ABC Recognition Activities

Ideas for Teaching Letter Recognition

· Look for letters in print while driving: Business signs, License plates, Street signs · Look for letters in stores and restaurants: Menus, Signs, Packaging · Look for letters at home: Books, Packaging, Appliances, TV, Mail, Toys, Cookie cutters, T-shirts · Cut out letters from old catalogs and magazines. · Play with refrigerator magnets. · Play with alphabet puzzles and games. · Paint letters on fingernails with a nail polish marker. · Make an ABC photo album using plastic sleeves - one pocket for each letter. · Fish for magnetic letters out of a tissue box using a paperclip on a string. · Sing the ABC song while child points to letters. · In the car, waiting room or home, play I spy with my little eye something that starts with · Guide older siblings on how to play school. · Use the library's books on tapes. · Draw letters in mashed potatoes, applesauce, pudding, etc. · Make letters out of green beans, rice, corn, play dough, etc. · Have your child say the name of the letter while tracing it. · Write the letter down and have the child say the letter. Then have him write a line of the letter saying the letter every time. Helps handwriting skills also! · Read alphabet books. Point to letters in simple words. · Play with a MagnaDoodle, Talk and Learn, spelling machines, computer games, etc. · Make or buy a large letter rug or bedspread for your child's bedroom. · Use sports jerseys to practice reading numbers as you watch & play games together. · Have place name cards at the table with everyone's name. Change places often. · Play flash card games. Start with the letters your child already knows then add new ones one at a time. Use the letters in child` s name as a basis to build on. ~~~1. Let your child keep the ones s/he knows. Count them, study a few more, then reshuffle all the cards and play again. Make a big deal out of the new amount of keepers. ~~~2. Start with the ones your child already knows and add the corresponding upper or lowercase letter (If your child knows B add b and add E if your child knows e.) Turn the cards over and play memory by matching the upper with the lowercase. ~~~3. Match upper and lower case letters on 3x5 cards. ~~~4. Use cards with corresponding pictures that identify with each letter in the alphabet.   Do you have any additional activities to share?