Does anyone know a cool way of teaching my 4 year old son how to recognize his alphabets?

Question

I have tried flash cards...it just seem like it is taking a lot of time...he is in pre-k this year and I want him to start reading? He is smart kid that catches on quick, any suggestions?

Answer 1

when my mom taught me the alphabet, she took a stack of paper plates and on each plate, she wrote a letter of the alphabet.(she had 2 sets. 1 for capital letters and one for lowercase letters) we would go through the stack, and on each letter she would show me the plate, and i would say the letter. if i got it right, i could throw it like a frisbe into the middle of the room. if i got it wrong, we put it at the bottom of the stack so we could come back to it. I loved throwing the plate like a frisbe, and i think that method really helped me learn my letters!

Answer 2

kids will always remember a fun song or poem/rhyme

Answer 3

Take  a walk..look at street signs

Pick up a stick..what letters can you make in the sand, dirt or wet and write on the pavement

stencils

magnetic letters on cookie sheets (they will stick)...what words can you cook up...

sing the ABC's but use the sound version of the song (sound each letter makes)

Alphabet Bingo

Alphabet basketball (with rolled up tube socks) . Use duck tape and a permanent marker (make a letter on the sock). Have him pick up a sock..name the letter and then shoot it into the laundry basket or nerf hoop when he says it correctly.otherwise it goes back in the container (to try again later).

Turn off lights in bedroom...Make sure room is dark...use a flashlight and letter stencils (individual ones) and shine letters on the wall. Can you name that letter?

Take index cards. Write a letter of the alphabet on each one (x2). Play go fish but using the alphabet letters. Make a cheat pad to help him learn letters...see what it looks like

Make letters out of dough..and then bake in oven..and eat

Make playdough..make letters by rolling it out. Talk about how to make a letter...up, down, up down..makes an M. etc.

Cut out letters using sandpaper. Rub crayons over them (on a piece of paper).

Practice writing..make a card for a love one..dictation..make the letter "M" or "O"..etc.

Make it fun...

use other objects to make a letter..how many rocks do we need to make a "M" or use shells..toothpicks, sand, cottonballs, etc.

feel the letters

Answer 4

for a smart 4 year-old, adopt a multi-sensory approach. which means, engage his senses (sight, hearing, touch).

suggested activities:-try playing a audio tape (e.g. alpabet song) , provide child with a tray of sand/playdoh, make alphabets according to the song.

-can also try with foam puzzles, mixed up the alphabets, and arrange them according to the song.

- can also try body movements, e.g. make a "s" move when he hears "s" in the song, etc...

Answer 5

I love the book "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" (by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault) for helping kids learn the alphabet. It's a cute story, great rhymes, and the kids giggle at it everytime. You'd be surprised how quickly they start to recognize Loose Tooth T and the other letters because they're characters, not just a school task. Here's a page with a LOT of ideas of fun things to do with this book: http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/chicka_c...

You can try writing letters on shoeboxes or tupperware containers and challenging him to find toys or other objects that have that letter/sound in them. And only do two letters a day or so, one a new one and one a review from the last day or two. Let him earn rewards for finding them.

Carry the flashcards with you and ask him to "find which letter fruit starts with" when you're in the produce section at the store; "find which letter mail starts with" when you're in line at the post office; "find which letter spoon/fork/plate starts with" while you're doing the dishes.

Most importantly, try to make it fun for him and don't pressure him. If you make him feel as though he NEEDS to learn them or he's doing something wrong, he'll freeze up. Do a little at a time, all the time, rather than sitting and cramming until he's frustrated. Good luck!

Answer 6

Cookie sheets are your friend... you can put sand, rice, pudding, flour, whip cream, shaving cream (you get the idea) in the pan and have your child write out the letters with their finger.  The more fun they have the better.  They love it.   You can show him and then smooth it over and let him try.  Make it more of a treat and a game than a chore.  My daughter was spelling her name by 3.

Answer 7

My son went to pre-k and the teacher put everything in song.  She would do the daily pointing at the alphabet on the wall (for example it was an "A" and a picture of an apple) then they would do the "A" as in apple aaaa, "B" as in boy bbb and she would say the letter and do the phonic with it.   My son was reading before he went into kindergarten.

This worked well for my son buy all kid learn differently.  Good luck!!!

Answer 8

If he likes to color, you could print off coloring sheets from www.enchantedlearning.com or get the alphabet color wonder book. Make it into a game. For example, a game they use at the Elementary School near me, is called ZAP!

You write words on a Popsicle stick, and put it in a cup word-down. There are a few sticks labeled ZAP! If they draw that stick, they have to put all the sticks back. The objective is to get as many sticks as possible before the end. So maybe play for 25 minutes, and the one with the most sticks at the end wins a prize (candy, etc.). You could adapt it to fit your needs. Write letters on the sticks, and if he draws an A for example, have him say a word that starts with the 'a' sound. he may say "apple". Than juts praise him. He will eventually get good at it.

Answer 9

I know parents don't like hearing this , But ,t.v there is  a lot of kids  shows on cable, boomerang, Nickelodeon just to name a few

Answer 10

TRY THE LEAP FROG LETTER FACTORY DVD. I RECOMMEND THIS TO ALL MY PARENTS.

Answer 11

Dear Beautiifulme,

       This may sound a bit off the wall but, try putting masking tape on apples and printing a letter on each of the apples. Then have him 'dunk'  for apples. Good luck! lange00000

Answer 12

Super easy ! He will learn in no time.  Writ the upper case and lower case letters on drawn out on card board fish.  Punch a hole on the lips of the fish. Next stick a paper clip on the mouth.  

get a stick (any long rod) attach a string to it with a magnet attached to the end. Throw the fish on the ground and tell him to fish you the letter B etc...You can show him the letter B on a card and let him search for it on the ground.  Soon you will be able to name the letter and he will recognize them.  

Wha I did also was checked out alphabet books from the library and read them to my children every night.  Read them as natural and fun with out testing him or asking him to find letters.  Just plain reading .  Soon you will see your child resiting and recognizing letters.  

Never test or ask the child the name of the letter.  When you do this you are setting him up to being wrong which in turn will frustrate him and be turned off to letters.

You can also make letters with playdough.  You can also sing the alphabet and point to the letters as you sing.  repeat these things and next thing you know your child will recognize them.

Never use flash cards.  Its boring and no fun.  Plus you'll turn him off to letters.