Knowing the alphabet goes beyond singing the ABC song! Learning about letters—the way they look and the sounds they make—lays the groundwork for phonics. It’s an important step in helping your child get ready for reading. From games to everyday interactions, here are some simple ways you can teach your child the letters of the alphabet—and have fun doing it.
Concepts of Print
Have you seen your preschooler flipping through a favorite book, dramatically “reading” the story aloud with their own words? Although it may not seem like it, this is a key milestone in your child’s preschool reading development. When kids understand that print contains meaning, they are developing concepts of print. It’s also a sign that they may be ready for you to teach them the alphabet.
Concepts of print also include:
- Knowing how to hold a book and turn the pages right to left
- Understanding that text is read from left to right and top to bottom in English
- Identifying that words are made up of letters and that spaces separate words in a sentence
- Recognizing print in the world, such as signs and logos.
- Pointing to the front cover and back cover of a book
- Developing an awareness of punctuation marks
Supporting Print Awareness
Before you teach your child the alphabet, you can build their awareness of how print works by engaging in some simple activities.
- Read books to your child. Many concepts of print are developed naturally through reading with your child. If your child sees you turning the pages of a book right to left, they will start to recognize that this is the way books are read. You can encourage them to develop this awareness by having them practice turning the pages right to left themselves.
- Use your finger to track the words as you read. This can help your child see that you are reading left to right, which is harder for them to pick up on their own. You can also invite your child to use their finger to track the words as you read them.
- Writing together is another way to help your child develop an awareness of the directionality of text. Consider writing shopping lists or letters with your child. Your child can share what they would like to include, and you can write the text on the page. As you write, talk about how you are printing letters left to right and how those letters come together to make words.
- Incorporate print into pretend play. Write letters to mail while playing post office, create menus for an imaginary restaurant, make a shopping list and labels as you play grocery store, or make a sign for your lemonade stand. Starting with something your child is already enjoying and finding ways to authentically incorporate print will be motivating for your child and help them appreciate that words and print carry meaning and purpose.
Build Alphabet Knowledge
Alphabet knowledge is the understanding of the 26 letters in the English alphabet. When children know their letters, they are able to name and recognize the lowercase and uppercase versions of each letter. You can begin to introduce the alphabet starting with the first letter of your child’s name, then gradually introducing the rest. You also don’t need to teach the letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order. Instead, introduce letters that look and sound different from each other, such as a, m, or t. To help your child build alphabet knowledge, try these activities:
- Alphabet Scavenger Hunt: Write letters on sticky notes or index cards and hide them around your home. Have your child find the letters and, as they do, ask them to say the names of the letters out loud.
- Name Activities: Write your child’s name in bubble letters and have them color in the letters. As they color in each letter, invite them to say the name of the letter.
- Storytime Letter Hunts: As you read together, ask your child to find specific letters in the books you read.
- Shaving Cream Writing: Put shaving cream on a tray or cookie sheet. Show your child how to write letters with your finger. Practice saying the names of the letters together. As you write the letters, have your child trace over them or form their own letters.
Uppercase and Lowercase Letters
Part of alphabet knowledge is recognizing both uppercase and lowercase letters and developing an awareness of when each type of letter is used. Post—or make—an alphabet chart with each of the uppercase and lowercase letters on it. Encourage your child to share what they notice and wonder about the chart. Sing the alphabet song and encourage your child to touch the corresponding letters as you sing about them.
Beginning readers do not need to understand all the rules of capitalization, but they can begin to develop an awareness of when uppercase and lowercase letters are used. To support children to notice uppercase and lowercase letters:
Look Around: Encourage your child to notice uppercase and lowercase letters in the world around them. Draw their attention to specific words and talk about the letters that make up those words.
Name Play: Write your names on a piece of paper and discuss the letters in each name, pointing out which letters are uppercase and which letters are lowercase. Share that uppercase letters are used at the beginning of names.
Reading Time: When reading, point out certain words on the page. Talk about the letters in the words and whether the letters are uppercase or lowercase. You can also have your child hunt for certain letters (uppercase and/or lowercase) on the page.
Teaching Alphabet Sounds
As children learn to recognize the alphabet, you can also teach them about letter sounds. Learning letter sounds helps children understand how spoken words connect to written language. By connecting sounds to letters, children can begin to sound out words and recognize patterns in language. This is a key part of developing phonemic awareness, the ability to recognize individual sounds (phonemes) in words. Use these activities to support your child’s understanding of letter sounds:
- Sound and Letter Match: Use or create an alphabet chart. Review the sounds that each letter makes. Then give your child a sound and have them point to the letter(s) that make that sound. You can also give your child a letter and have them share what sound(s) the letter makes.
- Name That Sound: Write your child’s name and sound out each letter together. Discuss how the sounds blend to create their name. Practice with other familiar words, such as favorite animals, foods, or places.
- Sound Games in Books: As you read, emphasize the first sound of certain words. Talk about the letter that makes that sound. Turn it into a scavenger hunt, and search for certain sounds in the story.
