What is the practice?
Familiarize your preschooler with letters and their sounds. Sounding out letters as you name, point to, or draw the letters helps preschoolers make the connec- tion between a letter and its sound. Alphabet and let- ter/sound recognition help your preschooler to have early reading success.
What does the practice look like?
Follow your child’s interest. Everyday play activities can help your child learn letter sounds: books, games, educational programs, alphabet toys, such as ABC stamps, magnetic letters and items at home become opportunities to discuss letters and their sounds.
How do you do the practice?
Start with games, books, and activities that interest your child. While your child is playing, encourage her to notice the letters around her and make letter sounds. Remember to be supportive and encouraging while your preschooler learns letter sounds, as it may take time.
How do you know the practice worked?
- Is your preschooler enthusiastic about letters?
- Does your preschooler know some letter sounds?
- Is your preschooler interested in “writing” letters?
- Share an alphabet book with your child and ask her to say the letter sounds with you. Encourage your child to think of more words that start with a particular letter.
- Play games such as I Spy using letters and their sounds. “I spy something that starts with the letter B. Remember what sound a B makes? Bbb, Bbb, can you guess what I’m looking at?”
- Use chalk to write letters in each square of a side- walk hopscotch grid. Your child can say the name of each letter and something that starts with that letter sound as she hops on one foot from square to square.
- Have your child help you write a grocery list and ask her what letter certain items start with. If she doesn’t know, you can help her out. Learning letters and their sounds takes time.
Take a look at more listening for letter sounds
Play Dough Letters
Five-year-old Sam loves to play with play dough. He uses letter shape cookie cutters to make impressions in the dough. Sam’s dad notices how involved Sam is in his play. He sits down beside Sam and points to the S that Sam has cut out. “There is an S for Sam,” he says. Sam’s dad makes a Sss sound and says to Sam, “Sounds like a snake doesn’t it?” Sam’s eyes light up and he says, “Yeah, and snake starts with S too. I like snakes!”
Alphabet Puzzle
F our-year-old Miguel loves to put together puzzles. His mom asks him if he wants to help her put together an alphabet puzzle. They sit side by side on the living room foor and take turns putting the puzzle pieces together. For each piece they pick up, Miguel’s mom says the name of the letter and makes its sound. She asks him, “Do you think you could help me make the letter sounds?” “Yeah!” Miguel says as he enjoys the one-on-one attention from his mom. Miguel thinks it’s fun to make the letter sounds with his mom, and he likes to sound them out loudly.
That’s the Point
F our-year-old Marlee has language delays. She loves looking at books and pictures. Her mom spots Marlee looking at an alphabet book. She sits down beside Marlee on the foor and points to the letters on the page and sounds each one out. Marlee is very observant, but not very vocal. After naming all of the letters of the alphabet Marlee’s mom asks, “Can you point to the letter T?” Marlee looks at the page and, after a few moments, points to the letter T. “Good job, Marlee! Do you remember what sounds the letter T makes?” Mom then makes a ttttt sound.
