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Today I want to share with you my favorite early learning alphabet resources that I have used for my boys! I have one child who is past this stage of learning, so I have found things that worked for him. My youngest son is just now starting to learn the alphabet, so I am still fully immersed in all things letter recognition and letter sounds and trying to figure out what works best for him!
I want to start by saying there are literally so many ways you can introduce your child to the alphabet. You can do it through songs, books, educational toys, flashcards, curriculums, crafts, really the list could go on and on. What I recommend, is trying a little bit of everything to see what interests your little learner! For example, my oldest son wanted no part in memorizing flashcards, and that’s okay! He did however, love to sing alphabet songs every week and flip through books that reinforced letter recognition/sounds while I read them a loud to him! He is a kinesthetic learner, so he also enjoyed doing letter crafts and using his hands! It doesn’t really matter what method you choose, as long as your child is interested and enjoying learning!
With that being said, I am now going to share with you some of our favorite early learning alphabet resources:
Early Learning Alphabet Books
It is probably no surprise to you if you know me personally that I am a sucker for Usborne Books & More books! I used to be a consultant for them, so we got many books in our collection for free. They are by far our favorite books to use in the classroom and for recreational reading. The quality of the books is top of the line, they are engaging (with lots of colors, flaps, etc.), and they are packed full of educational info. Most of our Alphabet books we use are UBAM. (When shopping Usborne Books I recommend finding a consultant and even hosting your own party. I will link the ones I can find on Amazon though in case that is easier for you!)
- Illustrated Alphabet– “ Each spread introduces a letter of the alphabet, with charmingly funny zoo animal illustrations and a delightful rhyming alphabet story. “
- Alphie & Bet’s ABC Pop-Up Alphabet Book– “With colorful characters, pop-ups on every page, a repeating panel with both upper and lowercase letters throughout and tons of alliterative enthusiasm, Alfie and Bet’s ABC is a pop-up alphabet adventure readers won’t soon forget!”
- Big Book of ABC– “Take a whistle-stop tour through the alphabet from amazing aardvarks, big brown bears and crazy cats, via dancing ducks, invisible imps and naughty narwhals to yawning yaks and zooming zeppelins.” SIDE NOTE- the “Big Book of..” series is amazing! We have several in our collection and they are so loved!
- Alphatales Box Set– “Learning the ABCs is loads of fun with this totally charming collection of alliterative stories—one for each letter of the alphabet!” We use these books while following a ”letter of the week” guide during our preschool at home. (2022/2023 Preschool At Home Curriculum Picks)
Early Learning Alphabet Songs
What child doesn’t like to learn and sing new songs? This is probably my favorite and easiest way to teach my boys new things. They think they are just singing and having fun, when they are really learning new concepts at the same time. This is going to sound cliche but sing to your babies! It is as simple as the “ABC” song. It’s catchy, and you will be surprised how quickly they learn.
When teaching the letters individually with their letter sounds, I have always used the ”Have Fun Teaching” Letter songs on Youtube. They have a video that goes along with the song as well. We usually watch the letter song in the morning when we are doing our calendar time! They are so catchy, and both my boys love to sing and dance to them!
Early Learning Alphabet Hands-On Resources
My oldest is a Kinesthetic learner, which means he learns best while using his hands. I have found several different ”hands-on” resources that reinforce the alphabet that my son has truly enjoyed. We use toys, puzzles, and even crafts to check this box! The following are some of our favorites:
- Learning Resources Smart Snacks Alpha Pops– 26 double sided pops that help develop letter recognition and fine motor skills. I keep these out on our bookshelf in the classroom for independent practice!
- Magnetic Alphabet Tracing Board– “Exercise children’s writing and cognitive ability, Learn and master the shapes of upper-case letters and lower case letters, stimulate brain development, develop motor skills and enjoy fun in a learning and playful way.” This is also an activity I leave out for independent practice!
- Alphabet Puzzle– It doesn’t matter what brand of puzzle you get, just something that is brightly colored so your child is drawn to it, and I recommend something with chunky pieces or knobs to hold on too. Using these puzzles will help your child develop letter recognition and pre-reading skills.
Alphabet Curriculums & Printable’s
Depending on your child’s age and interests, you may choose to start a curriculum or incorporate printable activities for your learner. Here are a few of my favorite alphabet curriculum and printable picks:
- Abeka Animal Alphabet Friends & Abeka Letters and Sounds for 3’s– I actually used both of these with my oldest son, and I will be using them again this upcoming school year with my 3 year old. I love the flashcards because they are large and give you so many teaching options on the back. The activity sheets are also great because your learner can do a different craft with each letter. If you want to read more about how I will be using these this upcoming school year, check out my blog post here.
- Let’s Play School ABC Alphabet Activity Books– I love these printable books so much! Each book includes a beginning sounds coloring page, alphabet Letter painting page, beginning sounds shared story early reading page, large letter tracing page, regular text size tracing page, sticker cover uppercase/lowercase letter recognition page, do a dot marker alphabet page, and an alphabet stamping page. Once you purchase the files, you just download and print yourself!
Like I stated at the beginning of this post, there are hundreds of ways you can introduce your little learner to the alphabet. If you are just starting, try several different methods and see what your child enjoys! You may find they prefer one method to another, and that’s okay! The best thing that you can do is meet them where they are and do the things that work best for them.
I hope this helps you and gives you some inspiration! I would love to hear what you use to teach the alphabet to your child! What have you found that works for your family? Please leave your response in the comments!
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INTERESTED IN MORE HOMESCHOOL INFO? FIND MORE POSTS HERE:
Preschool at Home Curriculum Picks 2022/2023
Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum Picks 2022/2023
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