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5 Ways to Teach the Alphabet

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. See my disclosure for details.

Teaching the alphabet is foundational for reading and writing. Around the age of 2, children begin showing interest in learning alphabet letters. While some kids learn letters very quickly, others need more repetition and time to learn letters. Today I’m going to share with you some of my favorite ways to teach the alphabet to little ones.

5 Ways to Teach the Alphabet

Here’s what a preschooler should know before kindergarten:

  • Recite/sing the alphabet
  • Identify uppercase letters
  • Identify lowercase letters
  • Match uppercase letters to lowercase letters
  • Identify the sounds each letter makes
  • Traces letters
  • Write some alphabet letters

Here are my five favorite ways to teach the alphabet to children.

1. Read Alphabet Books

Read all sorts of alphabet books to your children, even starting as babies. The repetition will really help your child learn the alphabet at a young age. When my oldest was born, I was surprised at how many alphabet books we had been given as gifts. We loved reading all of them because they were different from each other. I found that around 18 months both my kids really started enjoyed reading alphabet books. Here are a few of our alphabet books:

Alphabet Books

Here are some of our favorite alphabet books.

The Three Bears ABCThe Three Bears ABCThe Three Bears ABCChicka Chicka Boom Boom (Board Book)Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Board Book)Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Board Book)Eating the AlphabetEating the AlphabetEating the AlphabetThe Farm Alphabet BookThe Farm Alphabet BookThe Farm Alphabet BookG is for GoatG is for GoatG is for GoatHarold's ABC (Purple Crayon Book)Harold’s ABC (Purple Crayon Book)Harold's ABC (Purple Crayon Book)I Stink! (Kate and Jim Mcmullan)I Stink! (Kate and Jim Mcmullan)I Stink! (Kate and Jim Mcmullan)Bad KittyBad KittyBad KittyThe Letters Are Lost!The Letters Are Lost!The Letters Are Lost!AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went FirstAlphaOops!: The Day Z Went FirstAlphaOops!: The Day Z Went FirstZ Is for Moose (Booklist Editor's Choice. Books for Youth (Awards))Z Is for Moose (Booklist Editor’s Choice. Books for Youth (Awards))Z Is for Moose (Booklist Editor's Choice. Books for Youth (Awards))Q Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing GameQ Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing GameQ Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing GameABC T-RexABC T-RexABC T-RexWork: An Occupational ABCWork: An Occupational ABCWork: An Occupational ABC

2. Sandpaper Letters

Using sandpaper letters is a great way to introduce letters to children. My favorite ones are Didax Sandpaper Tracing Letters or School Supply Tactile Letters Kit. This is a perfect pre-writing activity because children use their finger to trace the sandpaper letters. I love that the cards tell the child where to start and which direction to go.

Sandpaper Letters

Sandpaper letters are part of the Montessori approach to learning how to read. These letters provide a tactile and visual way to help children learn the alphabet. In the Montessori method, you teach letters to a child in the 3-period lesson.

1st period is introducing the letter (“this is” period). Show your child the letters. Have them trace the sandpaper letters. The best way to teach children alphabet letters is by telling them their phonetic sound.  So each time they trace the letter, say the phonetic sound.

2nd period is association (“show me” stage).  Ask your child to follow simple directions with the letters. For example, please pick up the /m/ and set it by the window. Continue to do this with each letter several times to reinforce this. If it is too difficult, return to the first period.

3rd period is recall (“what is this?” period). Only go to this period when they’ve mastered the other two periods.  Put a letter in front of the child and say “Can you trace this and tell me what it is?” Continue with the other letters in the same way.

When you use these sandpaper letters, you are teaching them 3 things: the shape of letters, the feel of its shape and how its written, and how you pronounce its sound.

3. Alphabet Puzzles

I think teaching letters with alphabet puzzles are an amazing tool for teaching the alphabet. This is my favorite puzzle, from Melissa and Doug. It’s a beautiful wooden puzzle with neat pictures. This is a great way to practice vocabulary and verbal skills, too.

alphabet puzzle

4. Sensory Activities

While some kids learn letters very quickly, others need more repetition and time to learn letters. I’ve always said that children learn best when they have many multisensory experiences with letters.

I love to incorporate sensory play into learning alphabet letters. When children have meaningful activities with repeated exposure, they start to pick up on letter names. One way is this alphabet ice excavation activity.

You could also make a colorful sensory bin!

Or practice writing letters in the sand, like this sensory writing tray.

5. Alphabet Printables

I have quite a few alphabet printables on my blog, but here is a set that is easy and fun for preschoolers. You will need Do a Dot Markers or dot stickers to fill in the circles.

alphabet do a dot markers

I love pulling printables out for a quick and easy activity. I’m always advocating for hands-on learning, but sometimes it’s nice to do a few paper activities. Using Do a Dot markers or dot stickers is great for hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

alphabet do a dot printables

If you’d like to download this printable, just click the button below.

