There are so many letter activities for preschoolers available. It can be overwhelming to know which ones to use. I have spent a lot of time finding out what works best. Believe me, not all activities made the cut. My students ALWAYS told me when they didn’t like an activity. They are not shy about it?
Children LOVE activities that are hands-on. They love a variety activities. And they love to have fun! I make sure I have activities that cover all of that while we learn:
- letter recognition
- letter identification
- uppercase and lowercase letter matching
- letter formation
- letter sounds
It is definitely a process for kids to learn the alphabet. There are a lot of skills we target. You may have children that catch on right away, and others that need more help. That’s okay. Every child learns at their own pace. Just keep supporting them, providing different materials, and keep it fun. They will get there.
How to Introduce Letters
I teach letters and letter-sound correspondence simultaneously to help children start reading as soon as possible. I start by teaching letters that occur most frequently in simple words, such as a, t, s, m. Letters that look alike and have similar sounds are separated to avoid confusion.
Here is the order in which I teach letters (you can alter to fit your needs):
A, T, S, M, D, I, F, R, P, O, N, L, E, C, U, G, H, V, B, K, W, X, Y, Z, J, Q
Feel free to teach in that order, or order of the alphabet, or any way that works for you. I’m a firm believer in doing what works best for you and your students. You will find articles and support that backs pretty much every way to introduce the alphabet.
I have had students who can easily learn 2-3 new letters per week. I have also had students who learn one letter per week. There is no one-size-fits-all for the pace you set for your students. What is important is that we focus on children mastering letters and phonics to build a solid foundation.
Letter Activities for Preschoolers
I have so many letter activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners on my website. I have a mix of freebies and premium products. There is something for everyone! I wanted to give you a list to help you get started teaching the alphabet to your students. I use a mix of sensory activities, hands-on activities, and no-prep activities. Through it all, we keep it fun!
Start strong with the Letters and Phonics Alphabet Curriculum
The Letters and Phonics Alphabet Curriculum is packed with guided lesson plans, hands-on activities and centers, art projects, science and sensory experiments to help your students master the alphabet. It is a 26 week program that goes from letter recognition and identification to letter sound correspondence and letter writing. You can more about how to use this curriculum here: How to Teach the Alphabet.
Sensory Writing
I love using different materials to write letters. From shaving cream to sand, I have tried it all. Here are some of my favorites that are easy for you to do at home.
CHALK AND CHALKBOARD
SHAVING CREAM
WHITEBOARD AND MARKER
WOODEN LETTERS
Hands-on Activities
I am all about using different sensory materials when learning. I try to use as many as possible with different activities. They make learning fun, and they help with fine motor skills. I use snap cubes, pom poms, magnetic tiles, mini erasers, play dough, and so much more! Here are some of my favorite letter activities using hands-on materials. These are a mix of freebies and premium products.
LEARNING LETTERS ACTIVITIES BINDER
No-Prep Activities and Worksheets
No-prep activities are amazing. While I’m not a big worksheet user, I love these activities because they are interactive. They use bingo daubers, scissors, glue, and more to complete the activities. These are a mix of freebies and premium products.
INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK FOR LETTERS & SOUNDS
LET’S IDENTIFY IT! LETTER RECOGNITION
MYSTERY LETTERS PICTURES ALPHABET ACTIVITY
SORT IT! LETTER SOUND CORRESPONDENCE
LOWERCASE LETTER WORKSHEETS WITH GUIDED LESSONS
UPPERCASE LETTER WORKSHEETS WITH GUIDED LESSONS
I hope these fun activities help your students learn the alphabet! There are so many fun choices for learning recognition of letters, letter sounds, and letter formation. If you keep it fun and rotate the activities, your students will thrive! We’re in this together! ?
