Ready for a hands-on way to better understand the letters of the alphabet?
I love taking something my preschooler sees daily and breaking it down to create more connections. This alphabet sorting activity did exactly that.
Even better is when the activity is fun, hands-on, and simple to set up.
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There is so much more to letters than names and sounds.
I know it! This may be something new for all of us to hear.
Did you know that letters have different line formations?
When looking at each letter, we can begin to recognize:
- straight lines, or sticks
- curves
- tunnels
- dots
- tails
- slants
- crosses
Knowing that letters of the alphabet include straights and curves will help your preschoolers better understand how to write the letters down the road. – a pretty powerful concept to have in their toolbox.
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Learning the letters of the alphabet can be fun!
Every child learns the letters of the alphabet at their own pace. Some will memorize the letter names very early on, and others will take a more extended amount of time to stick.
No matter what age or stage, the trick is to have letters in your home that your children can engage with through play.
For this alphabet activity, I cleared off the magnet board and got set up in a flash by bringing our magnetic letters to the table.
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Alphabet activities mixed with sorting are the bread and butter of early learning!
It combines two foundational skills that our children need to practice over and over and over again. And then some more – the letters of the alphabet and classification.
Are you still with me?
Let’s set up this alphabet sorting activity!
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Supplies:
Set-up directions:
Tape down white paper on the tabletop with painter’s tape.
Draw a line down the center and babel one side straight. Label the other side curves.
Sort through the alphabet and ONLY pick letters that have one or the other. Save the letters of the alphabet with both lines and curves for the next time you play.
Slide the letters to the left of the paper and invite your preschoolers to begin sorting letters with lines and letters with curves.
RELATED: Alphabet Activity Cards will continue adding life to the letters you are working on at home.
Getting my four-year-old moving to learn the alphabet will help him remember.
Learning through motion not only stimulates the brain but also improves focus! Having the flexibility to get up and touch each letter is, first and foremost, the way children learn best.
When my preschooler writes letters in school, he also remembers that letters have lines and curves!
He remembers because we practiced by doing rather than memorizing flashcards. We moved! And by placing each letter of the alphabet to each category, we stimulated the brain to help it stick.
Let’s keep learning through movement. Try these alphabet activities next!
Ready for this alphabet sorting activity?
