Punch 6 - Alphabet Charts

Alphabet Charts

Letters should be accessible and available for viewing everyday. You want to have purposeful alphabet charts posted or hung in ideal places for spontaneous on the spot learning and practicing.

I am partial to home made charts made with your child because you can produce a greater variety of sizes and styles. Also, your child will take much pride in your work and/or work you produce together.

Type of charts to purchase or make:

1. Traditional upper and lower case

2. Lower case only

3. A chart laid in one row

4. A backward alphabet, for fun and a true test of the knowledge of the letters regardless of order

Exercises to do with alphabet charts:

1. Using his finger to touch each letter, have your child READ the alphabet and not sing it.

2. Say a letter and have your child touch it

3. Say a sound and have your child touch it

4. Say a word and ask him to find the beginning sound

5. Have her spell out any words she knows pointing at each letter in order

6. Ask her to point to a letter that comes "after" and "before" another letter (i.e. "show me what comes after Hh")

7. Have your child copy the alphabet with crayon, marker,  highlighter, pen or pencil - this can be done over a few days for the child that is still learning to form letters - do it on blank paper allowing them to "make it their own" - don't trip out over proper formations and straight lines, this is suppose to be "fun work"

8. Try to sing the alphabet to another tune - it's hard . . . but fun to try

It's nice to replace charts once a month or so, this keeps things fresh and fun.