the letter P makes, and to list a few other words that begin with the letter P. This will test their knowledge of the alphabet, and also get them to use their senses and their fine motor skills.
Alphabet Wall Charts
Invest in a large piece of card or A3 / A2 paper, and divide it up into sections for each letter of the alphabet. Paint a letter into each box, and then stick a picture underneath each letter. Choose things that your child likes, for example: B is for Bob the Builder. D is for Dora, F is for Fire truck, and T is for Tractor. Hang the chart on the wall and have your child read parts of it out to you each day.
Try different games and activities with your child to see which ones they enjoy the most. It may take them a while to learn to recite the alphabet all in one go, but you'll be surprised how much they absorb over time without even realising that they are learning!
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