My daughter will be 3 next month. She is very smart in comparison to children her age. But the one problem I have is she does not know how to identify her letters. She knows her ABC's song so thats no problem. I bought her the Letter Factory leap frog dvd and that works well, she knows the sound of every letter. HOWEVER, she can't ID the letters themselves. I did not think it was a problem, but then my nephew that is close in age to her can ID all his letters AND numbers backwards and forwards. I know I should not compare my child and that each child is different but can anyone offer any tips on how to teach her to ID her letters?
I used flash cards with my daughter who is now 3 1/2. It worked very well for her. I hope that helps. :)
First, I would say relax. Every child learns at their own pace. She will learn them with time. If you are stressing over it, she will pick up on that and may fight you more.
Do you have any letters she can play with? Leap Frog has magnetic letters that go well with the videos. We have several sets of those in both capital and lowercase letters. My son loves to play with them on the fridge and often takes them out to the coffee table while watching the Leap Frog videos (we have them all). He will line them up in order and create words to match what he is seeing on TV. My son also likes using letter cookie cutters with playdoh. He likes to draw and practice writing letters, so I keep a lot of paper, pencils, crayons, markers, and crayons around for him to use.
You could also try doing a letter of the week each week. Choose one letter and do activities that relate. For example, with the letter A, you could practice writing it, you could identify things around the house that start with A, you could eat A things like applesauce, etc.
For my son he was read several ABC books, have an ABC puzzle, and a few of the children shows helped too. Also I have those letters and numbers that stick to the wall of the bathtub. My son is 2.4 years old and he knew his alphabet very young. Numbers through 20 as well. I also had gotten a number puzzle through 20. I really think the key is reading to them and repetition.
I recommend introducing one letter at a time to really focus on. Point it out in books, menus, billboards, etc. Teach her the sound it says. Point out toys that start with that sound. Keep the letter on your fridge for her to look at. Ask her often what letter it is. When you introduce another letter (when you know she has the first one down) don't forget to go back and review the one she already learned. Keep them all on the fridge and ask them all to her often.
If you're looking for something more formal, you could check into A Beka. I homeschool and love A Beka. Both of my kids are older now and reading above grade level. I give the credit to A Beka.
A Beka also has some great visuals that she might like for introducing letters. So that might be worth checking into either way.
Lynn
Hi Nicole,
I bought my son for his 4th birthday Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read for Pre-schoolers. It comes with books and cds for for around $38.00. My son learns really quickly so now I have bought the Hooked on Phonics for Kindergarten/1st Grade and he is almost done with the Kindergarten section of it. He absolutely loves it and asks me everyday if he can go on to the next new word to learn. He's also reading short stories all by himself (all this in about 1 month he learned). I've very proud of him he will be 5 in September. I have nothing against Leap Frog but in my experience I think the Hooked on Phonics is just a little bit more indepth when it comes to ID letters, sounds and reading words. I wish you the best of luck.
Introduce 1 letter at a time, reinforcing that particular letter everywhere you see it, also picture association helps like flash card pictures to identify letters. Also appeal to other senses let her feel, smell and touch something that represents that letter.
Example A for Appple give her an apple, let her hold it, smell it, and taste it. Be creative find an object for each letter.
The Montessori approach is to teach the sounds of the letters first, so she's on the right track to being an early reader. Think about it- other than to entertain others by pointing out that your daughter can identify letters, why does she need to know the names of them? Take the letter "H" for example. If she is trying to read and sound out a word, the NAME of that letter won't help her- the sound will.
That being said, I highly recommend the foam bathtub letters. WalMart has them in the baby section.
The Leapfrog Fridge Phonics is awesome!
I have bought my children foam letters that they can play with in the tub. We have fun spellling their names and mommy and daddy. I make a game of it and I think it is helping them identify. Try focusing on her name and then wherever you go point out the lettere of her name or the first letter. You can do this in the grocery store, target even on the back of cars . Goodluck!
Try doing letter of the day or letter of the week.
All day (or week) look for that letter. So if its "S" point it out on stop signs, or ask her to point it out, find it in signs or license plates while you drive, or in packaging while you shop. And do this in random order, not in ABC sequence. And emphasize the sound each letter makes along with recognizing the actual letter. Have her lunch start with that letter, or snack, or a game. Make as much as you can about that day be about the letter of the day.
Hope it helps.
Nancy
Hi Nicole,
I know when my kids were little I used good ol fashioned flash cards. I would sit down with them and just run through them a few times a day and make it a game.
Hope this helps.
I let my kids play on the computer using a website called starfall. My two year old learned all his letters from sitting and watching his four year old brother play.
I've used this
http://www.preschoolprepco.com/h/p/mtl/index.php
It's a very simple DVD that is supposed to help children identify letters (they have colors, shapes and numbers DVDs as well). I'm not sure if it will help your daughter, but mine seemed to like it.
I've also used a large photo album (holds 200 photos) and some die-cut (punch out) letters from an Office supply store. I put all the capital letters in first, then the lower case. In the afternoon we would sit with the photo album like flash cards. At first it didn't work, so sadly I resorted to mini-marshmallows or tiny jelly bellies. For every letter she got right she got a "reward". Everyday she wanted to say her letters and eventually she forgot the rewards. A year later the album still has the capital and lowercase letters, but we've added the sight words, and she still loves it.
There is a leapfrog refrigerator magnet that sings the abc's and sounds out the letter when you place a letter in the middle of the toy. It has been great for our son. He would stand and sing the songs and listen to how each letter sounds. It's called the "LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Set." Also I use children's place mats with the abc's on them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are cheap and you can find them at wal-mart. My son was 2 1/2 when he learned all his letters. The key is to be repetitive and spend time with them. Good luck.
The DVDs are great but I recommend the basics - try a nice wooden puzzle with the letters and numbers that she can hold in her hands and see and feel.
Proud mother of a 15 year old honor student.
hi,
my children attend a montessori school. they both started when they were 3. during that year, they worked with them on sandpaper letters (they would trace with their fingers). i recommend looking for a book by maria montessori, she was an amazing woman and educator. our girls are 4 and 5. our 5 year old is reading so well and the 4 year old is on her way. they are both learning to write cursive and print. montessori is an amazingly beautifully respectfully taught education of not only books but life. also, you're right never compare children, but observe and make a conscious decision from a place of intuition rather than reaction. peace, camden
Use flashcards, she won't get it overnight, but soon enough, she will start to know them. I was frustrated and upset because my 3 year old didn't know his, even though we do letter stuff all the time, then we started on flashcards and he's gotten a lot better!
He knows at least 10 letters over a two week period of time.
Best wishes,
Jaci
Nicole, we didn't have th eleap frog when our kids were growing up. LoL We showed them things that they could touch like, D-Dog, W-water and so on. I read a lot to my kids and I was kind of like a teacher and I would show them all the pictures and they would touch the letters and try to sound them out.
Dee Dee
first you shouldn't compare. every child is different. second work on one letter at a time. i have a 4 yr. in pre k 4 and they only expect them to know 15 letters in kindegarted the first semester. they want them to count to 25. but recongize 20 not in order. some kind don't even know how to spell their first name. so i would not worry and i would not push. being a mother and grandmother. let them learn at their speed. you buy educational toys let them play and not worry about learning. i hope i can help