Learning activities for PreSchoolers

Alphabet Matchup

 Materials

• Clothespins
• Paper
• Tape
• Pen or marker
• Old magazines
• Scissors

Directions

1. Write the letters of the alphabet on small pieces of paper and tape them to clothespins, or print the letters right on the clothespins.
2. Cut out magazine pictures, one for each letter of the alphabet, and have your child match the clothespin letters to the beginning sounds of the objects in the pictures.
3. Clip the clothespins to the corresponding pictures.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word Recognition

Materials

• Index cards
• Pen or marker
• Old magazines
• Photographs (optional)
• Scissors
• Glue

Directions

1. Once your child can recognize the letters of the alphabet, you may want to start practicing simple word recognition.
2. On one set of index cards, write some simple words, such as cat, dog, or bird.
3. On another set, draw or cut out magazine pictures that illustrate the words you have chosen.
4. Lay all the cards on the table, face up, and have your child match each word to the corresponding picture.
5. Try name recognition by using photographs of your child, siblings, friends, relatives, and so on.
6. Write the name of each person on an index card and have your child match the photo to the appropriate name.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut-Out Alphabet Puzzle for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This fun puzzle game can help teach kids the alphabet. In this activity, you'll cut out each letter and your child will try to identify and match up each one.

Materials

• Index cards
• Pen or markers
• Scissors

Directions

1. Print a capital letter on the left side of an index card and the corresponding lowercase letter on the right.
2. Cut each card into two parts with a wavy or zigzag line to make two puzzle pieces.
3. Mix all the puzzle pieces and have your child put them together again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Name

Materials

• Paper
• Pen or marker
• Clear contact paper
• Crayon or marker
• Damp cloth

Directions

1. Help your child learn to print her name.
2. Draw two parallel solid lines with a broken line in the middle.
3. Print your child's first and last name on the lines, and cover the sheet with clear contact paper.
4. Your child can use a crayon or marker to trace over her name and wipe it off with a damp cloth when finished.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Connect-the-Dots Alphabet

Materials

• Paper
• Pen or marker
• Crayon

Directions

1. Draw a dot-to-dot outline of a simple picture. (Try tracing some pictures from your child's coloring books.)
2. Starting with the letter A, place each letter of the alphabet at a consecutive dot.
3. Have your child connect the dots by identifying each letter.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Find the Letter

Materials

• Paper
• Scissors
• Pen or marker
• 3 plastic cups or coffee/tea mugs)

Directions

1. Cut out circles of paper small enough to hide beneath a cup or a mug.
2. Write different letters on each circle. Place three tea or coffee cups on the table and hide a paper circle under only one of them.
3. Have your child guess where the letter is and identify the letter when she finds it.
4. Take turns hiding the circles.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------