Ideas on teaching a 4 year old the alphabet?

Question

It's been left to me, the babysitter, to teach a 4 year old her letters. She knows the alphabet song, but keeps on telling me she can read. Which obviously, because she doesn't know her letters, she can't.

The problem here is that she doesn't want to learn. When I say doesn't want to learn, I mean doesn't want to learn anything. I tried teaching her a clapping game last week, but she just kept on quitting halfway through and saying "I don't want to learn this!"

Help?! Ideas?

Answer 1

You really have to break it down one by one. You can go to any kids learning website and look up how teachers teach kids. You have to use picture objects associated with the letters.

Answer 2

Don't think it's your place to do it all, but 1 thing you can try is not pushing it on her if she doesn't want to learn, you can make a 1/2 poster paper board and write the alphabets on it put it on the ice box///   don't do much else that day but you say and point to the alphabets, act like it's a game and your having fun, the next day, invite her to play along, but  give her time ,if she doesn't want to the first few times you ask, but be CONSISTANT with whatever you do

Answer 3

do it reppetitively like i dont know sing the alphabet song over and over

read books with her or something and point out the letters

and then revert back to the song , ah give her some barney and shell be fine, thats how i learned

Answer 4

I don't know but why is up to you and not the parents?  why not wait for school like other children?

Answer 5

Try to make everything about the ABC's.  Walk around chanting a song or phrase out loud throughout the day. She may not seem to be paying attention but trust me at that age they pay attention to everything. Sit and practice writing by yourself...as she see that u think its cool maybe she will.  It takes a lot of work...but just when u think she wasn't listening to the clapping game she will surprise u and show u she was...consistency is the key!!!

Answer 6

Try using something large and brightly colored to teach them the letters. Usually with small children something like that will capture and keep their attention.

Answer 7

Sorry to say you are not the person to be doing this and you persistently trying and the child persistently not 'wanting to learn' is going to destroy that child's love of learning.  Please show this answer to the mother.

Answer 8

4 year olds have SHORT attention spans.  Make sure your lessons are VERY short.  Like Sesame Street--maybe you can just "sponsor" a couple of letters a day.  Ask her what things in the house begin with that letter.

Answer 9

Just taking some idea from other posters and from experience as a nanny.

#1 Most kids want to learn to write their names... you can start there. Try to get her to write her name as well as knowing what sounds make up her name. Sign her name to anything she colors.  Read to her often as well.

#2 To two of you can make a big poster board together. Put some velcro on there so you can later on stick your letters of the day there. On the outside just put whatever designs she likes.

Make a seperate poster that has all the letters and some boxes to hold stickers.

#3 Sponsor a letter of the day. You can make it ahead of time or she can color it on the day you guys pick it out. then throughout the day as you go along your normal activities point out things that start with that letter.

#4 Try to randomly ask questions associated with your letter throughout your day. Just randomly ask " what sound does the ___ Make!" if she gets it right make sure to praise her. Also point out your letter of the day when you see it. Have her point out the letter as well... if she can find her letter 10 times throughout her day then she can have a sticker under that letter to show her mom she learned it.

Answer 10

they shouldn't make you the babysitter to teach her.

why isn't she in pre-k at school?

Answer 11

Get some books and toys that have the alphabet theme. Or one of those computer things where you press the letter shaped buttons and when you press it it says the letter.

Answer 12

Have letter days,  You make up a large letter, mount it to a stick carry it with you and  then you do things that are based around that letter.  

for instance the letter B,  bird watching, kitchen bowling set up plastic bottles and then let her roll a ball into them you do it to.  blow bubbles, bounce a ball, play board games, for a snack you could eat berries or a banana bologna sandwich.

bread pudding,

You could go to the zoo and see how many animials are there that start with the letter Or you could use a magazine with pics of animals.

You could paint with the color blue  

Then all your activities are letter based and she will pick up on it quickly.  and she will not feel like she is being taught or get frustrated.  

four year olds have an attention span of about 10 minutes so activities should be kept short. and you should be ready to move quickly.  She will go back to the activities she really enjoyed doing.

You can use just about anything to teach and the kid thinks they are just playing.

The letter C you could eat carrots for snack make cookies let her cut the dough with cookie cutters.  cut paper count color Make a crown.  pretend to be a customer and let her pretend to be a cashier or vice versa dress up like clowns

A let her dress up in an apron let he paint a picture like a artist.  look for pictures in a magazine that start with the letter A  

and so on you get the picture.

You could also play Alphabet scavenger hunt with her make letter cards and lable the things you find with the begining letter.  Use a timer and see how long it takes you she will love it.

Kids learn best when it doesn't feel like learning.

Answer 13

A four year old has very short attention span and you obviously cannot teach her alphabet the way you did to older child.  My suggestion is to do it in a play-like manner.  Like getting her out to play sand and write the alphabet on it.  Challenge her to follow and make her tell you back what's written on the sand.  Apart from alphabet it.  You can draw picture that starts with that alphabet and have her guess.  Play games with her that involved letters and eventually she will pick up the learning.

Answer 14

Have a letter of the day/week.  Bring in a paper bag, and tell her that in the bag, you need things that start with a certain sound, "A", "B", etc.  On Monday, let her decorate the bag.  Bring craft things if you can.  Then, the rest of the days you want to spend on this, go through book, magazines, sale ads, TV guides, etc.  Find race cars, toys, whatever she can do.  Make it fun, make it quick.    She has the attention span of a gnat at this point in her life.

My son LOVES animals.  He watches Zoboomafoo, Bindi, etc.  Then, he initiates "nature walks".  When we go out side, he will look for the animals and then we can talk about it from there.  Find what make her tick.

If all else fails, use M &M's.  Get Flash cards or make your own with a fun but yet standard font off of the net.  For every letter she gets correct, she gets one  M & M.  For everyone she gets wrong, don't take one away, but don't give her one.  Don't let her eat till she is all done.  Then, count them.  Keep a chart and set a reasonable goal, after 5 days.  If she meets it, she gets a larger prize, like a stuffed doll.  If she get s them all correct for 4 out of 5 days, take her to the mini-golf or something.

Answer 15

try fun games she likes and if she keeps quiting mov e on to the next gamelike flash card games or puzzles  mybe building blocks

Answer 16

Don't force her to learn anything. Try teaching her the letters in her name and when you are reading to her point out the letters in the book that are in her name. You have to make it fun for her.