Seeking Advice on Teaching Abc's, 123'S

sing the abc's when you are in the car or just sitting at home get some books to help. good luck i cant imagine how hard it would be to teach her at such an old age!

We had a letter and number of the week. We focused on that letter and number. We did art projects with it, games where we looked for the letter or number or both. My sons favorite game was when we were on a neighborhood walk or a car ride, we would look for the number or letter on license plates, house signs. Some one gave me a bunch of word search books. We would tear out a page and circle all of the A's or whatever the letter of the week. We would look for the letters or numbers on food boxes, books etc...

Does she know the ABC song? If not start singing songs like that and songs with numbers.

As far as numbers teach the number, what it looks like, and the value. One block, two cars etc... I also took index cards, wrote a number one each one 1,2,3 etc. We would use them to learn the number then after knowing a few numbers we would put them in order.

If you need words to some songs for numbers just email me. It will be a few days though before I can get back to you beacause we are traveling this weekend. Good Luck and God Bless!

Hi K.,
A few ideas...
We have a fridge magnet toy made by Leapfrog that was very helpful for our son. It has all the letter magnets, and also has a box that, when you stick a letter in it, sings a little song with the letter and the sound the letter makes. It can also sing the regular alphabet song, which of course is a very easy way to help them learn the letters in general. I sing the alphabet song to my son while brushing his teeth... honestly more as a sort of "timer" so he knows how much longer until we're done brushing.
Reading with your child is obviously a good idea too, though I'm sure you're probably already doing that.
One other thing we do is play "The Alphabet Game". We usually play during dinner, or while we're riding in the car. We all take turns saying words that start with A, and after we've said a bunch we move on to B, etc. You could probably make up a similar game for numbers.
Best of luck to you!

Hello K.,

When I taught my daughter I used Leap Frog videos, the learning system, and magnetic alphabets and numbers that I placed everywhere they would stick. In about 2 weeks time she will have picked it up. Go to the library to see if they have any of the Leap Frog videos or DVD's.

Good luck,
J.

My dear friend has a son that started out with a speech delay and has since improved through speech therapy. She tried to home school him and found it very challenging and not very effective. She has a Master's in Education and taught HS before staying at home and was surprised (and devastated) that she wasn't successful with this. Her son speaks fine now, like a normal 5 year old and he goes to Kindergarten and is on the level of his classmates. I guess what I'm saying is that it surprised me when you said she's 5 and doesn't know how to count and her ABC's...I don't mean to offend but if you've not tried to teach her that until now, you probably shouldn't be trying to homeschool. My daughter turned 2 in May and can say her ABC's and count to 20. I don't know about speech delays other than my friend's experience so maybe that's why. Maybe she knows it but just doesn't articulate it. Its a nice gesture, effort, and commitment to homeschool but keep your mind open to what is best for your daughter.

GREAT interactive website used in many school systems is starfall.com. My 5 year old loves it. Also, singing songs that talk about the letters and sounds is the way that my child learned her ABCs and the sounds that all of the letters make at the age of 3. The learning songs her part time babysitter used were on a dvd and I believe the title was "Kiss Your Brain." Google that and if you have the funds, buy it! It REALLY works. Starfall.com is free however, so that would be a great place to start, and it helps teach computer skills as well. Once each skill is completed it gives you the option to print off a worksheet pertaining to the letter just covered. It's GREAT!

K.
You could try singing ABCs while washing hands and brushing teeth; that was really effective for my son, and has the added bonus of keeping the child at the task of handwashing or toothbrushing! As she learns the song, sing it with her more and more, and perhaps pause where there is a significant letter (her initial, "M" for mama, etc) and throw that word into the rhythym.
Good luck, and best wishes.

The beautiful thing about homeschooling is that you can tailor it to meet your child's needs. Letters and numbers can be taught anywhere. Cereal boxes, the mail, blocks. With my son, we picked a letter each day and found everything we could that began with that letter. We used old magazines to find ads with the letter. We then cut them out and pasted them into a book. Have FUN!

