The alphabet is one of the first ‘academic’ elements a child becomes truly well versed in. As such, children of pre-school age should, generally, already be familiar with it. But what does ‘familiar’ mean in this case? Well, let us spell it out for you; being able to sing or recite the alphabet, being able to identify letters in the upper case and lower case, being able to match lower case and upper case letters, and being able to identify the various sounds that come with each letter. A lot to take in? We agree.
Because, of course, each child progresses at their own pace, and putting undue pressure on your little one is the enemy of development. There are, however, gentle ways in which you can help them in learning their A, B, Cs. These are those; our 4 IDEAL ways to help your child remember the alphabet.
TEACH THROUGH SONG
The alphabet song has been used for decades, and it’s still used today simply because, well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Be honest, you still recite it when trying to negotiate that tricky area between H and M, don’t you? We know we do.
Well, we say start ‘em young with this one. Because when you make it a point to sing the song with your child, it becomes a fun learning activity and a little exercise in bonding, too. Even if they’re still toddlers, serenading them with this catch ditty will allow them to become well-versed in the song even if they’re not singing the chorus right back at you just yet. Know, in time, that it will come. In fact, memorising through song and rhyme has time and time again been proven to be an efficient and effective mnemonic method of storing information. And this song is one that most certainly sticks; all together now……
READ THE BEST ABC BOOKS
Another surefire way to help your child remember the alphabet is to read them various alphabet books. The repetitive nature of such an activity will stimulate your child’s brain and help them remember the different letters of the alphabet without too much of an effort. With so many available, though, it can be tough to narrow things down sufficiently and seperate the As from the Fs. Just a few wonderful ABC books include The Three Bears ABC, Eating the Alphabet, Harold’s ABC, Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game, and ABC T-Rex.
PRACTICE WITH PUZZLES
You can also practice the alphabet with your child with various alphabet puzzles, which are plentiful at any bookshop. These puzzles not only help your child remember the alphabet but also help them develop their motor skills, coordination, problem solving and allow them that first sense of thinking freely and independetly. Wooden alphabet puzzles are a big hit with many parents nowadays, as they are sturdy, sustainable and attractive, and you can even keep them and pass them down to future generations. Alternatively, the full A to Z in fridge magnet form can provide a little intrigue to your little one when you’re at the stoves cooking their dinner. Which brings us to…
MAKE ALPHABET LETTERS
We’ll forgo the alphabetti spaghetti for now, we think, and instead do something homemade and wholesome. Indeed, a fun (and potentially delicious) way to get your child to remember the alphabet is to make alphabet moulds with chocolate.
Once fashioned, you could make a game out of the whole thing by preparing the moulds with your child and then letting them identify each letter; if they identify and recognise the letter correctly, then the reward is simply to give the chocolate alphabet letter to them as a treat. Lovely stuff. Just make sure they don’t get too adept at letter identification or you’re going to have a sick kid on your hands. You could, of course, substitute the sweet stuff for something healthier such as beetroot pure or a fruit coulis. The added bonus here is the chance to do some cooking together; quality time leading into learning, what more could you ask for?