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  8. Sarah says

    I love your description of the 3-period method of teaching letters. I haven’t seen this before, but seeing it written out that way makes perfect sense! Thank you for sharing! I would love to win an alphabet book or the sandpaper letters. I am new to teaching preschool and am still trying to build my teacher toolbox.

    Reply

  16. Cristina Cummings says

    I would love to win the sandpaper letters. I am a school-based occupational therapist and use multisensory approaches to teacher letter recognition, memory, and formation all the time. This would be a great addition to my toolkit.

    Reply

  20. Shelly M. says

    I would like to win the sandpaper letters, please. Thank you so much for doing these Christmas giveaways. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

    Reply

  35. Emily says

    My 3 year old loves to sing the alphabet song lately! We would love to win a set of sandpaper letters so she can work more on those pre-writing skills!

    Reply

  41. Megan H says

    I love all of your sensory letter activity ideas! It’s below freezing in Minnesota so I can put a bowl of water on my deck at night and we’ll be ready to excavate letters in the morning! I might try using a muffin tin and doing individual letters in each tin. Love the sandpaper letters and sand writing, too!

    Reply

  42. michelle says

    We love the do-a-dot alphabet printables. Thanks for sharing them. I have been on the hunt for sandpaper letters and will check out your suggestions.

    Reply

  44. Lisa says

    I love do-a-dot and my kids do too. Thanks for the free printables. You can use other things besides blotters with those too – pompoms is an easy one.

    Reply

  46. Michelle VanDorn says

    I’d love to win the Sand Letters. My kids would enjoy them and it would help them learn their letters better

    Reply

  56. Flo McDOnough says

    My former assistant had the sandpaper letters, and they were fabulous. Definitely would want to use them again!

    Reply

  72. Aleshia Cassar says

    This would be a great prize to win to help assist my daughter in developing her language skills. Thanks for the opportunity

    Reply

  73. miss f says

    G is for Goat would be great, because Patricia Polacco writes amazing books. I didn’t know she had an alphabet book until I read your post.

    Reply

  83. Nora B says

    I would love the sandpaper letter cards! I am a literacy interventionist and teach 3-6 year olds their letter sounds, so they would be a fun way to spice my activities up!

    Reply

  84. Nazlee Ayube says

    A combination 0f art, sensory would make a very nice addition to my toddlers room. they love art especially. we always run out of Do a Dot. the love playing with the magnets as well as we are learning letters and numbers.

    Reply

  96. Stacey Dukes says

    I’ve had my eye on sandpaper letters for a while. I also love the alphabet puzzle. We have a different one but the one in this post is adorable and it may be time to change it up!

    Reply

  100. Katie Morris says

    Such great alphabet resources. I wish more students had a strong preschool experience and entered kindergarten knowing the letters and sounds.

    Reply

  106. Andrea Ruano says

    All of these prizes would be just great! If I had to choose it wold probably be the alphabet puzzles. My son just turned 3 and definitely learns better hands on and I’ve noticed he really loves puzzles!

    Reply

  110. Lisa Marie says

    Thank you for your generosity. If my name were picked, I’d be happy with any of the prizes, however, I think my first choice would be the sandpaper letter. I’ve never seen a set of them. I always figured people made them! Cheers!!

    Reply

  111. Pamela Nunnelley says

    I love the sensory play letter match activities. My children also love them. I have not seen the sandpaper letters and would love to try those.

    Reply

  112. Kim Bertram says

    I would love to receive any of the prizes, but I love the sandpaper letters. I have never seen them. I have made some, but that is a lot of work!! 😉

    Reply

  113. Jennifer says

    I would love the magnetic letters to help my kindies for a fun way to practice letter recognition and spelling sight words!

    Reply

  114. Vicki says

    My 2.5 yr old has some delays so I really appreciate the different ideas to introduce letters to her. She is very sensory oriented; I think the sandpaper letters would really be something she enjoys!

    Reply

  118. Jen says

    Oh my goodness! So many great options! I’d choose the magnetic alphabet. My daughter is in Montessori and using those at school learning to spell and read so I’d like to support her with these at home with these as well as start teaching her little brother. Thanks so much for all that you do for us! Happy Holidays!

    Reply

  120. Whitney says

    My son is in a Montessori primary class and has just started learning with sandpaper letter. He gets so excited with every new group he learns.

    Reply

  123. Denise says

    Another tough choice! I think I would pick the magnetic letters. Right now I scrounge from my own kids’ magnetic letters to use for my preschool classroom (or I make my own – time consuming!). I love that they are boxed, organized & come in many colors!

