Learning Letters

Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom. In fact, the most effective and enduring learning occurs during everyday living. Make learning an around the clock affair with these easy tips that will ensure learning becomes part of your kids’ daily routine.

Lett’er rip as your kids discover exciting new ways to learn their ABC’s.

• Letter of the Day: Start your day with the Letter of the Day! Pick a lowercase letter and have your child open the newspaper and circle all of the lowercase letters of the day he or she can find. Keep a tally of how many letters your child can find each day. Which letter appears in the newspaper the most?
• Alphabet Capture: On 16 letter cards, write 8 uppercase and 8 lowercase letters (you can also use small square sheets of paper). Place the cards face down. Explain that the purpose of the game is to try to match uppercase letters with lowercase letters. As your child turns over a letter, ask him or her to identify the letter and tell you if it is uppercase or lowercase. Once two letters are turned over, ask your child if they are a match. If so, your child can “capture” the letters that match and set them aside. (To adjust the level, use more or fewer cards.)
• Macaroni Letters: Take 9 paper plates, and have your child write an uppercase letter on each plate. Give your child a bowl of a variety of pasta noodles. Have your child cover the outline of the letter with the pasta. For more fun, you can glue the noodles onto the plates.
• Shaving Cream Letters: Spray some shaving cream onto a table or into a box (a shirt box would work best). Your child can write a letter with their fingers in the stack of shaving cream. He or she can announce the letter name and “erase” it to write another! Talk about the differences between lowercase and uppercase letters.
• Shopping for Letters: Take your child with you to the mall. There are letters everywhere. Ask your child to search for specific letters. Look at signs, labels, clothes, etc. This is a great way to get your child excited about letters! Ask your child to tell you which letters are uppercase and which are lowercase.
• My Side of the Road: Play this game while riding in the car. Name a letter and have your child look on the right side of the road for things that begin with that letter. You look on the left. For the letter ‘B’ players might find a billboard, barn, bird, and so on. After a few minutes (or a few miles), try a different letter.

For an added challenge, try this spelling activity with your kids!

• Magnetic Spelling: Give your child magnetic letters and ask him or her to spell words. You can ask your child to spell specific words depending on their age. For example, a first or second grader might enjoy practicing their long vowel sounds by spelling words that end in silent e—for example, rake, kite, hope, mute. Set a timer and see how many words your child can put together in one minute.