by Dee Tadlock, Ph.D.

Sara was in her car seat in the back, and getting tired of being there. “I’m full of the bye-bye,” she complained. That was Sara-language for “I’ve had enough of riding in this car.” For some time now, Mom had been reading Sara alphabet books at home and using refrigerator magnets to help her learn the names of the letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds. Mom had an idea.

“Let’s play ‘I Spy,’ Sara. I’ll be first. I spy with my little eye, something that begins with the letter B.”

Games are a great way to learn sounds and letters – and they make a fun and useful way to keep a child occupied. Help your child learn and have fun by playing alphabet games in the car, in the yard, in the house, in the doctor’s office – whenever she’s willing to engage. Your job is to begin the game, join in as appropriate, and, most importantly, provide appropriate feedback.

Playing Alphabet Games

I Spy

In the “I Spy” game, if your child guesses a word that doesn’t begin with the targeted sound, say, “That doesn’t begin with B, try again.” Let her figure out that the beginning sound of the guessed word isn’t the same by saying, “Buh, buh, buh—rug. That didn’t work, did it? Rug begins with the sound of the letter R. Ruh, ruh, ruh—rug.” If your child guesses a word that begins with the correct sound but it  isn’t the thing you were thinking of, provide this kind of feedback: “Bird begins with b all right, but it isn’t what I spied, guess again!” Keep the activity interesting by alternating with other characteristics of objects such as color or shape. For example, “I spy, with my little eye, something that is blue.” This helps take the pressure off learning the alphabet in particular. Your child will be less likely to  develop resistance to learning the alphabet if you empower him to choose whether to use colors, shapes, letters, or sounds.

The Flash Card Find-A-Letter Game

Make or buy flash cards with single letters on them (a single capital letter on one side and the same letter in lowercase on the other side). Remember that capital letters and lowercase letters are significantly different, and your child needs to learn both. In this activity, be sure to include both cases. Put a few of the flash cards (no more than five, to conform with the limitations of short-term memory) on a table. Initially, put letters that are distinctly different in appearance together. As your child becomes more skilled at this activity, assemble letters that look more alike.

Ask, “Can you find the letter B?” (or any letter she knows). If she can’t find the letter, point it out for her and then name another letter in  he set and ask her to find it. Return to the letter that gave her trouble until she knows it, too. Continue this activity until she becomes efficient at locating letters. You can also increase the complexity by switching the focus to the sounds of the letters. Say, “Find the letter that makes the ‘buh’ sound,” or “Find  the letter that the word ball begins with.” Have fun with this activity, increasing the complexity by putting a greater number of letters on the table.

The Traveling Alphabet Game

While traveling, see who can identify the most objects starting with a particular letter of the alphabet (for example, B—for building). Everyone in the car can play. Take turns picking the letters that will be used.

When your child knows enough letters, vary the game by starting at the beginning of the alphabet and having everyone in the car look for objects beginning with a letter until everyone has found one, then move onto the next letter. Two players cannot use the same object. Coach older brothers and sisters to help younger siblings find their own objects, allowing more time for the younger child while still remaining competitive in finding their own objects. Or, assign an older child to be a “team” with a younger child by coaching him where to look and occasionally whispering in his ear when an appropriate object appears.

Which One Begins With B?

You can play this sound-identification game anywhere. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy affair – you can ask a single question as you are walking upstairs to bed, or choose  to play for just a few minutes in the park or doctor’s office. Again, always follow your child’s lead.

Say, “Table, ball, grass. Which one begins with B?” (Be sure to switch the order so that the B word is not always in the middle. Otherwise, your child’s clever brain might figure out that B words always turn up in the middle of a three-word set.) If she doesn’t immediately respond, tell her the answer.

When she is competent with a particular sound, make the activity a little more complex. Say, “Table, bed, book. What begins with B?” When she answers, “Bed and book,” let her know that she is right. Exclaim, “I tried to fool you, but you were too smart!” If she names only one word, simply agree, and don’t call attention to it. The fact that she could not name both objects is your signal that you “tried to fool her” too soon.

The two most important goals of these alphabet games are for them to be fun and for your child to experience success. Remember that feelings of pleasure and success support intent to learn. Lack of pleasure or success can increase resistance to learning. Also remember that you are providing your child with opportunities, but it is her choice whether or not to enter the arena. If she chooses not to, you can be assured that her brain is not ready to do so. Keep it light; keep it fun; follow her lead.

About the Author:
Dee Tadlock, Ph.D. is the founder of Read Right Systems in Shelton, WA and primary author of the book Read Right! Coaching Your Child to Excellence in Reading. www.ReadRight.com

July 2007