    Reply

  132. Laura says

    Thank you for all the suggestions and ideas. I would be thrilled and grateful to win any prize. However, the books would be a particularly welcome addition to my classroom library.

    Reply

  135. Renee Thornton says

    I love all of these ideas. My students really love puzzles and it is a great way for them to learn by manipulating the letters.

    Reply

  136. Kathleen says

    I used sandpaper letters when I taught PK many years ago. I would love to use them again with my PK grandson. He has some medical issues and this would be perfect for him!

    Reply

  137. Rhonda Tucker says

    These are such great ideas! We would love to have more ways to learn the alphabet! The sandpaper letters are awesome! And we love books! Thanks so much for providing this opportunity to win such awesome prizes! You are the best!

    Reply

  146. Athena says

    Sandpaper Alphabet Cards would be fantastic to have in our 3 year old classroom. I have seen a huge decline in fine motor development as more and more 2-5 year olds play on iPads or tablets. As an early childhood teacher and curriculum developer I love that you promote fine motor techniques in your curriculum. I find myself always linking your blogs to newsletters or telling my parents to follow you. Thank you for being a strong and powerful early childhood advocate.

    Reply

  148. Sarah Myers says

    Love all of these ideas! I work with K-5, so I could definitely benefit from this with my younger kiddos!! 🙂

    Reply

  163. Melissa Archer says

    Thank you so much for doing these giveaways. It gives the opportunity to see what things I can use in my room. Also, I hope to win them to be able to use them in my room.

    Reply

  175. Stacey Schottey says

    Thank you for all you do to empower teachers. Giving ideas an encouragement for skills to grow strong writers and readers. ❤️

    Reply

  192. Karama says

    Thanks for your helpful ideas.
    Any tips for teaching English alphabet as a foreign language?
    Best wishes…

    Reply

  195. Robin Rasmussen says

    I love using these markers! For math centers Letter practice, working on fine motor skills and art! Thanks for the printable!!

    Reply

  196. Johna says

    I was concerned that my daughter is already 2 yr and 1 mo but she is not yet learning the alphabet and doesn’t seem to be interested with it while other kids are already learning the alphabet before turning 2 but I was happy that you recommend to start teaching kids at two as Im not yet too late. I dont have any teaching background so I am not sure what would interest my child in studying.

    Reply

  197. Denise Arreola says

    How many letters do you introduce at a time so they could remember them and for how many days to you go over those letters before starting new ones?

    Reply

  198. jENNIFER FRANKLIN says

    Hi! I teach 3 1/2 year olds. I have made sandpaper letters and was very interested in your 3-period lesson description, especially Step 2. Wonderful.

    I do want to mention that one year I taught just the letter sound as I showed the letter. Four months later that year I decided to add the letter name. Boy, that was disheartening! The kids had a very hard time including the letter name after learning to say just the letter sound when they saw the letter. It was a rather bad experience. They eventually learned the letter names, too, but it was way harder for them than if I had just gone ahead and taught both sound and name together at the same time.

    Now I teach the letter sound AND the letter name simultaneously. I say “/a/ and the name is ayyy”, /b/ and the name is beeee, etc. when I show the letter or when I pull out a sandpaper letter and the child traces the letter. The child still automatically says the sound first when they see that letter, but they follow up with the letter name. Because I have such a long chant for them to say when they see the letter, and they say the SOUND first, it’s easy for them to shorten the chant to just the sound when we sound out the letters in, say, the title of the book I am about to read to them.

    thanks for all you do. I love and have copied out the instructions for some of those sensory bins and bottles, and will be using them in my room. THANKS AGAIN!

    Reply

    • Samantha A. says

      I would love to win the sandpaper letters. I have a lot of alphabet activities. Do they have lowercase as well?
      I put letters and numbers in small rubber duckies and used them in a sensory table as a game as well.

      Reply

  200. Eliana says

    Thank you very much for this article, I think it is very helpfull. I am a Spanish native speaker but I am studying English Language teaching. The reason why I found your post very interesting is that I am also a young mom and I would like that my baby boy has two mother tongues, English and Spanish, and thanks to your post and experience I had now different easy ways to start teaching English to my baby in a more natural way, just as the native English speakers.

    Reply

  201. Carol says

    These seem interesting, but I have a 4 year old son, and he seems to get the concept of the alphabet, he keeps forgetting the letters W,X,Y, and Z. So what else can I do to help him remember those last 4 letters of the alphabet.

    Reply

  202. Chimène says

    Hello!
    Thank you so much for sharing such useful tips! I am very interested in the sandpaper letters and I’m actually ordering the didax set soon! I was wondering if there was a specific order recommended to follow when teaching the letters because I wad thinking of starting with my son’s name since it is only 3 letters, “Ali”.

