Teaching the Alphabet to Young Children

Here are a few ways to introduce your child to learning the alphabet:

• Make your own alphabet book using pictures clipped from magazines.
• Talk about the letters in your child's name.
• Make a name sign for his room.
• Place alphabet magnets on the refrigerator.
• Make a game of identifying letters around you.

Excerpted from "Teaching the Alphabet to Young Children," by Barbara Wasik—an article in the NAEYC journal, Young Children.

Early Years Are Learning Years is a regular series from NAEYC, providing tips for giving young children a great start on learning.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the nation's largest and most influential organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade. For more information about NAEYC, call 202-232-8777 or 800-424-2460, or visit www.naeyc.org.