First Sound Awareness
When we think about introducing children to their "abc's" as a first step toward learning to read, usually we think about the "letters" of the alphabet.
But one of the most important skills that children need is something called "Phonological Awareness" (PA). PA is a set of different skills, and hearing first sounds in words is one of these skills. The best thing we can do is to point out first SOUNDS (not necessarily letter names) when singing and talking and playing and telling stories.
This is my favourite game to keep this process meaningful and simple:
"I hear with my little ear, the very first sound in...."
(then name an object - something they are playing with or looking at or are interested in)
For those who struggle to hear first sounds in words, you may want to go back to blending and segmenting "syllables". It would also be a good idea to note those who struggle with this skill as it may tell us about who will struggle with reading and/or writing later on.
