2 Fun Ways to Teach Letters to Preschoolers
Posted on: 21 May 2015
Enrollment in preschool can be indicative of success later in life. The desire to help children realize their potential motivates many parents to enroll their children in preschool, where kids can start learning valuable skills they will need to navigate elementary and secondary schools.
The ability to recognize letters is important when it comes to developing strong reading skills. As a preschool teacher, here are two fun activities you can use to help teach the toddlers in your class to recognize the letters of the alphabet.
1. Incorporate the alphabet into sensory play.
Young children often use all their senses to interpret the world around them. As a result, sensory play has gained popularity as a teaching modality. If you use sensory play in your classroom, you can easily incorporate the alphabet into play time to help toddlers learn to recognize letters.
All you need for this fun activity is a metal baking sheet, some construction paper, a container filled with rice, and magnetic letters. Trace the magnetic letters onto the construction paper, and glue the construction paper to the metal baking sheet. Hide the magnetic letters in the container filled with rice, and watch your students begin to learn to identify letters as they match the magnetic letters they found in the rice with the associated outline on the baking sheet.
2. Develop fine motor skills while working on letter recognition.
Little fingers often need practice to function properly, so helping preschool children work on their fine motor skills is important. You can combine letter recognition with fine motor skills by having your students participate in a letter matching game involving clothes pins.
Start by using a long, narrow strip of poster board and writing each letter along the bottom. Then, label some clothes pins with each letter, and have your students clip the clothes pin to the corresponding letter. You will not only increase your students' ability to recognize the letters of the alphabet, but you will help them master the use of their fingers which will help them to complete complex tasks in the future.
Teaching basic academic skills in preschool is important. When you take the time to incorporate letter recognition into the activities your students engage in while they are in your classroom, you will be able to help better prepare them for the rigors of their schooling in the future. Being able to recognize the alphabet will help young children read at an earlier age, setting them up for success later in life. For more information, talk to a professional like Pioneer Career & Technology Center.
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