It’s never too early to start teaching your child letters. Even toddlers can learn their letters! As soon as your little one shows interest, jump on it!

Sound crazy? It’s not! Here are five simple ways to teach your toddler letters.

1. Play with Alphabet Toys

If you browse the toy aisle of Target, you will discover there are tons (and tons) of alphabet toys. That’s because playing with alphabet toys is a great way for kids as young as toddlers to learn their letters. So, go shopping guilt-free! Stock up on ABC puzzles, blocks, bathtub toys, and magnetic letters. Be on the lookout for nontraditional toys, too. For example, ABC cookie cutters can be used in many ways to teach toddlers their letters.

2. Do It Again and Again and Again

Toddlers learn from repetition. Think about it… The first words your baby uttered were likely words that she heard repeatedly. (I know I said “Mama” to my babies about a million times in hopes it’d be their first word. I know I’m not the only one.) According to Today’s Parent, “A baby needs 1,000 repetitions to learn a word; by the time he’s a toddler, he might need 50 repetitions; and when he’s in kindergarten, he may need only a few repetitions to master it because the brain connections have been laid out.” The same is true when it comes to learning the alphabet. Read the personalized book about ABCs over and over, sing the ABC song on repeat, and do that same alphabet activity again and again.

3. Lead Your Toddler Through Alphabet Learning Activities

Take it up a notch by encouraging your toddler to play some alphabet learning activities. As long as you remember that you are playing with a toddler and not a spelling bee champion, it’ll be fun for both of you!

Here are some simple alphabet learning activities to try:

  • Sing the alphabet song.
  • Play “I Spy” letters.
  • Have toddlers try to make letters with playdoh.
  • Get toddlers to write letters in the sand.
  • Hide your alphabet magnets or cookie cutters in a bin of rice or sand and have kids hunt for letters.
  • Tell kids to sort the alphabet magnets or blocks by colors.
  • Write large letters on paper and have kids use small items (cereal, marshmallows, buttons, etc.) to outline the letter shapes.

4. Read Personalized Children's Books

NAMEE’s personalized book collection includes an alphabet book that is great for toddlers! Toddlers love seeing their names in print, as well as characters that resemble them. So much so that they will ask for “MORE” and for you to read their personalized book “AGAIN” all the time – which makes repetition easy! Added bonus – NAMEE’s personalized book on the alphabet is not boring, so repeats will be fun for parents, too!

5. Watch Educational Alphabet Videos

While we don’t think you should sit your kid in front of the television and trust it to teach your kid their letters, there is actually a lot of quality educational content available. Let’s be honest. Most of our generation learned their ABCs from Sesame Street! In addition to showing your toddler Sesame Street, check out this list of 18 Amazing Alphabet Videos to Help Kids Learn Their ABCs from We Are Teachers.

Jumpstart your toddler’s education with NAMEE’s personalized books. Create one today!