I have a pretty smart kid. At seventeen and a half months Aiden know about fifty words, knows all his major body parts and recognizes ten out of twenty-six letters. I'd love to take credit for his cleverness (ok I'll take a bit) but most of his letter and number (he knows the number 2) recognition is due to his love of sesame street (what a fantastic show by the way, although I have the song "Why oh why do I love Y" stuck in my head on repeat right now!).
What I can take credit for is encouraging his superb language skills. I've read to him everyday since birth and I've always talked to him as I'd he understands everything. And now that he can identify letters and numbers (which he loves doing) I try to incorporate language activities into our regular adventures.
Here's a list of some of the things we've done and you can do to encourage your letter detectives:
ABC Activities
1. Buy an alphabet play mat to put down in your play room. Ask your little person to find certain letters or numbers and bring them to you.
2. Find small items, like toys and household items, that begin with the same letter. Place them in a bucket or container. Have your little person pull each item out of the container, one by one, and have them tell you what it is. Remind them what letter the item begins with each time.
3. Draw a letter on a big piece of paper. Have your little one colour and collage the letter. Look through magazines to find pictures of things that begin with the letter you drew. Cut out the pictures and stick them to the letter poster.
4. Go on an alphabet walk: As you walk with your little person point out things that begin with a certain letter.
5. In the grocery store, as you are waiting to pay, ask your little person to point out different letters on the magazines. (This also gives you a chance to catch up on the latest celebrity gossip!)
6. Try on some dress up clothes or have your little person dress up. When you are both dressed up tell your little one what you are wearing that begins with a certain letter, e.g. Mom is wearing a hat and hat begins with the letter H.
7. Make letter puppets by drawing letters on card stock and attaching them to Popsicle sticks. Decorate the puppets, giving them faces and googly eyes. Then create stories using the letter puppets based on the letters, e.g. A's Amazing Adventure to Alaska.
8. Hide letter blocks around your play room (in fairly obvious places). Have your little on search for and find different letters.
9. Read, read and read some more to your little one. Ask them to point out letters that they know in the book.
10. Clap, cheer, hoot and holler when your little person identifies letters when you are out and about. A little encouragement goes a long way.
Happy letter learning,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
