There are a large number of monumental moments in life. One of those is your baby’s first step. Another is their first word. Then, there is the first time they recite the alphabet to you!
What a moment! But, how do you teach your toddler their ABCs? Sure, there are ABC toys for toddlers and some flashcards that will help.
But, what are the best ways?
Let’s take a look.
5 Ways To Teach Your Toddler Their ABCs
Flashcards
Flashcards for toddlers are an excellent way to start your toddler on their journey to learn their ABCs!
I used flashcards as a repetitive tool to drive home each letter to my son until he could recite them in his sleep. It worked too!
Also, it gives you some excellent dad time.
Make A Song
All kids love songs, and a good song containing the alphabet will stick in their minds and help them learn as they grow. Almost all adults know the original alphabet song, but try and be creative.
There are plenty of alphabet songs to learn online, or you could even make up one of your own, and making it rhyme will be even more memorable.
Find one that your child loves, and they will soon learn it, along with the alphabet. Find particular times to sing them, such as when you’re in the car or playing in the park.
Point Letters Out
Start to get into the habit of pointing out letters when you go out with your toddler or just around the house. Whether at the shops or out in the street, if you see a letter, point at it, say what it is, and see if your child will repeat it for you.
Eventually, your child will start pointing them out on their own.
It’s also a good idea not to overload your child all at once. Instead, concentrate on a few letters at a time and practice those over a week or so. Then when you’re out and about, say if you see any of them around and ask your child if they can repeat them for you.
Make It Fun
Make learning the alphabet fun. For example, you can buy many wooden jigsaws featuring the alphabet.
Most of them have the letters as the shapes, and they have to fit into the correct holes on the board. This gives your child the chance to hold the shapes of the letters in their hands, which will help them recognize them more often.
Make sure you say what the letters are as they go, and they will soon associate the sound of the letters with the shape they are holding.
Games are also a handy tool to make learning fun. For example, you can buy board or card games that help teach the alphabet or find websites or apps that can help.
This would also aid your toddler to pick up some computer skills at an early age – supervised, of course! I am a huge advocate of getting my son to use a computer. It is a vital skill to learn.
Reading
Choose some books that go through the alphabet and give an example with each letter (yes, I mean “A is for apple!”). Your toddler will recognize the letter shapes and start pointing them out in other places.
An alphabet poster for their room is an excellent idea too. They would see this all the time, and you could sit with them for just five minutes a day to go through the alphabet, but remember to try and limit their learning to a few letters at a time to start with.
Reading together will help with their future education too, as well as helping with letters.
Make sure your child can see the book as you read, so they can recognize the letters and words as you say them. This also provides a special bonding moment that your toddler will remember as they grow up.
Learn To Write Their Name
A good word to teach as soon as possible is your child’s name. Spell it out whenever you can and point out the different letters that make it up.
Letter fridge magnets are great for this, and you can also get signs for their bedroom door that spell out their name.
They will soon recognize that those letters together make up their name. You can even make a game of it and try to get your child to name something else that starts with the same letter of their first name.
Bonus – Start A Reading Program Now
Starting your toddler with a reading program is an excellent way to get them reading, even before kindergarten!
Children Love Reading has an excellent no-risk reading program to get your toddler learning more than simply their ABCs!
3 Reasons Why Now Is A Good Time To Teach Your Toddler ABCs
You might be wondering why you should even be concerned about how to teach your toddler their ABC. After all, that’s what pre-school is for!! However, there are some good reasons why it’s a great idea to start learning early at home.
- Many children are well on their way to learning the alphabet before they go to pre-school. They need to know their alphabet before they start to be literate, and by not at least introducing your child to their ABCs when they are a toddler, you could be setting them back. It’s wise to give them as best a head start as possible so they can grasp reading and write more quickly.
- Phonics play an important part in teaching at school these days. Teaching your child the alphabet early will help them practice sounding out the different letters and saying words that begin with them. This will all help their speech and lay down the foundations for phonetic learning. Try not just to say the letter, but also the sound that the letters make (C is for C-at, emphasizing the C).
- If you start teaching your child now, then this will help to get them into the habit of learning. They will have many years of education ahead of them, and starting to teach them, even just as little as 20 minutes a day, will prepare them for what school will be like, and prevent them from feeling too daunted. If you can make learning their ABCs fun, then they will be happy to learn every day, but you will know that you’re laying down the foundations of their education for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, this has given you lots of tips and ideas on how to help your toddler learn their ABCs. It really is important to help them learn as soon as possible and make it fun and engaging.
Conclusion
If you want to teach your toddler their ABCs, then the tips on this page work!
I used them to help teach my son the alphabet, which gave him a head start when he got to school.
Any head start is worth at at this age!
Your toddler’s brain is ripe for learning, so take advantage.
Good luck!
