Teaching the Alphabet

Below is the beginning of a collection of ideas that may be used when helping children learn particular letters of the alphabet. Please keep in mind that these are not necessary intended for whole group activities. Many children have already acquired alphabet knowledge and only a few may need additional experiences to help them learn the letters.

ABC Toast
Whole Wheat Bread 
Butter 
Cinnamon 
Sugar 
Milk 
Food Coloring

Another great way to get kids to eat whole grain bread, with less grams of sugar than if you used jam or jelly! Before toasting the bread, use a little milk mixed with food coloring to paint on the first letter of each child's name, their whole name, or another letter of their choice. Butter the bread as usual and sprinkle it with cinnamon-sugar. You can butter and sprinkle right over the "painting" and it will still show through, or you can just butter the back. A fun activity is to arrange all of the toasts on a tray, and then let the children find their letter or name.

Alphabet Book
Duo Tang folder 
white paper 
old magazines

One fun activity is to make an Alphabet Book. Each week we choose a new letter to work on. I write the upper and lower case letter on a piece of white paper, then we go through old magazines to find pictures that begin with that letter. I let them cut them out and glue them on the paper, which helps them improve their cutting skills too! I use my 3-hole punch and put it into a folder to make a book. They love to look at it over and over.

Alphabet Boxes
26 baby wipe boxes 
various items to go with each letter ex. apple magnet for the letter A 
plastic alligator etc. 
permanent marker

Write the upper and lower case letter on each wipe box, one letter of the alphabet for each box. Fill each box with items that begin with that letter. Some can even be pictures of items. One by one you show the items to the children and pass them around, this captivates the children! One box is used at a time. You don't even have to fill all the boxes at once but fill them as you go through the year. This hands-on experience is a big hit!

Alphabet Dominos
Large piece of Tag board 
one permanent Black magic marker

Cut the tag board into 1" by 2" pieces. On each Piece print 2 letters, make the pieces look like dominos, but with letters. Use all upper case, or lower case. If the children are ready for a challenge use both upper and lower. Play as you would with regular dominos!!! Have fun. You can also make these using shapes, colors, animals, etc.

Alphabet Magnets
Alphabet stickers 
white mailing labels 
old magnetic business cards

Here's a great way to use up business card magnets that you no longer need. 1) Cover the magnet contents with white mailing labels. 2) Depending on the size of the alphabet sticker, you may want to cut each magnet in half. 3) Place alphabet sticker on the magnetic tile. 4) If there is room, add small sticker pictures which begin with the corresponding letter - or draw your own!

Alphabet People
15" circle of white paper 
crayons 
stapler or tape 
hole punch 
pipe cleaners

Tell the children that they are all going to change their names for the day and become "alphabet people". Give each child a 15" circle of paper and assign each child a consonant. Have the child cut out one-quarter of the circle (I tell them to separate the "pie" into four pieces and cut out one piece.) Then, have the child write their new "name" (the consonant) below the "v" that was cut out of the circle so that it will appear on the front of the hat when rolled up like a cone. The children then decorate the hats with pictures of things that start with the sound of their new name. For example, Mr. or Ms. B would draw things like bumble bee, bus, box, etc. After the children are through drawing, roll the circles up like a cone and staple or tape together. Punch a hole and insert a pipe cleaner in each side as chinstraps to hold the hats on. All day long, refer to the children by their letter names. When they've grown accustomed to this, call on them by saying words that begin with their letter. For example, when you call on "brown", Mr. or Ms. B would answer. You can also read a simple story and have the children stand up and then sit back down when they hear their names. It's lots of fun!

Alphabet Rubbings
sand paper
scissors 
crayons 
printing 
 

Cut shapes of letters or numbers out of sand paper at least 3 inches tall. Put the shapes under the paper and let the children rub over the top with the crayons. Have them rub their name, etc.

Alphabet Scrapbook
Old scrapbook or photo album 
old magazines 
scissors

Take a scrapbook or photo album and on each page write a letter of the alphabet starting at A through Z. Then with your child look through magazines for pictures of things and put them on the pages with the same first letter. An example would be a picture of an airplane on A etc. Use photo albums with the cling plastic covering so no gluing involved. Afterward your child has their very own alphabet book that they helped to make.

Alphabet Soup
construction paper (various colors) 
ink pad 
alphabet stamps 
white paper

Cut a bowl shape out of construction paper, any color. Then make a smaller circle out of white paper. Put the white circle in the center of the colored bowl. Next, pre-cut some vegetable shapes out of paper: orange circles - carrots; brown ovals - potatoes; yellow triangles - corn; etc. then let each child glue the "vegetables" in the soup. In the left over spaces, allow them to pick several alphabet stamps and stamp the soup. Each child can then name the abc's in their soup! Optional: Instead of stamps, you can also glue on dry alphabet pasta. Another idea is that you can also have the children write their names with the letters!

Alphabugs
Paper
Marker 
Imagination

Draw a letter of the alphabet. In a different color, create a picture of the bug using the letter as a base. Example- S is for spider. Complete two circles by closing in the s and add 8 legs and eyes.