Sunday, February 17, 2019

Fun with Letters: Teaching your Child the Alphabet


The Montessori School of Flagstaff takes pride in teaching children about letters because reading is the key to learning about everything else. We recommend that you begin teaching your children the alphabet early because that will give them a headstart at almost everything they will learn later. To help you get started, we came up with some great ideas that you can use at home.



Read Along

The printed word is everywhere, and every word is an opportunity. Read out loud to your child and follow along with your finger so your child can see the words you are saying. This will help children recognize the alphabet and how the different letters work together to form words.

Alphabet Activities

Make learning the alphabet fun with activities that capture your child’s imagination and attention. Whether you put together elaborate sets or just practice writing letters in a notebook, the act of repetitively making the shapes of letters will benefit children. An especially fun activity is singing along, and that’s a great way to practice learning the alphabet.

Involving and Interesting

A good place to begin learning the alphabet is with your child’s own name. Their name is something they have been hearing since birth and they are able to relate to it on a personal level. After their name, follow up with other words that interest them, such as cars or dolls or even the names of different kinds of flowers. Being able to spell favorite things can be a source of personal accomplishment.

Lower Case Counts

All letters have two versions: Upper and lower case. In traditional schools, children are taught the alphabet using upper case letters, but the reality is that they are going to be exposed to the lower case versions much more often. To help children learn the alphabet faster and easier, start with lower case or at least an equal measure of both cases.

The very best way to teach your child a love of the alphabet is to be a role model. Read to them often, and read for yourself when you aren’t reading to them. Your kids will imitate what they see you doing, plain and simple. For more information about using hands-on activities to teach your child the alphabet and other lessons, contact the Montessori School of Flagstaff Westside Campus today.

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