Teaching your children at a young age provides many great benefits for them to advance in their lives. It doesn't mean you need to teach him quantum physics when he is 3 years old, but starting to show, question, and explain things to him is a good starting point. One of the most common academic lectures to teach your toddler is alphabets. Teaching alphabets to toddlers doesn’t have to be complicated and hard. And certainly you don’t need to set up a classroom for your child.
Below, we will introduce to parents 8 simple activities that you can use when try teaching alphabets to toddlers.
Teaching alphabets to toddlers: 8 activities
Parents are too busy to spend too much time teaching their children to learn. However, it is not so that parents completely surrender or just wait, depending on the teacher because there are many ways that can be applied effectively without spending too much time. Here are 8 simple ways to teach children to recognize letters naturally without forcing them to learn:
Learn by playing games
Young children love to explore and learn, especially if their parents facilitate their development. In addition to listening to music and reading books, parents can let their children learn the alphabet through creative activities such as coloring. You should hold your baby's hand and fill each picture frame in the book slowly because your baby cannot hold a regular pen to perform at this age.
Some notes are that parents should gradually increase the difficulty level for the game according to the time and ability of the baby. However, it is necessary to observe the baby's ability to adjust accordingly.
Sing songs about the alphabet
Surely you already know the song about the English alphabet. Since merry tunes have a particular impact that makes kids effectively pulled in, from which children learn words rapidly and recall them longer.
You can search for some children's song videos for your baby to listen to or buy the alphabet with sounds for your children. Those will be the perfect tools for you to start teaching children to learn letters.
Word puzzles
Alphabet games can be easily found at toy or stationery stores. Or, more simply, you can make them yourself at home. You need a large board, and the letters are attached to a magnet.
Feed your baby letters shaped food
Feeding children letters-shaped cakes and candies is also an effective way to teach children to learn letters that you should know.
You can also work with your child to make word cakes with convenient letter-shaped cake molds at home. While baking with your child, you can teach them more about nutrition and cooking!
For example, if you teach your child that the word Vegetable starts with the letter V, also tell your child that vegetable contains fiber and vitamins for his body to grow… Or you can find and buy alphabet-shaped cookies available on the market. Mealtimes will be more enjoyable and rewarding than ever.
Here is an alphabet-shaped cookies cutter that I want to recommend: R&M International Alphabet 3" Cookie Cutter
Write down the letters as you teach
If children learn to read and write simultaneously, they will learn to read faster. When you read to your child, always encourage your child to remember the word.
For example, when the child says the letter A, I will write the letter A for her to see. It will stimulate the brain and help children remember by reading and writing simultaneously for a long time.
Read books to your child every day
Reading to your child every day may not help your child learn to read. However, it has a significant effect on creating love and excitement for children with books and letters. While reading stories to your child, try to interact, asking your child what is in the story. It helps them better understand what I am hearing.
On the other hand, parents should always try to set an example for their children. Even if you are very busy, show your child that you read every day. Children will find reading is a good thing that adults also do every day to follow. Mothers can read newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, or novels…
Open a new 'alphabet box' every week
Another way to teach children to memorize letters is to open a new "alphabet box" with them every week. Each week, you will open a box with your child containing objects that begin with a week's letter. For example, with the letter "B", you put things or pictures of animals that start with the letter "B" in the box, such as bananas and balls… and teach toddlers.
Flashcards
Flashcards are a tremendous mnemonic tool that you can use as an effective way of teaching your children to learn letters. First of all, you should buy or prepare flashcards with simple phonics and vocabulary so that children can initially recognize letters. The illustrations on flashcards also need to be lively and easy to understand for preschoolers.
Some of my recommendations for alphabet flashcards are Carson Dellosa Flash Cards for Toddlers 2 - 4 Years or School Zone - Alphabet Flash Cards - Ages 3 and Up.
Teaching alphabets to toddlers: how to deal with difficulties
When teaching the alphabets to toddlers, they will not cooperate all the time. You can try teaching, but they can jump around or lose focus after 3 minutes…. Here are some of our tips for parents to handle those situations.
Children do not like to study
Teaching children in general and learning the alphabet, in particular, is relatively easy for children who love to learn. But for children who are not excited about learning, especially learning letters, child psychology is the most significant barrier in the teaching process. Parents need to find a way to stimulate their child's interest in learning letters.
For example, playing games and having small gifts reward the baby when he answers correctly. Forcing kids to do something they do not like will not have the desired effect.
Children lose concentration
Children are easily attracted to many factors around them. The younger the child, the lower the level of focus on a problem. Sometimes a bird flies by, or a strange sound suddenly appears, or suddenly remembers an untold story, unrelated questions, and questions…
And at this age, you cannot apply too many methods because it can be difficult for children. The best way that you should apply is to mix games so that your child can focus more on learning or break up the learning time. (The methods I give above).