What I did with my son was sing the ABC song every time he was on the changing table. After he had the song down, we took out the letter board, a wooden board with the letters. Now I was using that to help him id the letters, by pointing and singing, then picking them up all while letting him participate. Then I backed it up with having him watch Sesame Street.
With the numbers i would have him count up to 5 then increase it by five more numbers as he got the hang of them. Watching Noggin help with the counting a lot.
I would just do repeatedly during the day with him. It was not a lesson structure, it was part of daily activity and conversation.

Good luck and God Bless.

Flash cards an excellent way, and childrens books about the ABC's that will also teach her different words, animals, colors, etc. She should pick it up very quickly due to her age. Good luck and God Bless.

K.,
Try starting with kid's music for the ABC's. Then you can start with letter recognition using flash cards. Make sure they're simple without pictures to distract. You can get flash cards at the dollar store. Take opportunities to count things around the house--i.e. people, furniture, pets, Cheerios. Make it fun and not like work. Pre-K is all about learning through play. Good luck!

My boys liked floor puzzles, books, chalkboards, videos and the leapster with all the alphabet magnets. Sing the ABC song. Talk about it in everything you do. With lunch lay out carrot sticks or whatever to count, write carrot, ask what letter it starts with. Make it part of your everyday conversation.

Funny I just read your email & I was looking through my old emails that I had not read yet. I am a SAHM too with my first daughter (2 1/2 years old) and I bought her the Leap Frog letter alphabet which sticks to the frigde. I started doing one letter at a time along with a word (both Spanish & English)she was familiar with and had her repeat the letter back and bring it to me and then we would do a funny dance (it worked!). But here is some info from baby center:

Does my child need to know the alphabet before she goes to kindergarten?

Expert Answers
Elaine McEwan-Adkins, educational consultant
Your child should know the alphabet before kindergarten because she'll find school far less confusing if she already knows all her letters — but don't panic if she doesn't have all the letters down pat. There are many different ways to "know" the alphabet. At the simplest level, your child should be able to recite the alphabet, probably with the help of the alphabet song. Learning the alphabet song is fun but doesn't indicate any real understanding of the letters. Your child should know the names of the letters when you point to them, should be able to find letters in words by name, and ideally should be able to associate some of the letters with the sounds they make in words.

How do you "teach" the letters? Very slowly and very patiently: Work on one letter at a time. Spend at least a week or two on the letter. Here are some fun ways to teach the alphabet:

* Practice writing each new letter in sand or fingerpaint. * Form the letters in play dough, cookie dough, or pretzel dough. * Cut the letter out of sandpaper and glue it on cardboard. Trace over it. * Make a large letter out of paste on construction paper and have your child stick cereal, beans, dried noodles, or buttons on the wet paste. * Look for each new letter on cereal boxes, signs, newspapers, and books. * Circle the letter on the pages of magazines or newspapers. Start with capital letters and then move to lower alphabet case. * Make a matching game with pairs of cards made of the capital and lowercase letters. * Start an alphabet book allowing a page for each letter. Count how many times you see your letter during the day or during a car trip.

The biggest mistake most parents make is trying to do too much at one time and confusing their children. This project can take at least a year or perhaps even longer for some children; others pick it up much faster. And remember, don't worry if she hasn't mastered all 26 letters before school starts; the letters will be taught again in kindergarten.

Community Answers

As a former Head Start Teacher and parent the answer is YES. The lowest level is at least up to 10 letters(recognizing, writting and sounding them not just reciting them). The reason for this is that by halfway through the year they are learning small words and phonetic sounds. If they are in a school with 15 students or more there is a high chance the Teacher can Not possibly individualize with each student. A good way to teach them is to teach them to write their name and as they write each letter say what it is and sound it out.
posted 2/15/2008 by HollyGO

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We introduced our son to the alphabet at www.starfall.com when he was about 3. Now at 5 he's able to read pretty well, all thanks to starfall. I can't recommend it highly enough!
posted 5/27/2008 by TreeSpirit


