Here are some fun ways to teach letters and sounds. Alphabet knowledge is one of the key building blocks on the path to reading and writing. Keep reading to get the interactive activity ideas so you can teach your students their alphabet letters and sounds.
FUN WAYS TO TEACH LETTERS AND SOUNDS
Here is a special song just for teaching letters and sounds. “The Animal Alphabet Song”.
In the song I sing the letter, the sound, the animal and then the letter again.
I’m sure you’ll be able to use this animal alphabet song with preschool and kindergarten children to help them learn ABC letters and sounds by singing and moving with music. And getting your students singing and moving are fun ways to teach letters and sounds.
Animal Alphabet Phonics Song Learn Sounds and Letters ABC Movement Break
The animals want to help you learn the alphabet by singing this song. Learn your sounds and letters and animal names singing and moving to the music.
VISUALS AND REFERENCE TOOLS
Creating visuals and reference tools will help your children learn their alphabet letters and sounds.
Because children need easy access to the information, the “A, B C’S”, it’s helpful to make available a variety of tools.
Print flashcards and put them on a ring, post posters on the walls and desks and create writing and art activities that help students visualize the alphabet letters and sounds.
Songs, action rhymes and stories also help children learn.
SINGING THE ANIMAL ALPHABET SONG
The ABC Animals Song, Alphabet and Phonics – is a fun animated music video for children to sing and learn the alphabet and read letters from A-Z.
Young children will love the alphabet animals and can sing along to learn phonics sounds and letters at the same time.
The ABC Animals Song by Sing Play Create is one of many songs to help children move and learn with music!
Singing the Animals Alphabet Song is one way children can learn alphabet sounds and letters.
Try doing these activities over several days- not all in one session. And, you can mix up the singing and moving activities over time to give children a chance to learn the song.
First, watch the video and allow children to move freely to the music.
Afterwards, sing along focusing on the letters, then sounds, then the animal pattern for each letter in the alphabet.
Ask children to sing the letters too.
You may want the children to jump or clap on each letter.
Then, sing only the sounds. Use the “sh” sign on the other parts of the song and only say the sounds for each letter.
Next, Sing the names of the animals. Children may want to move like the animal-but the focus is on singing the names.
Finally, put all the learning together by singing all the letters, sounds and animals.
The alphabet animals want to help your students learn their letters and sounds.
Your students will love this Animal ABC phonics song and movement activity. They will hear the letter, the “sound” and an animal word that starts with the letter.
And, the video has “real” animal videos too!
Sing and move along with the video, learn the words, letters, and sounds, then play the Mp3 tracks for students to sing along.
Interactive and Engaging! What a great addition to your alphabet activities.
MOVE LIKE THE ANIMALS
The Animal Alphabet Song can help children distinguish between the 26 letters of the alphabet and verbalize those letter sounds.
Learning animal names along with the alphabet letters can help children make connections between sounds and the letters.
And the live action animals help keep children engaged in learning their sounds and letters.
Children will also love moving like the animals. Moving and singing has been shown to increase learning.
As you play this song, ask the children to move like the animals instead of singing the words.
You may want to scroll through the video and have them practice their animal moves.
Have them call out the animal names too!
READ AND SAY THE ALPHABET LETTERS AND SOUNDS
There are many ways to help children read and say the alphabet letters and sounds.
The Animal Alphabet Song resource has flashcards of each animal and letters as well as letters and animal cards.
You may want to choose a small number of letters when playing these games.
Be sure to make as many cards as needed.
IDENTIFYING ACTIVITIES
HIDE and SEEK
Place the animal and letter cards around the room.
Ask the children to find a card and bring it to you or to pair up with a buddy.
Have them share the letters and sounds on the cards.
SING AND SAY IT
Play the video without sound. Have the children be the “sound”.
If you purchase the resource, you will get a Karaoke track so they can sing it on their own.
Use the flashcards and have them point to the letter as they sing.
CALL IT OUT
In this activity the teacher will hold up the cards one at a time and ask student to either say the letter, the sound, or the animal.
Be sure to do the letters out of order. It’s important for them to know them by identity and not by singing the “ABC” song.
The children could play the part of the teacher too!
MY NAME STARTS WITH LETTER
Have the children choose the card that has the letter that begins their name.
It’s important to teach the letters out of order too.
Instead of names, choose words that relate to their environment.
Say something like; “which letter starts the word school?”
- S- SCHOOL
- D- DESk
- B- BACKPACK
And so forth-
TOSS AND NAME
Place all the cards face down on the table or floor. Scatter them around so none are touching each other.
Toss a bean bag or an eraser on the cards.
Whichever card it lands on, the student then tells the letter, sound or animal.
MATCHING GAMES
Matching games are a fun way to learn alphabet letters and sounds.
You can stack the different sets of cards and have the children:
- MATCH THE ANIMAL TO THE LETTER
- MATCH THE LETTER TO THE ANIMAL
- SAY THE SOUND
- SAY THE LETTER
- SAY THE ANIMAL
- WALK AND SAY THE LETTERS AND SOUNDS
One super fun activity is to make an alphabet trail using the cards. You may want to laminate them.
Basically, you place the letters on the floor or on a marker that creates a trail that the children have to follow. At each stop they say the letter, sound, and animal (or one of these). Choose an action they have to do to get to the next letter like hop, skip, jump, crawl. When they have reached the end of the trail they get to cheer “I know my ABC letters (sounds)!”
If you are teaching a small number of children, you could have them collect their cards. (Be sure to make enough for each child.)
Be sure to use this animal alphabet song with preschool and kindergarten children to help them learn ABC letters and sounds by singing and moving with music.
These activities and more are in the Animal Alphabet Bundle!
Remember that repetition is an important teaching strategy to help children learn.
I’m hoping this animal alphabet song helps your children have fun learning their alphabet letters and sounds.