Fundations 

Here are some suggestions to help your child learn to learn letters and 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.