Learning the English alphabet is a crucial step for children and holds significant importance. By the end of their first school year, one-third of 6-year-olds struggle with reading. After two years, 14% still face difficulties and may lag behind their peers. Our morning routine begins with breakfast and songs, followed by a focus on our ABCs. I’m prioritizing letters A and B, dedicating the entire month to these letters until she is prepared to progress. While she already recognizes her name, I aim for her to identify it by its letters, ultimately guiding her toward writing. Recognizing their name fosters early literacy, as a child’s name is often the first word they learn and connect with on a deep level. I’ve included a few practice pages I created for her as examples of some of the activities we do. Every other day is the same outline – the idea is to make it familiar and more importantly engaging!

My end goal is for her to acknowledge, recite, and engage. Acknowledge the letter and associate it correctly to examples, recite and pair the correct letter to sound, and engage in activities that correspond with the letter being focused on. With that being said I’ve added a couple of actives that will help. We start with the flashcards, which is a good introduction to the letter being associated with a word that starts with that letter. Then I read her an ABC book – this week she chose ABC book for Stem. We then transfer back to the table to do a letter hunt and I let her use the dot markers that she loves!

I’ve incorporated a nightly routine of reading at least one book to her, and it’s been incredibly rewarding. Initially, we were concerned because by the age of 2, she wasn’t really speaking, and honestly, we thought we might need a speech therapist. I didn’t want to be the parent in denial who hindered my child because of what others might think. However, after her 2-year check-up, the doctor reassured us that she was fine and advised us to keep reading and talking to her, insisting that she would eventually find her voice. A year later, she has nearly memorized all her favorite books, such as Brown Bear, Polar Bear, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom—books I’ve read to her at least a hundred times.Of course not overnight is realistic but consistency iS KEY! I genuinely believe that these years represent a time for us, as parents, to make sacrifices; while it can be difficult, the journey is truly rewarding.