After hours child care

After hours child care

Fun Ways to Teach a Child the Alphabet

by Channa Van Den Acker

Learning the alphabet is the foundation of being able to read and write, but it's a real challenge for small children. Although they'll eventually learn it in school, if your child can get a head start on remembering their ABCs, it can really give them a boost in their education.

The trouble for most parents is that it's a surprisingly difficult thing to achieve. As an adult, you most likely take your alphabetical ability for granted, and it's impossible to remember what it was like to learn your letters. That makes it extremely difficult to teach. Luckily, there are some simple techniques you can use to make the whole process easier for you and your child so they can learn the alphabet in no time.

Sing songs

There are lots of classic alphabet songs, and some newer ones you might not have heard, too! Of course, you may not be familiar with any of them, but don't let that stop you. There are plenty of CDs you can buy, and there are also songs on YouTube that you can stream for free. Music is a great way to help children learn, and it works especially well for things like the alphabet.

Show flash cards

You can either buy a set of alphabet flash cards or make your own, but the DIY method is always more fun. Make them colourful and lively, and use them whenever you have a free moment to test your child's alphabet knowledge and help them learn.

Use your child's interests

Whatever your child is interested in can be used to teach them the letters of the alphabet. Things like animals or characters from TV and film work really well, and this can even lead to the child being able to read and write a few first words. This can be used with the flash card technique to help them remember and encourage interactive learning.

Play games

Simple games like 'I Spy' are great for teaching letters and the way in which they represent the initial sounds of words. If you search online, there are plenty of other games that can be played on the move and don't require any equipment. When you're at home, you might consider investing in some board games or other alphabet toys, which can be a really fun way to encourage your child's interest in learning the alphabet. They might not even realise they're being taught something, and that's the key to a highly effective teaching method.

For additional tips and advice, contact an early learning center like Jenny's Kindergarten.


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About Me

After hours child care

I work as a nurse, and I'm separated from my husband, so it's quite complicated for us to work out child care sometimes. We have an family child care centre down the road that is amazing and does so much to keep our family ticking when we need child care out of hours. I know I'm not the only one who needs flexibility in child care, and I know that a lot of other parents are also struggling with the juggle of managing child care out of the normal opening hours of a centre. This blog is a place to share ideas and solutions we have worked out, with each other.

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