    Thank you for such insightful information!

    Reply

  203. Martha says

    Thanks so much for the idea of sandpaper letters and making the alphabet box. I have a two year old granddaughter and I am always looking for interesting ways of teaching her the alphabet. Tracing the letter with the sandpaper letters will be much easier, than a printable worksheet, as a beginning tool

    Reply

  204. Carey says

    Hi, I am so happy to find a great website that i can use to help teach my children at home. We have recently moved to another country with an entirely new language and want to teach my children at home in English while they learn at school the other language. As i am very new to being a stay at home mom, i have found your website very user friendly with loads of advise on how to go about teaching my children. Thank you.

    Reply

  205. jane oboh says

    Thank you so much for these great ideas. i am going to add the alphabet box activity to my other activities.

    Reply

  206. JoAnn Stanley says

    I just purchased the upper and lower case alphabet formations downloads so now how do I get to them.

    Reply

  207. heather says

    Alphabet Boxes! This is the best IDEA ever!!!!! I have two none english speaking students in my 3 year old class and this will do wonders for them!

    Reply

  209. Brittney says

    I love the alphabet boxes. We get together each week with some friend to do “Toddler Time” where we cover a different alphabet letter and having objects seems to be the best way to cement the letter sounds in our tot’s minds.

    Reply

  210. tajik says

    Very well.this post was useful for me.i tried to work with this methods.in first i have to translate it to my native culture.because i am Iranian teacher.thank you so much

    Reply

  211. Renee says

    I have the alphabet on the wall ( you can find some very cute “wall sticker” kinds online). The kids line up and take turns taking an alphabet card (from a deck of alphabet cards), then running to touch the letter on the wall. I encourage them to say the name of the letter, but readily say it for them if they don’t know. This is great for numbers as well.

    Reply

  212. Shirley says

    I was a teaching assistant at a Montessori school and one thing the kids liked to do was make letter books with the sandpaper letters. Fold a small piece of paper around the letter tile (ours were homemade on pieces of thin wood) and rub a crayon over it to make a rubbing. The kids would do their names and we would make a banner using string. The older kids would sound out words and we would staple them together.

    Reply

  213. Joan says

    Wow… The Sandpaper letters are interesting. I’ll have to add that to my list of neat tricks. I’m always looking for unique items to teach the alphabet. If anyone is interested, I’d like to suggest this link for something new: http://www.letterheadsplayground.com Go to their download page to download free PDF coloring pages.

    Reply

  214. Nicole says

    I loved this post! I have a 9 month old & I love reading to her. What age do you recommend starting to teach the alphabet ?

    Reply

    • Angela Thayer says

      I started with my oldest when he was 2. He seemed ready, but that may seem early for some. If they seem interested, then you can start when they are ready! Thanks for your kind words. 🙂

      Reply

  216. Bethany G says

    We did a variation of the alphabet boxes last week, too. First we read the book “My ‘t’ Sound Box” by Jane Moncure. A boy fills his box with things that start with “t.” The Sound Box series has books for the whole alphabet and the library has them (at least I know Urbandale and Des Moines do). Since M is 4 he gathered objects that started with “t.” He had a blast! I think I’ll look into the sandpaper letters. I think my boys would love them 🙂 thanks for the ideas!

    Reply

  217. Ann @ My Nearest and Dearest says

    What a helpful post, especially to those of us who are interested in teaching our children but don’t have a teaching background. Thanks for including the list of what a preschooler should know before Kindergarten. That gives me a concrete goal to work towards with my son.
    I’m excited to see what else you share here!

    Reply

    • Teaching Mama says

      Thank you so much, Ann! That is my desire–to help those moms who are interested in teaching their preschooler at home, but aren’t sure what they need to cover or where to start. I’m glad it helps you, too! Thanks again for your sweet words!

      Reply

  218. Susen says

    I haven’t done this with my daughter yet but when my son was a preschooler I used brown paper bags and wrote the upper case letter on one side and lower case letter on the other side. We went over the sound of the letter we were working on and than I had him go around the house and find things that began with that letter sound and put it into the brown paper bag. He had alot of fun searching for stuff with the correct letter sound!!

    Reply

  219. Teaching Mama says

    You’re so welcome! I’m glad it was helpful for you. That is amazing that you still remember sandpaper letters!! I didn’t have them growing up, but hoping my boys enjoy learning with them! Thanks for your comment.

    Reply

  220. tladley says

    Thank you for making this post. It is so helpful. I am actually interested in getting the sandpaper letters. I remember learning the alphabet from them and alphabet boxes. I found it fun and useful. This is amazing since i dont have many memories from this age.

    Reply

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