Letters carry so much significance, and at this point in your child’s life, your little one is living in a world of ABC’s. Some people ask me when you should start teaching letter sounds because it can be a little confusing: Do I teach my little one A /a/ apple, the whole alphabet, all the letters and their sounds at once? And when are they ready? Lots of questions or maybe just a lot of trial and error, but there is a lot to teach and sometimes it does get a little crammed together.
Well, being intentional to help your little one learn their letters, sounds, and picture associations (like apple, alligator, etc.) is absolutely praiseworthy….you are already SUPER MOM (or dad).
But here are some tips about teaching these things that can be taught together, but should also be taught separately. What does that mean? Well, it is great to teach the whole alphabet, reading ABC books, and talking about the sounds they make as well as the pictures on the page, BUT it is also great to focus on ONE letter at a time. Not one lesson or the other….BOTH are necessary.
Today’s activity is actually a link to one of my favorite teacher’s Alphabet Art Books. Very hands-on and interactive, and I LOVE it, BUT I want you to make this book ONE page – ONE day at a time. Some people spend a whole week doing a “letter study,” but I am asking you to just wait a day or two before you create art for the next letter. In the meantime, encourage your little one to look for the current letter EVERYWHERE. Play “I spy” with the letter or sound “I spy the letter A” or I spy something that starts with /a/ (when a letter is in “//” you make the letter sound instead of the letter’s name.