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My son at age 2 1/2 could name the letters he saw and I have to give all credit to the Leap Frog dvd's. All of a sudden one day he started naming letters. It's all capital letters for now but I'm proud he knows that much. I'm actually impressed. When we drive down the road he sees names of businesses, he'll spell out the name letters. My son sure doesn't talk a lot but he knows his letters. He's starting preschool this fall so I hope that will help too.
posted 4/10/2008 by Cole&Jakemom

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My 2 1/2 year old knows his alphabet and their sounds thanks to a combination of starfall.com leap frogs Letter Factory and me printing off a letter flash card everyday for him to carry with him everywhere he went so he could show everyone what his "letter of the day" was. It worked wonders.
posted 8/27/2009 by ridgeway3

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Catch the right moment that your child is interested in ABC and make learning fun. My 20 month girl loved puzzle, so I bought a ABC puzzle and played games out of it, just a simple 10 mins a day, she was laughing and had a great time. In 2 weeks, you memorized all ABC uppercase and pronounced them. Then I bought a lowercase case puzzle that link with uppercase for each letter, so she learned there were upper and lower case in another week. Next, I let her watch Leap Frog DVD Word and Letter Factory, she memorized each letter sounds by 25 months. Now she is 2 and half, she is playing magnetic letters on her easel every day, she is trying to read out simple word like "Pop", "cat". I just making learning fun for her with no pressure, and she learns fast and have a great time.
posted 11/04/2008 by hkginger1974

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For some reason my son knew all his letters independently at 14 months. He could count to 21 by the same time. Good with numbers and letters I guess. It was easy for us, but other things have been a struggle. So no bragging for us. He's a stubborn one. We used bath time when he was a captive audience and those foamy numbers and letters on the wall really helped. We just said the letters and numbers and he remembered them and could recall them out of order or in order. Sesame Street really did a lot of help too. He didn't get Q, H or K for awhile but by 18 months he had them all perfectly. All the ideas below sound great too. Anything creative is always a great idea! We're working on the lower case now, he has most of them and we really don't know where he picked them up. A lot of kids struggle with it and from what I hear, when they're ready, they'll do it. Just give them the foundation to learn from so when they are ready they know where to go. Good luck! Happy teaching.
posted 4/06/2009 by LindsayLehmann

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I am not one to just let my kid sit in front of the tv, but he got the leap frong letter factory dvd for xmas when he was 1 and a half. So since I was completely alone, when I needed to make supper or something, I put it on for him and by the age of TWO he knew the entire alphabet! That dvd is amazing! They sound out all the letters to songs. Also, I don't know if it really had anything to do with it, but when he was about 3 months old, I made him ABC flash cards with colourful letters and sealed them in clear shelf liner so they wouldn't get wrecked. I went through them with him maybe twice a day
posted 11/23/2008 by kwchick13

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When we started potty training my daughter, I wanted to make sure she washed her hands well afterwards. So, we would sing the alphabet song while she scrubbed. She is 26 months and it took only a couple weeks and now she can sing it all on her own.
posted 6/28/2008 by opalharmony

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My son learned at 18mos all thanks to Word World the TV show. One day im driving down the street and he is reading all the letters on the signs. I got him flash cards the next day...to find out he knew them ALL. Now at 24mos he knows his numbers 1-12 some shape's. Is this good? Im super happy LOL
posted 8/08/2008 by cwynns

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I tried to teach him myself thru flash cards and magnets but it all changed with a couple of things. At 26 months, my boy could identify all of the letters and their sounds. This was mainly due to a Leap Frog video where they learn sounds, and Signing Time where we learned their signs. We do watch these together. This also worked for colors and counting. At 30 months, he can now count to 50. But he still can't pedal his tricycle. So every kid learns different skills at a different pace.
posted 9/22/2008 by ashukers
etc..........

FYI: I would recommend registering to baby center b/c they always have some sort of info regarding topics according to your kids age which can be very Helpful!

Best of luck,
HLB

K.,

My son turned two years old this month. I have been singing the ABC's and 123's since he was 2 months old. Anytime, Anywhere. When he turned 18 months old, I started using the following teaching methods:

1.

