This is an easy one that introduces them to the skill of segmenting. Here they are focusing on the first sound. Give them a sound and ask them to list words that start with the same sound.

Now they know their letters, but can they spell sounds? At a certain point, it's helpful to stop asking what's the letter and ask, "How do you spell that sound?" Start shifting their mindset to understand letters are used to SPELL sounds. How do you spell /s/? How do you spell /sh/? S-H is not a letter, but rather a spelling that makes the sound /sh/. Get those fingers ready for this tactile game and practice SPELLING SOUNDS!

This one is advance! Say a word “cat”. Ask your little one- What’s the first sound? “/k/“ Tell them to replace the /k/ sound with /h/. What’s the word now? “hat”.

Pick a letter and sing to it! This will help your child recognize that each letter in the alphabet song is its own significant entity.

Pick pairs of words that rhyme and don’t rhyme. When they rhyme, ask your little to do a thumbs up. When they don’t rhyme, thumbs down.

Rhyme Family is an easy but impactful one. Pick a word (start with easy, one syllable words- me, cat, man, top) and ask your little to say as many words as they can that rhyme with that word. They are building two big skills here- rhyme & phonemic awareness- by replacing the beginning sound with other sounds. Happy rhyming!

This routine is a big one! Say the word.--Little one says the word.--What's the first sound?---Little one says the sound.---Spell that sound.--What's the next sound?---Little one says the sound.--Spell that sound.--What's the last sound?--Little one says the sound.--Spell that sound.--When done, Little one spells it out loud and reads it. Done, perfect spelling! (Eventually they won't need you, they'll do this process on their own.)

Pick a word, like 'cat'. Ask your little one to say the word 'cat'. Then ask- "What is the last sound in cat?" (Not letter, but sound.) /t/ sound. Model if you need to, until your little one catches on.

Model by saying some rhyme pairs. Then ask your little to rhyme with a word. Take turns. Nonsense words are encouraged!