How to Teach a Toddler the Alphabet With Phonics
Most children will not master the names of all of the letters in the alphabet until age 4 or even 5, but they can begin learning their letters as young toddlers. Flashcards and drills are unnecessary for such younger children and can be counterproductive. Instead, parents should work on making the alphabet a regular topic of conversation in their homes and creating alphabet activities that toddlers will enjoy.
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Instructions
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Read plenty of books to your child, and point to the words in the books as you read. This motion will occasionally direct your child's attention to the text, giving over the idea that the letters hold the key to understanding what is happening in the story.
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Point out individual letters on printing materials that matter to your child. For example, you might sign your child's name on her artwork and point out the individual letters that make up her name. Alternatively, you may point out the letters on the front of her favorite book. Name the letters, and talk about the phonetic sound that each one makes.
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Provide your child with letter blocks, magnets or other manipulatives. Encourage your child to play with these blocks, and engage your child in dialogue about the differences between the letters (such as the difference between "M" and "N" or "P" and "B") or about the names and phonetic sounds of the letters.
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Play verbal word games, pointing out the various words that begin with the same letter sound. For example, you might tell your child, "Your name begins with an M, for 'M-m-mark.' Let's think of other words that begin with the 'mmm' sound."
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Point out the letters that your child has mastered wherever they appear, such as on street signs, cereal boxes and junk mail. Make sure to point out the phonetic sound that the letters make in addition to naming the letters themselves.
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Tips & Warnings
Find alphabet-related books that your child enjoys, such as "Dr. Seuss's ABCs," and read them to your child. Stretch out the sounds of the letter being showcased on each page. For example, you might stress the "B" sound in each of the words in the phrase "Barber, baby, bubbles and a bumblebee."
If your child rebels against learning the alphabet, stop mentioning it for at least a month. Forcing your child to learn the alphabet is counterproductive and can give her a negative feeling toward reading in general.
References
- Photo Credit abc's image by jaddingt from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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Good info. My toddler has a refrigerator magnet toy that he loves that sings the abcs and says the different letters when you place them in it. Got him VERY interested in the alphabet song and letters, and he expressed interest in knowing his abcs. I got him an alphabet and numbers mat. We place all the letters (or numbers) in front of us and watch a sesame street video about letters (or numbers) (he likes TV and this is our compromise, I little bit of TV isn't bad in my opinion if its interactive). During the video we point out the letters or numbers and talk about them. He's not quite 2 and he knows almost all of his letters and all the numbers to 10.
