There are lots of different methods for teaching the alphabet to your kids, and it can be overwhelming for many parents who are trying to teach their kids at home. I am a Montessori trained teacher, and here are my favorite tips for teaching the alphabet to your kids at home.
1. Teach the sounds, not the letter names. Why? Because when we read a word, we read it by sounding out the letters, not by the names of the letters. For example, when your child sounds out the word "CAT", he/she is sounding it out by saying "cuh,ahh,tuh", not "see,aaa,tee". By teaching the letter sounds before the letter names, we are making the transition to reading easier.
2. Teach lowercase letters first. In a Montessori classroom, we teach the lowercase letters first, followed by the uppercase. This is because when we read a book, the only time we see uppercase letters, are when they are at the beginning of a sentence, or in a name. We do not teach uppercase letters at all until the kids are consistently sounding out words.
3. When teaching the ABC song, try teaching it using the sounds of the letters instead of the letter names. This may take some work on your part, but this will really drive home the sounds of the letters. You might even find some songs on You Tube that teach the sounds instead of the letter names.
I hope you find these tips helpful. Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram @ Simple Steps Learning for more tips and tricks.
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