Children learn first, forget later, or make mistakes
Children cannot learn once and immediately remember information; even adults find it challenging to do that. Children absorb too quickly; too much information means they are more easily confused and forgotten.
Create a fun environment to learn with your children. Don't cram your child into too much information at once. Instead, break the information down and repeat it repeatedly, which is much more efficient. Do not hesitate to do anything silly to reduce your child's stress in learning.
Combine study and practice
Theory needs to be put into practice. Children learning letters need to remember the face of the word, know how to match letters, and spell. Parents combine in parallel between transmitting knowledge to the baby and giving the child the chance to practice. We need to create interaction between parents and children and learning. For example, while reading, writing, rewriting the words you know…
We need to create interaction between parents and children and learning. For example, while reading, writing, or rewriting the words you know... I often associate learning with indoor objects or street signs. For example, when I pick up things from the refrigerator with my child, I often pick up my child and ask him for some letters on the control panel; for example, the letter T is at the temperature.
Repeat, repeat over and over again
Remind and repeat to help your baby remember for a long time. Do not be lazy to repeat the knowledge to your baby. They are incorporating repetition of expertise through a variety of activities. It will help children easily associate and remember better.
Comfortable study space
Parents do not need to be too rigid with the teaching environment. A comfortable learning space will help children absorb better and be more effective. Let your child study wherever they are comfortable.
For example, when going to supermarkets, and parks, learning letters through the letters printed on bottles, jars, packaging for cakes and candies, learning letters through billboards on the road, alphabetic confectionery…
Teach your child to pronounce each letter with vivid examples
Use alphabet books with pictures or show your child letters from the environment that appear on objects such as traffic signs, advertising signs, food labels,…. The combination of letters and pictures will help children enjoy and remember longer.
Integrate learning to playing
Turn your baby's reading practice time into fun, exciting moments that will help your baby learn to read quickly and remember letters longer by integrating learning with play. A small example like a puzzle. This game also works when your baby knows the letters and begins to get used to putting words together. For example, you can say read word for word in M-o-n-k-e-y so that your child can find and match. Then you will show your child pictures of Monkey. Learning will become much more interesting.
Things Parents Need To Keep In Mind When Teaching Alphabets To Toddlers
In terms of learning letters, parents should first show their children their names. They will not understand when they are first pointed out, they will not understand, but they will remember their shapes.
For example, write your baby's name out loud on the board. Or put colorful letters together to make your baby's name… That is the first step to helping your baby recognize letters. After a while, your baby will know how to connect the letters. Baby can also read that letter.
Do not force children
Learning the alphabet is a good premise for children to later integrate into the learning environment. However, childhood is the purest period of life. We should not be too restrictive, forcing the children to develop early. Let your baby live with the purity and innocence of his age.
Teaching method to learn letters is critical
Teaching children to learn letters is the right way to teach children. However, how to teach children correctly is still a matter of concern. Each stage requires different methods. When the baby is a toddler, parents can let the baby listen to music, tell stories, and sing to the baby… So that the baby can feel the sound. Like that, the baby will react, and later he will learn. It is a valuable and easy way to teach children to learn letters.
However, parents need to be flexible and raise the level over time. Children can look at pictures, listen to stories, guess animals, and objects, memorize lyrics, and sing along. Children can know the names of their toys, grandparents, parents, etc...
Parents and adults need to create the maximum conditions for the baby to learn letters. Tell your baby things they do not know, then ask them a few more times. If the child still cannot answer, the parents need to explain to the child to understand. Gradually, it will create a habit, and the children can remember it. Parents should not put too much pressure on themselves and their children about early mastery of the alphabet.
Toddlers are not yet the age to put a lot of emphasis on learning. It is still the age for children to have fun. Parents need to be patient when teaching children to learn the alphabet.
Encourage your toddlers
Parents' praise is the joy and motivation for the child to continue to try, helping the child to be confident in himself. Praise your little one for trying, not for the result.
Set yourself as a good example
It’s hard for your toddler to focus on the books and letters if he sees you on the phone or TV all the time. The first step starts with you. Even though you put your phone in between the books, show your toddler that you are grabbing a book to read.
Parents should study together with their children so that children can see their parents' attitudes and follow them. For example, you can sit with your child reading a book, look at the picture of the book and combine a few small games to keep your child interested. But besides creating lively and attractive study habits for their children, parents also need to be serious at the same time.
Regardless of the teaching method, mothers should pay attention to the prerequisite factor to pass on excitement and passion to their children.“Learning to play, playing to learn” is the key to success in teaching toddlers the alphabet that I always strive for.
Teaching alphabets to toddlers: final thought
Thus, parents should keep in mind that it does not matter what age they teach their children to learn the alphabet. The most important thing is how do parents teach their children to learn? Above are 8 simple ways to teach alphabets to toddlers that you can apply even though your work is busy. Remember that it is up to your child to use which method works best. Be patient, parents!