Finding Letters in the Environment: Ages 2 and up
This works well on a car trip, but can also be done with a book.
Hunt for letters in a books or the environment.
With beginners, you can look at one letter at a time, starting with letters in their name or letters they are already familiar with in their daily life.
Search for letters in environmental print. Look at license plates, street signs, billboards, and restaurant names.
Alphabet Tosses and Relays: Ages 3 1/2 and older
Materials: ball, bean bag, or any item you can slide across a table or toss to one another.
Activity: Toss the bean bag from one person to the other saying one letter at a time in alphabetical order. Variations could include sliding a bean bag across the table, kicking a ball back and forth, or playing duck duck goose.
Example: Say the letter name A and toss the bean bag to the next person. Next person says the letter name B and tosses it to the next person, the next person says the letter name C and tosses it to the next person, etc…
Ages 5 and up:
Once a child can do this activity one letter at a time without any difficulty, try 2 letters at a time (ab, cd, ef…). Once that is mastered, try 3 letters at a time. (abc, def, ghi…) It’s not an easy task, but if your child can do these tasks, they’ll be well on their way to learning letter sounds and blending letters into words.
Another fun game is to name two consecutive letters in the alphabet and have your child repeat them and then add the next letter in the sequence. (Parent: “C,D,__”, Child: “C,D,E”. Parent: “S,T,___”, Child: “S,T,U”.)
Counting and Matching the Letters of the Alphabet: Ages 4 - 6
Materials: An alphabet puzzle or an alphabet mat with magnetic letters. (See NES Alphabet Mats link below)****
Activities: Count the letters of the alphabet on the puzzle or mat before taking it apart. Then one by one, match the letter pieces with the letters on the mat or puzzle.
Examples of parent prompts:
- Child places their writing finger on A and echoes the letters after the parent points to each letter.
- This is the letter ____. Can you say the name of the letter?
- Will you show me the letter ___ on the mat, puzzle, book, etc…
- Can you match the letter to the picture of the letter?
If working on mastery of letter names, start with 1-3 letters at a time.
Sing the Alphabet to a Different Tune: Ages 5 and up
We all know how the ABC Song follows the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Try singing the alphabet to a different familiar tune such as “Old McDonald Had a Farm” a,b,c,d,e,f,g …. h,i,j,k,l…..