Games and Activities to Teach Pre-Reading Skills

Methods for Teaching the Alphabet for Kindergarten Readiness

Jan 26, 2009

Keeping young children interested in learning about the alphabet can be difficult. Here are some fun suggestions for teaching pre-reading skills.

Children today are expected to know each letter of the alphabet and its sound by the time they enter kindergarten. That means that the responsibility lies on parents and caretakers to get young children ready for kindergarten by teaching them basic pre-reading skills. You can create an engaging learning environment by using the games and activities below.

Letter Hunt

Toddlers and preschoolers love playing “treasure hunt.” Why not put a twist on it and make it a letter hunt? Buy or cut out a set of alphabet letters, trace each letter's shape on a piece of posterboard, and hide the letters for your child to find. They’ll probably enjoy using additional props like binoculars, flashlights, or nets. As they find each letter, help them glue it to the posterboard over the appropriate outline.

Letter Bingo

Educational vendors sell letter bingo games, but it’s easy to make your own. Focus on a handful of letters that you want your child to work on mastering, and create a bingo card featuring those letters. A bingo card with only four squares is fine for a very young child, but there can be as many or as few as you think your child can handle. Call squares by drawing papers marked with the letters until your child gets a bingo (or blackout); then switch and let your child be the caller while you fill out the card. Either way, they will be practicing naming and identifying the letters.

Letter of the Day Craft

Preschools and kindergartens often feature a letter of the day, and it’s not hard to do at home. Devote ten minutes each night to preparing a simple craft or activity featuring each letter of the alphabet for the next day. If possible, your craft should include the capital and lowercase version of the letter of the day printed on it. The child can hang the craft in their room where they will see it every day. For more ideas and a sample outline, see "Letter of the Day Activities from A to Z."

Letter Food

Food is a great medium for teaching letters. Your child will enjoy helping make and eat foods that he has formed into different letters of the alphabet. Almost anything can be formed into letters, including soft pretzels or pancakes.

Alphabet Song

Learning the ABC song is great for learning letters, but don’t be fooled into thinking that a child who can sing the song knows the alphabet. Kids can often “learn” a song but not really understand what they are singing. To get the most out of the alphabet song, play games with it. Sing the song but then stop and have your child shout out the next letter. Or sing the song with a few “errors” and let your child catch the mistakes and correct you.

Educational Media

Learning DVDs and educational TV are great when they're used as part of a broader teaching technique. DVDs like LeapFrog’s Talking Letter Factory or television shows like Sesame Street, Super Why, or Word World can do a great deal of teaching, but only if you watch with your child and engage him in what he’s seeing. Emphasize the points being made in the show, sing along with the songs, and encourage your child to shout out the answer when the character on screen asks, “What sound does the letter B make?”

Read Together

Follow the words with your index finger as you read, so your child knows you’re reading instead of just describing the pictures on the page. Pause every now and then to ask your child if she can spot a specific letter. Introduce the idea that letters go together to spell a word. Bookstores and libraries carry many excellent alphabet books, like Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. (1989).

Let Them Practice

When you write something – whether it’s a check, a grocery list, or a letter to a friend – hand your child a piece of paper and encourage him to scribble “letters” on it. In this digital world, it’s also a good idea to introduce children to the computer and let them peck out some letters (gently) to send in an e-mail to grandma.

Being creative and flexible when teaching the alphabet is key to keeping young children engaged. Kids do their best learning when they think they’re playing, so take advantage of opportunities to teach through games, activities, crafts, and songs whenever possible.

The copyright of the article Games and Activities to Teach Pre-Reading Skills in School Readiness is owned by Jenny Evans. Permission to republish Games and Activities to Teach Pre-Reading Skills in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.