How to Teach Kids Letter Identification

Learning the letters of the alphabet creates the foundation for all other learning. Children learn more quickly with the association of songs and rhymes as well as visual aids. Use all these tools along with repetitive exercises until letter identification becomes automatic.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Sing the alphabet song to learn the names of the letters. Follow with the "alphabet chant" song to learn the sounds the letters make. Allow the children to be creative in the words used as examples in the song.
2. Isolate the vowels. Repeat both the long and short sounds each vowel makes and have the children repeat. Recite words that are good examples of the vowel sounds. Stress sound correspondence.
3. Allow children to write letters in sand or to make letters with small pebbles. Cut letters out of magazines and arrange them in order of the alphabet.
4. Display two charts on the wall, one with uppercase letters of the alphabet and the other with lowercase letters. Explain how an uppercase A goes with the lowercase a and so forth.
5. Scramble the letters of the alphabet. Work in small groups and rearrange the letters in the correct order.
6. Prepare a worksheet with lines drawn out to represent a space for each letter of the alphabet, both in uppercase and lowercase. Have the child fill in the letter in alphabetical order. Encourage students to use the wall chart.
7. Ask the students to add the lowercase letter to each uppercase letter they've written on the sheet. Encourage them to use the wall charts. Stress the importance of taking the time to make each letter properly.