Most children of 3 or 4 years of age know the ABC song. However, many cannot recognize the letters of the alphabet until they start school. Why not encourage your child to read them by trying this simple method that was designed for his tender age? Not only will your baby learn to recognize each letter by name, he will also have fun doing it!
Steps
Step 1. Get a set of foam letters
You can find them for a few euros.
Step 2. When it's bath time, put two or three letters in the tub with the baby
Change them every time she takes a bath. When you have completed the whole alphabet, start over from the beginning, so that you can memorize it with less difficulty.
Step 3. While your child is playing in the tub, play with him, and call each letter by name
For example, for the letter B say, "B is tickling your toes … Oh, B is swimming around you … Give B to mom."
Step 4. Repeat this game every night until the child is able to distinguish the letters and can call each one by name
Step 5. When you get to know the first two or three letters, add another to the tank or replace any of the previous ones with the new one
Step 6. Repeat the previous steps until your child has learned all the letters of the alphabet
Advice
- Be patient. Some children learn faster than others. Know that in the end they all learn anyway.
- Occasionally give him back some of the letters he has already learned. If he doesn't review them, he can forget them.
- You can teach your child the sound associated with each letter by simply saying it every time you pick it up or play with it. For example, if you are playing with the letter S, every time you move it in the water you can say: "Here is the S…!"
- Reinforce what he has learned by pointing letters to him whenever you see them (in books, on billboards, on street signs, everywhere).
- Line up the foam letters, or the magnetic letters on the fridge, and sing the ABC song. So, take some off and sing the song again. Whenever one is missing, clap your hands instead of singing the letter. This is a fun way to draw the child's attention to the letters you are singing.
- Try to associate each letter of the alphabet with a word. That way, if the child forgets it, he can still remember the word. For example, an A word could be bee.
- You can use a calendar to schedule or write down the letters you enter each week. Or, if you want to make it easier, take two containers, one for the letters to be taught and the other for the ones you have already shown him.
- Try not to put too many letters in the bathtub at one time. They could confuse the child.
- Stick to the slow, simple ABC song, which allows the child to choose letters as he sings.
- Don't feel obligated to teach him letters in alphabetical order, it is not necessary.