Discovering Environmental Print
Environmental print is the print found in everyday surroundings—on signs, labels, menus, packaging, and more. For young learners, it’s often their first exposure to the power of written words. Recognizing environmental print helps children develop an understanding of the alphabet and encourages them to see how reading is useful in daily life. Use these activities to help your child connect environmental print to their knowledge of letters:
- Name That Print: Look for familiar signs or labels in your home or community (e.g., stop signs, cereal boxes, or favorite restaurant logos). Ask your child, “What does this say? How do you know?” Point out the letters in the word and discuss the sounds they make.
- Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items or signs to find around your neighborhood or in the house. For example: “Find something that starts with “M” could lead your child to find a milk carton or McDonald’s sign.
- Shopping for Letters: At the grocery store, ask your child to help find specific letters on food labels.
- Environmental Print Collage: Gather labels, receipts, or packaging with recognizable words or logos. Have your child cut them out and glue them onto paper to create a collage. Talk about the letters and words in each piece of print.
Make Teaching the Alphabet a Daily Routine
Learning happens best when it feels natural and fun. Incorporating alphabet practice into daily routines helps children see how letters and sounds are part of everyday life. These small, consistent interactions build alphabet practice into daily activities:
- Mealtime Magic: Use mealtime as an opportunity to practice letters. You can ask your child to name the letters that different foods start with or play with alphabet magnets on the fridge while cooking together.
- Bath Time Letters: Use foam alphabet letters or write letters on the tub with bath crayons. Ask your child to find specific letters and share what sound(s) they make.
Now I Know My ABCs
Understanding your child’s progress with alphabet knowledge helps you know what they’ve mastered and what areas need more support. Assessments don’t have to be formal—fun and simple activities can give you valuable insights into their letter recognition and sound awareness. Simple assessments you can try:
- Letter Recognition Game: Write uppercase and lowercase letters on flashcards. Show each card one at a time and ask your child to identify the letter. Keep track of the letters they know and review the ones they’re unsure of.
- Say That Sound: Say a letter sound and ask your child to point to or hold up the matching letter.
- Alphabet Sorting: Write uppercase and lowercase letters on separate cards. Mix them up and ask your child to sort them into two piles: uppercase and lowercase.
For more letter practice, try free printable worksheets like these.
When your child has a solid understanding of the alphabet, they will be able to put letter sounds together to decode and form words—the foundation of reading and writing! If your child struggles to recognize letters and letter sounds past kindergarten, consider reaching out to your child’s teacher for support.
Building a strong foundation in letter sounds is an essential step in your child’s literacy journey. By incorporating engaging activities into your daily routines, you can help them connect sounds to letters in a fun and meaningful way. Celebrate your child’s progress and enjoy the process—every letter they recognize brings them closer to confident reading and writing!
Explore Our Free Printables and More!
Learn to Trace Capital Letter T Video
- This brief video easily demonstrates how to write capital letter T. Our literacy experts recommend using the video together with capital letter tracing worksheets. Tracing letters is an interactive way for your child to build their phonics skills at home. Check out our letter T worksheets, too! [...]
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Capital Letters Match
- This capital letters worksheet is fun with a capital F! Say the name of each picture out loud. Then draw a line from the picture to the capital letter it begins with. Don’t forget to color the pictures, too! Our alphabet worksheets are ideal for at-home letter practice. [...]
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Letter L Circle It St. Patrick’s Day
- L is the first sound in words like lucky and leprechaun! In this letter L worksheet, say each word aloud and listen for the sound of the letter L. Circle the picture that doesn’t start with lowercase letter L. Letter sound activities are a great way to learn the sounds of alphabet letters. [...]
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Trace Cursive Letter V
- V is a Very good letter to practice if you’re just starting to learn cursive writing. Both the capital and lowercase cursive V are pretty similar to their print cousins. Trace the dotted line samples and then try your own versions. Remember, learning cursive takes time. Our cursive alphabet worksheet set can help! [...]
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Learn to Trace Capital Letter D Video
- This brief video easily demonstrates how to write capital letter D. Our literacy experts recommend using the video together with capital letter tracing worksheets. Tracing letters is an interactive way to build their phonics skills at home. Check out our letter D worksheets, too! [...]
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Letter N Circle It
- Letter sound activities are a great way to learn the sounds of alphabet letters. In this letter N worksheet, look at the pictures and say each word aloud. Listen for the “n” sound of the letter N. Circle the picture that doesn’t start with lowercase letter N. Color the pictures, too! [...]
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Find Lowercase Letters IJKL
- Letter search puzzles are a ton of fun! Start by looking at the capital letters I, J, K, and L in the top box. Can you find and circle the matching lowercase letters in the puzzle? If your child enjoys our lowercase letter worksheets, consider also our letter tracing videos and worksheets. [...]
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Letter L Circle It
- Letter sound activities are a great way to learn the sounds of alphabet letters. In this letter L worksheet, look at the pictures and say each word aloud. Listen for the “l” sound of the letter L. Circle the picture that doesn’t start with lowercase letter L. Color the pictures, too! [...]
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