Alphabet Flash Cards Reading Activity

Got a stack of index cards? Then you've got an ideal brain-building tool. Choose one of these letter-identifying games to do today, or do all three for a triple brainy bonus!
What you need:

• 26 index cards with each letter of the alphabet
• Magnetic letters or Scrabble tiles

How to do it:

1. LETTER MATCHING: (This game can have multiple players!)
• Shuffle the index cards and then spread out a set of magnetic letters on a table.
• Each child picks up a card and tries to match the letter on the card to one of the magnetic letters.
• If you find the match, you win that letter.
• Older children can be encouraged to make words out of the letters that they win.
  

2. SCAVENGER LETTER HUNT:

• Hide a handful of magnetic letters around the room. (Or better yet: take it outside!)
• Flip over an index card and call out the sound of that letter.
• Send your child off to find the letter that corresponds to that particular sound. For example, if you told her to find the letter that makes the /R/ sound, your kid has to bring back the letter R.
• Continue until all the letters have been found!

3. NAME GAME:

• Have your child pick an index card and name a person or thing that starts with that letter.
• If she gets it right, she gets to keep the card. If she gets it wrong, the card goes back in the pile.
• Continue until all the cards have been won.

Brain Building Bonus: Spread out the index cards and have your child find the magnetic letter that matches the letter on the card. Can she name three things that start with that letter? How this builds brains: Knowing the sound(s) that correspond to each letter of the alphabet is important when trying to figure out new words, which is the first step toward reading. And repetition, repetition, repetition, is what's going to solidify the letter-sound connections in your child's brain.
Get more brain-building activities for your kid! Check out our Brain Building Boot Camp with Dr. Christine Ricci.