| Teach Your Child Phonics at a Young Age | | | | more significant. Other ideas include hanging alphabet |
| Most educators will agree that teaching phonics to | | | | mobiles in your child's bedroom as well as sometimes |
| young children offers the best foundation available to | | | | eating alphabet soup - offering another fun way to |
| create future interest in reading as well as the quest to | | | | introduce letters. You can use alphabet books that you |
| learn new words. Since toddlers generally begin to | | | | read to your child as you point to the letter. Soon you |
| blend letters and sounds this is the ideal opportunity to | | | | will want to introduce your child to pointing to the |
| begin working with your child. | | | | different letters as you say them. Rhyming books are |
| If you offer your child the opportunity, s/he will grab it. | | | | also a great way for your child to learn letters, sounds, |
| Parents might consider taking every chance they have | | | | blends, and rhymes - Dr. Seuss still remains at the top |
| to offer these opportunities. For example, most children | | | | of the heap with the books he offered through the |
| learn the alphabet song early in their life. However, the | | | | years. |
| alphabet does not really have any significance to a | | | | When teaching phonics you will also want to play |
| child unless they have additional materials - otherwise | | | | games with your child. After your child progresses you |
| they are just sounds. One opportunity is to purchase a | | | | will ask him/her to point to each letter of the alphabet. |
| magnetic set of alphabet letters at your nearest | | | | Next, you can begin putting letters together to form |
| teacher supply store. If you start by putting the first | | | | blends. An example is b and l. Throughout the day, |
| three letters on your refrigerator, now the 'A, B, C' | | | | once your child gets the hang of this, you can have fun |
| begins to take on a new and different meaning. As | | | | by saying words and repeating the blends from the |
| you sing the song you can remove the letters and | | | | word. An example is floor..."fl." When your child |
| hand the 'A' to the child as you sing it. It is usually better | | | | understands what you are asking of her/him this is a |
| to start with just a few letters so that you do not | | | | sign of how successful you have been in your |
| overwhelm your young one. | | | | teaching. |
| The alphabet song can be a great introduction to | | | | Teaching phonics might seem somewhat difficult but it |
| phonics. Another great source is "Sesame Street." | | | | really is not. As long as you do not overwhelm your |
| Once your child sees and hears the letters on the | | | | child with too much, too soon you will be thrilled with |
| refrigerator - and, now on TV, this becomes something | | | | the accomplishments and strides your toddler makes. |