Preschool Learning: Alphabet Book Reading Activity

Want a great way to foster your child's love of reading? Make an alphabet book together! Not only do you get to talk about and sound out the letters as you flip through the handmade pages, but the end result is a special, personalized craft that you can read together over and over.
What you need:

• 26 pieces of paper (colored, construction, even scrap!)
• Hole punch or stapler
• Markers or crayons
• Magazine, stickers, photos, embellishments
• Glue stick

How to do it:

• Staple or use a hole punch to bind all 26 pages together.
• Write a big letter of the alphabet on each page.
• For little learners: Help your younger child cut out pictures from magazines that begin with that letter of the alphabet. (Older kids can go to town with cut-outs or draw pictures.)
• Want more? Don't just stop with the front of the page. Add stickers, stamps or more drawings and pictures to the back, too! Just make sure that all the words have the same beginning letter.
• You can also include photos of family, friends and pets to make the book even more personal!
• Don't forget to design a special cover that lists your child as both the author and illustrator!
• Read the book together, saying the letter, then the sound of the letter, and identify the pictures/stickers that start with that letter.

Brain Building Bonus: Randomly select a page and cover the letter with the palm of your hand. See if your child can name the pictures on the page. Have her listen closely to each word's beginning sound to figure out the letter.
How this builds brains: Oh, the building your child's brain will be doing! First, by cutting out pictures, writing letters, even using the glue stick, your kid is honing fine motor skills. Hearing the sound(s) of the letters and identifying the beginning letter of words will help your kid make letter-sound connections. And of course, reading to your child helps instill a life-long love of reading.
Get more brain-building activities for your kid! Check out our Brain Building Boot Camp with Dr. Christine Ricci.