9 Fun Ways to Teach Your Toddler the Alphabet
6 minute read
“A, B, C, D, E, F, G…” Hearing your little one sing along with this classic children’s song is such an exciting milestone for parents.
It can take a little time, but learning their letters and numbers is an important accomplishment for babies and toddlers. Because grasping these concepts sets a strong foundation for reading, writing, and critical thinking that they’ll use throughout their entire life!
But where do you begin when it comes to teaching your little one these simple concepts? And how do you make learning a fun activity for your baby or toddler?
Thankfully, most kiddos LOVE to learn. And with these 9 fun ways to teach your toddler the alphabet, your little one will be spelling and counting before you know it!
When Should You Start Teaching Your Baby the Alphabet
It’s never too early to start teaching your baby or toddler the alphabet!
By the time your baby is a year old, they will have learned all the sounds that make up the language you speak to them (Kids Health). So even if your baby can’t talk yet, you can practice introducing your little one to letters, numbers, sounds, colors, and shapes.
Your child may not understand everything you’re saying, but their brain is like a little sponge, soaking up tons of information about the sounds and words you use to communicate with them.
You may expect your child to start saying some of their letters — or even joining along with the ABC song! — once they’re 18 months old. And by age 2, many toddlers will begin recognizing some letters (Understood).
Kids will begin to connect letters to sounds around age 3. Most likely your toddler will know all the letters of the alphabet along with their order by age 4.
How to Teach the Alphabet to Your Toddler or Baby
Learning doesn’t have to be boring! In fact, your baby or toddler learns the best through interacting with the world around them. This means that your toddler will love to learn their alphabet and numbers through play!
It’s easy to teach letters and numbers to your little one from an early age by incorporating fun learning opportunities throughout their day. Repetition is key to help these concepts really sink into your child’s memory.
From singing songs and reading bedtime books, to playing with interactive puzzles and games…repeating letters, numbers, colors, and sounds often throughout the day will help develop your little one’s listening, memory, and vocabulary skills.
Here are 9 fun ways to help your child learn their alphabet and numbers!
9 Fun Ways to Teach a Toddler The Alphabet & Numbers
- Books!
Photo of the Babies in Bloom Boutique
Reading to your little one every day is so important for your child’s developing brain! Not only does it foster a love for reading early, it introduces your child to new words every time you sit down for story time. And exposure to new words helps your little one develop their language skills, learn their letters, sounds, and numbers.
A great way to develop your child’s love of reading is to introduce new books to foster their development. Babies love board books with bold colors, shapes, and interactive elements. And as your little one becomes a toddler, they’ll enjoy longer stories and books that teach them new things about the world around them.
You can incorporate reading into your baby’s bedtime routine or playtime activities. And one of the best ways to encourage your child to read is by keeping books throughout the house. Try putting a few books in your baby’s nursery, in their playroom, near their highchair, or even in the car!
- Alphabet Puzzles
Photo of HABA My First ABC Clutching Puzzle
Alphabet puzzles are a wonderful way to foster your little one’s early reading skills. These types of puzzles introduce your child to the building blocks of the words they hear and see during storytime. They’ll love matching the letters and will feel such a sense of accomplishment when they complete the whole puzzle!
Playing with the pieces will help build your child’s writing skills as well. We love THIS puzzle that has a little blackboard on the back so your little one can practice writing their letters!
- Create Your Own Alphabet Game
Photo of BeginAgain Jumbo A-Z Wooden Letters
Teaching your little one the alphabet doesn’t have to be complicated! From matching and sorting games to hide and seek, there are so many fun games you can play with simple wooden alphabet letters like THESE.
Babies learn their names very early on and will love learning how to spell their name too. Practice finding the letters that are in your little one’s name — these will probably become some of their favorite letters!
- Personalized Puzzles
Photo of Fat Brain Personalized Wooden Puzzle
A cute puzzle personalized with your baby’s name is a great way to introduce them to some of their first alphabet letters. Many kids start to recognize the letters in their name first and then move on to learning the rest of the alphabet.
Each time your little one picks up a puzzle piece, they will begin to recognize the letters they are interacting with and seeing in their books. Your baby won’t even realize they’re learning because they’re having so much fun!
- Alphabet & Numbers Matching Cards
Photo of eeBoo Alphabet & Numbers Puzzle Pairs
Matching games are a fun and simple way to stimulate your toddler’s memory and reading skills. This type of activity is great for kiddos that are familiar with the alphabet and numbers and are ready for a fun, new challenge!
Incorporating a matching game into your child’s playtime is a great way to bond with your little one and encourage them to practice identifying their letters and numbers.
If you have an emerging reader on your hands, THIS interactive game checks all the boxes! It’s a puzzle, flashcard, and memory game all wrapped into one, for hours of delightfulplay for your little one.
- Sing Alphabet Songs
Photo of Tonies LMNO Peas
“A, B, C, D, E, F, G…” The alphabet song is one that most children learn from an early age. And for good reason! Your baby loves the sound of your voice — especially when you sing to them.
Singing a variety of alphabet songs is a great way to capture your kiddo’s attention and stimulate their learning. As your little one grows, they’ll be able to join in on the fun by singing along and pointing to the matching letters.
Add to your song repertoire with the Tonies LMNO Peas! Your little one will love these fun tunes themed to different letters of the alphabet.
- ABC Books
Photo of A B C’s of Biology
If your kiddo loves to read, they’ll enjoy learning about their letters through interactive books! Not only will your little one start to recognize the alphabet, they’ll begin to learn about fun new concepts like science, math, and even engineering!
Whether it’s launching into the outer realms of space or seeing some of their favorite foods in exciting new ways… These books help you to double-down on teaching your little one the basic concepts of reading and SO much more!
- ABC Coloring Books
Photo of ABC: Amazing Animals Toddler Coloring Book
Your little one’s playtime is a great opportunity to make learning fun! And what’s better than whimsical creatures and animal pals helping introduce your toddler to the alphabet? THESE animal coloring books are perfect for toddlers to start identifying their letters.
Your child will love picking out their favorite crayons or markers, and will begin to pick up on their colors too! Coloring their letters is a great first step to more advanced writing skills like tracing and copying letters.
- ABC Write & Wipe Cards
Photo of Banana Panda Let’s Write and Wipe
Want to get your little one ready for preschool? THESE educational write-on, wipe-off cards are the perfect activity for toddlers and preschoolers to get a jumpstart on reading and writing.
Your kiddos can play with the cards over and over, while learning about numbers, letters, colors, and animals. They’re fun, easy to take on the go, and help support your little one’s development of math, critical thinking, and logical thinking.
Ready to Teach Your Toddler the Alphabet?
Shop online or stop by the shop to pick out the perfect educational activities to help teach your toddler the alphabet! Our experienced staff members are happy to help you on your search by recommending popular items in the boutique.
Boutique Website: https://shop.babies-in-bloom.com
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