Make homemade ABC letters using construction paper. Tape to a 6 inch string or whatever works with her bedroom ceilings. Using a strip of blue tape, tape 4 letters per week to her ceiling. My son and I would lay on our backs and sing the 4 letters over and over again. I would associate a word with each letter. Such as, A is for Apple, B is for Bubbles, C is for Cat, D is for Daddy. The beginning of every week we would take the 4 letters down and put up 4 new letters. He absolutely loved it! We just finished this method at his 2 year mark.

2.

These leapfrog learning tools are hanging on his bedroom closet doors. He can push them at anytime and hear the ABC song or 123 song.
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
and
http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Spin-Sing-Alphabet-Zoo/dp/...

Your local library will have tons of dvd's that teach ABC's or 123's via word spell or sing a longs. They will do the same as the above toys.

3.
Dr. Seuss's ABC book - I read this book to my son every day for the first 1.5 years. Repitition is the best teaching method. Visual or Auditory.

4. Toys R Us - Purchase magnets and put them on the front of your refrigerator. They sell ABC magnets along with 123+ magnets.

5. Count Everything - Sitting at the table eating, count the peas, carrots, beans, and so on. Riding in the car, count the light poles, birds, clouds, shoes, and so on. Whatever you are doing, turn it into a counting game.

6. Small White Board, black marker, and eraser - Write a letter at a time, say the letter, allow your daughter to erase the letter. Do the same with numbers. Interactive....great!

7. Memory Recall - 30 minutes prior to bedtime, sing your ABC's and 123's over and over. Maybe alternate nights - ABCs one night, 123s the next night. In the past year, researchers have found that materials studied 30 minutes prior to sleep are performed 20% better the next day. Our brains process the material and store to long term memory for better recall as we sleep.

My son is just now singing the alphabet on his own. It is not fully developed at this point. But, he sings pieces, ABC FGH LMOP WXYZ. Now Know ABCs next time sing with me. If he can do this at two years old, your daughter will pick up SO MUCH FASTER.

Good luck and have fun!

you can get a lot of good advice on line (google homeschooling) You can also purchase curriculums that will guide you and you would be surprised at how much you can also get for free.

hi K.,

my kids learned a lot through the leapfrog dvds, which empahasize the letter and the sound it makes. it is very repetitive, and thus a nice teaching aid, with singing and visuals. by the time we started hooked on phonics, the kids already knew the sounds that each letter made, which really paved the path to reading. the word building dvds were alright within the leapfrog line, but the ABC dvd was most useful.

I used Dr. Seuss's ABCs, among other things. The book has the alphabet printed in the inside covers, and we just sing the Alphabet Song while I point to each letter, then read through the book, with me pointing out the letter on each page, then sing the song and point to the letters on the inside back cover. Plus we had some Winnie the Pooh letters and numbers cards that my kids loved to look at (the 18 had Pooh, Piglet & Tigger roasting 18 marshmallows over a fire; E was for Eeyore, etc.). Doing things like that was how I taught my kids their letters and numbers. But there are computer games and other tools you can use. We just incorporated that into our play. My kids are 3 & 4 and have known their letters and numbers for a while, so what I've done may be a bit too juvenile for your daughter, but I thought you might get an idea of something that would help.

My advice would be turn everything into song. Make up songs to tunes they already know like Twinkle Twinkle. Kids love music and can remember songs very well and it also makes it feel less like learning and more like fun!

Good Luck I'm sure she'll pick it up quick!

A.
Helping Moms Work from Home
www.SecureFutureFromHome.com

Hi K.,

I'm a homeschooler, too. I know this sounds too simplistic, but the LeapFrog DVD's are the easiest way to teach those things. The Letter Factory teaches letters and letter sounds in a fun, but educational way. The Math Circus teaches number and number values in the same way. The Talking Word Factory teaches short words (mostly 3 letters by combining their sounds with a few with 4 letters and consonant blends). The Code Word Caper teaches ch, sh, th and some silent E words.

