An alphabet puzzle is a must have tool to help your child learn to read! Here are 3 ways to have fun with that puzzle and increase your child’s knowledge of letter sounds!
When I had a preschool in my home, I loved to play simple games with the kids to help them remember their letter sounds. No one ever wanted to stop playing, but I learned quickly that if you stop before they want to, it will be an even bigger hit when you play it again.
3 Easy Learn to Read Puzzle Activities
Sometimes parents try to over complicate activities to try and make them seem more exciting, but the best games are tried and true. That’s why the next 3 learn to read activities might seem simple to you, boring even, but for children, they are SO fun, especially because they are playing with you!
1.H&S – It’s a classic activity!
I know you are thinking that this MUST be good, because I’ve never heard it before. However, I had to trick you a little because you probably wouldn’t have read what I had to say if I made the title, Hide and Seek. Would you have?
This game is classic, but the most important thing parents miss out on is that children LOVE to hide almost more than they like to SEEK! So dump the letters out of the puzzle and have your child hide them around the room. “Not too hard now,” you can say!
Once you find a few, tell your child the sound of the letters and put them back in the puzzle to see which ones you have left to find.
You can ask your child for help finding and sounding out the letters. You might even get one wrong a couple times that you know your child knows so that they can correct you. Remember to tell them how smart they are when they do!
Get some FREE learn to read flashcards! Click here!
2. Letter Art – SO easy!
No tricks here! Get out the markers, crayons or colored pencils and have some fun tracing around the letter puzzle pieces. Remember to have them repeat the sound the letter that they are tracing around makes.
To help them learn to read even more, you can create words with some of the letters and help your child sound them out. Maybe create a word and then draw a picture below the nice big puzzle letter tracings.
3. Letter Relay – For Active Kids!
This learn to read activity has so many applications but here’s the short version. Take the letters that you are wanting your child to learn the sounds for out of the puzzle. Put them across the room. Have your child run, or hop, or roll, spin, skip, or crawl to one of the letter sounds you call out and bring it back to you.
You can make this more interesting or challenging to your child by setting a timer to see how many they can get in a certain amount of time. You could make a little obstacle course by putting things for them to jump over or crawl under.
Don’t forget to join in and take a turn! Your child might need a break! I know you are creative and can find other ways to make a relay really fun!
Learn to read activities don’t have to be complicated to be fun and effective! In fact, the more s
imple the better. We aren’t teaching our children how to play an elaborate game, they are learning to read! Make sure your learn to read activities are emphasizing the letter sounds, not the tasks needed to participate.
Comment below to tell me if you think of any other learn to read activities to do using a letter puzzle!
Check out these other Learn to Read Activities and Tips!
“Janine, your creativity in making learning fun is inspiring! These activities are not only educational but also enjoyable for kids. Your dedication to helping children learn to read shines through. Keep up the fantastic work!”
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