Baker's Dozen Selections: Alphabet

Talk with families about the importance of alphabet books in helping children to learn language. ABC Kids will help children learn both letter names and letter sounds. Point out to families that children need to learn both letter names and sounds, and that the sentences on each page emphasize letter sounds in a fun, tongue twisting manner. Families might enjoy recalling or making up their own tongue-twisters. A bonus with this book is that each double-page spread is printed on pages that rotate colors (green, orange, yellow, pink, blue, and purple). Children can say and learn the color of the page and the colors of the objects on the page.

This alphabet book is bound to inspire movement. Families can make a set of alphabet cards to keep on hand for helping children recognize the letter shapes made by the bodies in the book. Adults can help keep children engaged in this book by encouraging them to find the objects (see key on last page) that begin with each letter and act out the suggested movements sprinkled between alphabet letters.

After reading the book, children will likely want to try making some of the letters with their bodies.  Some letters can be easily made, but it can be fun to try the harder ones, even if children simply end up falling over and rolling on the floor. Agile adults and older siblings might want to join in as well!

A less active follow-up game involves both alphabet recognition and remembering and can be played with any alphabet book. Close the book and take turns asking, e.g., “What object was on the letter F page?  Then turn to the page to check. 

Demonstrate with families how to discuss the pictures on each page of this alphabet book and relate them to the child’s world. The talk may include people in the child’s community who have some of the jobs shown or who drive the types of vehicles that are pictured. Perhaps the family enjoys going to car races, has seen a car towed, or watched large construction vehicles work on buildings or roads. There may be an ice cream truck that drives through the child’s neighborhood or horse and carriage rides enjoyed at a carnival in the past. As the adult shares this book with the child, he or she can point out the alphabet uppercase and lowercase letters and show the letter in the word on the page. Children will recognize that letters have sounds and make words. 

Often, when adults read to children, they are surprised by how observant children can be. This book lends itself to an observation adventure, as there is so much detail in each illustration. Adults can use this feature as an opportunity to hear what interests their child, and to build and expand their child’s vocabulary. Prior to reading, ask adults to look through the pages of the book and take in the detail of each illustration, thinking about the activity the critters are doing, the highlighted month of the year, and the letter of the alphabet being featured. Can they predict what questions their children might ask on each page and what specific things might catch their eyes? Under which month of the year do some of their children’s favorite activities fit? After reading, adults can ask their children to think about one of the activities they saw the critters doing that they might like to try. It might be fun to write some of these activities next to the appropriate month on the family calendar as a reminder.

Reading Alphabet Everywhere will help children learn letter names and increase visualization of these letters. A family might enjoy taking an indoor or outdoor ABC treasure hunt, trying to spot as many letters as they can in unusual places. Using cell phones or cameras, "letter" pictures can be taken and uploaded to family web pages or printed to create a "Family ABC" book.

Invite families to get out those scissors, paper, and glue sticks and create their own three-dimensional ABCs or counting books—or perhaps a story starring their very own child.

Adults may want to preview the different kinds of trucks in this book before reading with children to prepare for some of the questions their children might ask. Some of the trucks are unique and could be new to both adults and children – which is a nice way to expand vocabulary and learning. Children may have a favorite truck that they want to look for or go back to while reading. This provides a nice opportunity for adults to ask children about the names of their favorite trucks. What letters do those trucks begin with? Sometimes we have different names for the same kind of truck, like "digger" and "excavator." When this happens, adults can point to the different beginning letters in each word and talk about the sounds each letter makes.

Talk with families about the value of children having alphabet books. These books help children learn both letter names and letter sounds. Families can look for special letters in the book, such as the ones that spell their child’s name. Encourage families to think about other words that start with those letters. In the book, the letter Mm stands for “mix.” A fun activity for families could be mixing some bread, pretzel, or cookie dough together, and then shaping the dough into the letters of their child’s name. Bake the mix for a treat you can "Ee for eat!”

Explain to families that there may be unfamiliar words or vocabulary in some of the books that they read with their children. Talk about the importance of using picture clues to help explain to their child what the unfamiliar words mean. For example, in this book, E for ensemble may be a new word. The picture helps to explain that an ensemble includes all of the parts that make up an outfit. So in this case, the ensemble includes a dress, a hat, shoes, a purse, and gloves. Use an example from the child’s own clothes to describe another ensemble. For example, a snowsuit, mittens, boots, scarf, and a ski hat. Encourage the child to use the word “ensemble.” For example, “Let’s choose your ensemble for school tomorrow.”

Explain to families that having a variety of alphabet books that children enjoy rereading is important for providing children opportunities to identify letters and practice letter sounds.

Encourage families to let children explore this book at their own pace. Some will want to hear you read and talk about the whole book, while others may only want to read a few sections at a time. Children will like sitting with family members and taking turns naming letters, counting, naming colors, etc., with them. They would enjoy extensions to the book such as mixing colors, finding their own toys that begin with certain letters, or counting groups of toys. Children can learn new vocabulary if families encourage them to tell about the toys and what they are doing on many of the pages.

Share with families that there are alphabet books that present a letter and then show an object whose name and initial sound begin with that letter.  These types of alphabet books are helpful for young children in their early reading development as they begin to understand the symbols and sounds of language while building vocabulary. Show a few examples of this type of book. Then point out that A Visit to Grandad: An African ABC is a special alphabet book because it not only follows the pattern of a basic alphabet book but has the added feature of telling a story. Literacy development is enhanced as children enjoy the story and make connections to their own knowledge, building on their understanding of the world. Elicit suggestions of things adults and children could talk about as they read and peruse this book.