Sometimes, you can find them at the library, but I bought them and we use them for occassional review. I've recommended them to others who have had great success with them.

Good luck!

K., as you well know, just because the mouth isn't producing the words doesn't mean the mind is not developing them. All of the suggestions you have received so far are excellent so I just wanted to add one little suggestion to that.

Utilize out of the ordinary, and more casual, opportunities for learning (all kinds of learning works best in a more relaxed atmosphere). When you go to the park or the grocery or the department store, find things that begin with the "letter of the day". Start with "A" and cover the sounds of the letter. Then, the next day, or later the same day, you might be out taking a walk or going to the grocery and you can point out, "Look. This is an avocado. That starts with "A" doesn't it? Hear the sound?" Then invite her to find something that begins with an "A". You may have to help her at first but she will soon catch on and beat you to the punch. Later, as her alpha awareness grows, you can pick up a doll at the store or point to a dog in the park and say something like, "See that dog? What's that start with?" The active association of word/image recognition with sound recognition makes it easier to associate and learn.

And don't worry if she doean't seem to be picking things up as quickly as you might like. Remember the tortoise and the hare? Sometimes the fast starters don't go as far while the slower starters develop greater learning in the long run.

A wonderful curriculum you can use is letteroftheweek.com Mastery of a subject is far better than X'ing off tasks, if you know what I mean. The Letter of the Week curriculum might just help you with that. I used it for my son in preschool/kindergarten and we loved it. BTW, the curriculum is free!! And fun.

Hi K.!

We homeschool as well, and are going to start on our youngest daughter this year with the letters- I'm excited!! I'm going to use the letteroftheweek.com curriculum, but I think I'm going to incorporate some of the ideas others have offered here as well.

One thing that helped my older daughter learn her letters and sounds was the Moncure books. Most local libraries have them, each one is a child by the name of Little (letter) like Little a or Little b, and they find all kinds of things that begin with that letter. My older daughter memorized all the books and in doing so, inadvertently learned all of the letters and sounds.

Best of "luck" to you!!

I read the previous response and I agree with her. My son loves hunting for things. So everywhere we went we would hunt for whatever letter/number I chose for the day. We would do this all the time. I do mean everywhere, I made a chart and we tracked how often he was able to find that letter. He enjoyed seeing that yesterday he spotted the letter 5 times and two days later he was able to spot the number 7 times. Doing it this way also taught him numbers. Do you make a lot of phone calls or use the microwave alot? I do and I would have my children push the numbers for me. Songs are a wonderful learning tool. Sing to her sing to her sing to her. Have her sing with you, eventually you will stop singing and she learned her numbers and alphabets. The thing I learned while teaching my own son is that learning doesn't take the following order alphabets, sounds, reading. Sometimes we wouldn't hunt for a letter, we would hunt for a sound. Example: We are looking for the 'a' (short a) sound today. Very good you found the 'a' sound. What do we call this letter that makes the 'a' sound? We call it A. I don't know how this is going to work for you because I started actively teaching my son at the age of 3 (he's in kindergarten now), but my mistake was structuring it too much like a classroom setting. Once it dawned on me that because I was only working with one child (compared to more than two dozen) and I could play a lot more games, go outside the house, and really make learning an adventure, then he learned a lot faster.

Have fun (I did - sometimes) and good luck!

READ READ READ
Seek a homeschool group in your area.
Get the books
How to Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Lessons
The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
What Your Kinergartner Needs to Know
Buy Alphabet magnets for the fridge
Label things in the house cabinets, door, drawer, stove, etc.
READ READ READ
Use the Bob Books
Put the alphabet in the homeschool room adn sing the abc's forwards and backwards. Point ot each letter as you do this.
My son thought that kelemmenno was one letter until his teacher started doing this.
READ READ READ

not sure what the best way to "teach" it would be other than just everyday talking and pointing at letters, but I highly recommend the Leapfrog video "the letter factory". my kids knew a good bit of letters from just talking and reading books, but after watching that only a few times, they knew what the letters looked like in both upper and lower case and they knew what sounds each letter made. it is well worth the money. good luck