The Alphabet
Learning the "abc's" is one of the first steps toward learning to read at the "word level".
But this does not mean that we need to provide children with worksheets.
Even when we provide some fun alphabet activities, it is important that they be playful and multisensory. By creating an "Alphabet-on-a-String", you can help them learn all about alphabetical order by singing the song, and pointing to one letter at a time. Some of my students' favourite games are:
1) Sing the Song & have them Point to each Letter as you Sing:
Have them "stop" on a letter randomly, and see if they can "trick" their classmates to keep singing.
2) Guess the Missing Letter:
Have them hide their eyes while you take a letter away.
3) Switcheroo:
Have them hide their eyes while you switch two of the letters around. Then have them sing the song .
4) Before and After:
Say, “I’m thinking of a letter that comes before… (e.g., "g", and after ""e")
How we move from Sounds to Letters
Printing Letters
One of the best ways to help children learning about the connection between sounds and letters is to "trace" big huge letters (perhaps using masking tape on the floor or door, or chalk on the pavement outside) using their first two fingers. Tracing on a rough surface is helpful.
Along with tracing the letters, it is very effective if children are encouraged to trace 3 times and:
1) Say the letter name (e.g., "j")
2) Say a "keyword" that begins with that letter (e.g., "jump")
3) Say the sound of the letter (e.g., /j/)