With the right timing and proper exposure, teaching toddlers about the alphabet should be a breeze. Here’s what worked for us that made learning fun and kept our little toddler interested.

Video of our 19-month old son, Gab on his first alphabet test:

Tips on How to Teach the Alphabets to Toddlers:

1. Use music and songs.

Children loves being sung to. They also learn faster when you teach almost anything thru songs. Repeating the simple ABC song again and again works wonders.

Since we were teaching Gab sign language back then, doing the song and the letter signs make it more interesting for him.

2. Surround your child with letters.

You can choose educational toys and visual aids such as magnetic alphabets, picture books, puzzles, and colorful picture/ letter flashcards.

If you allow your toddler to use electronic gadgets, make use of it and look for an interactive and fun app to play with and learn the alphabet at the same time.

3. Start with your child’s name.

This makes learning the letters personal and important because learning his or her own name is something important to the child. If your child has a long name or has 2 names, you may want to teach his nickname.

4. Look for learning opportunities.

Use letters and numbers found on carton labels, shirts, road signs, billboards, and posters.  Since we see letters and numbers everywhere, even a walk around the block or a trip to a mall becomes a learning opportunity.

5. Teach only when child is attentive and interested.

If a child shows no interest, it’s best to let it go for a while. You can skip and find another time. If your child seems interested and enjoying, feel free to continue helping your child learn more letters.

Teaching the alphabet is important as it is a foundation for reading and writing.  Some kids learn it very quickly and others need more repetition and time learning letters. Keep in mind that children develop at different paces and spend varying amounts of time at each stage. What is more important is that they will love learning and that they have a positive experience about it.

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