Fundations and Kindergarten Words

Here are some suggestions to help your child learn to learn letters, read words, and have fun at the same time!

1. Be sure to post the alphabet/word list on your refrigerator or some place in your home where your child will see it daily. Read over the list as often as possible.

2. Make 2 letter/word cards of each word and play "Memory" or "Go Fish" with the cards. Start out using only 3 or 4 letters/sounds/words and build up as your child begins to recognize the words.

3. Give your child the letter/word list to hold while you are cooking dinner, riding in the car, etc., and call out letters/ words for them to put their finger on. For fun, see how fast they can find them.

4. Play "I Spy". At the grocery store, a restaurant, or while riding in the car, etc., search for the letters/words on food boxes ,cans, the menu, or signs or billboards. Also try how many times you can find one of the letters/words.

5. At home, the doctor's office, etc., choose one of the letters/ words and have your child see how many times they can find that letter/word in a magazine, book, newspaper, etc.

6. Use the word in a sentence and then help your child make up their own sentence using that word. You can even write some simple sentences leaving a space for your child to write the word to complete the sentence.

7. Play "Letter/Sound/Word Race" (how fast you can find this letter/word posted inside/outside) or Scrabble using the words.

8. While cooking dinner or in a restaurant, make up riddles such as: I am thinking of a 3 letter word that begins with letter C. This word ends with letter T. This word is an animal that says MEOW. Have your child write the word on a napkin or paper.

9. Make a Bingo card(s) with the letters/words. Give your child (and a friend or sibling) beans to put on the words as you call them out. See who can cover their card first.

10. Eat Your Words - Buy a box of alphabet shaped cereal at the store. Pour a cup of the dry cereal onto a table or plastic placemat. Call out some of your child's letters/ words. After your child has found or spelled them correctly, they are free to eat their words!

11. Bathtub Spelling - Get a package of foam letters for the tub. During bath time, call out a letter/word and have your child spell the word by sticking the appropriate letters to the side of the tub.

12. Sidewalk Spelling - On a nice day, take your child outside with a bucket of sidewalk chalk and call out their letters/words. They can write their letters/ words on the sidewalk. Or if they can, have them write a sentence with their words. The rain will wash it away.