Letter recognition and sounds are a big focus in the preschool years. As a homeschool mama, I was always trying to find fun ways to learn the alphabet so my kiddos would have a good foundation before Kindergarten. If we set our kids up for success, they will be confident and excited to learn! Here are some of the best letter recognition resources and activities I have found throughout the years.
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Puzzles & Games
- As soon as my babies could sit up, I was using these foam bath letters for letter recognition. Not only are they alphabet foam letters, but puzzles as well. They each represent a different animal beginning with that letter, are super colorful, and work wonderfully!
- Does your child love Sesame Street? Mine were only slightly obsessed. This Elmo On The Go letter case was perfect for letter recognition. We took this on vacations, car rides, you name it!
- Melissa and Doug puzzles are my absolute favorite. They are sturdy, well built, and decently priced. This See and Spell puzzle was an absolute favorite, and I continue to use it for spelling with my growing Kindergartener.
- Not only do kids need to learn their alphabet – they also need to recognize upper and lower case letters. We loved these Letter Matching Popsicles. They aid in letter recognition, as well as color sorting and matching upper case letters to their lower case.
Leap Frog
This brand just deserves its own category. From Scout, to their Phonics Magnetic Letter Set, and their LeapReader for beginning readers – you really cannot go wrong with this company. They have all been great for development and letter recognition. However, the holy grail for getting your child to know their letters and sounds is by far the Letter Factory movie! ANY of their DVDs for that matter! If your kiddo is struggling learning their ABCs, please take my word, this movie will be your saving grace!!! Both of my boys learned their letter sounds by the age of 3. I can toot my own horn and say it was due to my constantly working with them, but if I’m being completely honest with myself, it was Letter Factory! We loved it so much we tried one of LeapFrog’s Mega DVD Packs and could not be happier. Some of these movies are phonics based while others introduce math concepts!! Love, love, LOVE LeapFrog!!!
Preschool Prep
Another company I cannot say enough about – Preschool Prep! My sons learned their colors and shapes through this program when they were BABIES!! Now, a little disclosure, there is TONS of repetition involved (which can get annoying for the Mama’s and the Papa’s), BUT this is exactly how children learn! The Preschool Prep Series Collection includes videos on all of the following:
- Colors
- Shapes
- Letters
- Numbers
- Sight Words (3 levels)
- Phonics (3 DVDs) that focus on letter sounds, blends, and digraphs
My boys still ask to watch these movies! The cute characters keep them entertained, and makes learning fun and easy. You will be amazed at how quickly your little will absorb the information presented in front of them!
Letter recognition and learning their sounds does not always come easy. I hope these activities and resources help your child reach success!! Please comment below any questions or if you have used any of the above yourself! For more information about me and my family, please visit our website finchesinflight.com. We would also love for you to follow us on social media and subscribe to our YouTube channel! Happy learning!!!
Your friend, Megan
