How Do You Teach Letters Of The Alphabet To Children?

“A for Apple, B for…” is something almost all children have heard. Most parents tend to introduce or even teach letters of the alphabet to children much before they join school through stories, songs, and even activities. As a result, many of them can sing the alphabet song before they are taught letters formally. 

Though it seems simple, teaching letters to children can be a complex task. That is why, today, we will cover some fun and non-traditional ways of teaching letters to children, as alphabet knowledge is an important learning goal for young ones. 

Tips to teach letters of the alphabet to children

Here are a few things parents can do to make alphabet learning enjoyable for their children. 

• Teach letter recognition through names. Most children love their names and love seeing them printed or written. Parents can get all the letters of the alphabet laminated, create alphabet flashcards, and ask the child to identify letters that appear in their name, surname, parent’s or sibling’s name, etc. You could also use magnets to attach to these letter cards and play with them as magnetic letters. Eventually, as you add in the names of vegetables, fruits, etc., the child will be able to use this easy, fun activity to master letter recognition.
• Teach letter sounds along with letter recognition. As children learn the sounds that each letter of the alphabet makes, they will realise that the names of the letters do not match how the letters are pronounced. When they learn how to put sounds that are indicated by letters or groups of letters (like sh or oo) together, it will make it easier for them to read words which in turn will build their confidence. 
• Writing the uppercase letters and lowercase letters in the sand or flour. Another fun way to teach letters to children is by asking them to practise writing in sand or flour. It will add a sensory experience to the process of learning the alphabet. It will remove the pressure of perfect handwriting and encourage the child to practise different uppercase and lowercase letters. 
• Play the alphabet version of ‘I spy.’ Gamifying things is a great way to make learning letters fun for both parents and children. While travelling, you could ask the child to point out the alphabets they see around them – on the billboards, tickets, menu, etc. Adding letter sounds to this will make the game much more exciting for everybody involved. 

Alphabet knowledge is essential for children as it affects their reading and writing skills. To strengthen your child’s understanding of letters, you could start using worksheets from Friday Funday Alphabet Series. It has fun activities to help children practise letter identification, letter matching, and letter sounds. 

As always, do remember not to rush children through this process, celebrate tiny successes along the way, and reward them with ample praise and encouragement. 

Did you sing the alphabet song to your child when they were just a baby? Did you take an active part in their alphabet learning process? 

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Also read, 

• Why Do Children’s Education Programs Have Songs And Rhymes? 
• The Connection Between Parental Involvement And Early Childhood Education 

Reference:

• Morrow, L. (2011). Teaching the Alphabet. United Kingdom: Shell Educational Publishing. 
• Lott, N. (2012). When Should I Teach My Child the Alphabet? A Busy Parent’s Guide to Early Literacy – From Birth to Kindergarten. United States: iUniverse.
• https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/what-is-letters-and-sounds/