Reading quality alphabet books for preschool children is a fun way to practice letter recognition during reading time. Listening to the characters interact with the alphabet while pairing them with fun rhymes and rhythms will have students begging to hear them again and again!
Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
When Kitty’s family runs out of her food, she becomes a VERY bad kitty. Running through each letter of the alphabet, she invites havoc at every turn! Once her family returns from the store, she finds they bought her all the best food, including an ‘Assortment of Anchovies!’ She goes on to redeem herself in true alphabetic fashion. This alphabet book will have preschoolers tickled with Kitty’s silly ways.
Extending the Learning: Just like Kitty, everyone has a bad day once in a while. Invite students to make a card or drawing to cheer someone up – maybe a grandparent, friend, or neighbor.
Alphabet Rescue by Audrey Wood
The little letters want to help, but they aren’t big enough to use the fire hose. However, they find their own way to help. They fix up an old fire truck, clean a muddy car, rescue a cat stuck in a tree, and end up coming to the rescue when the big fire truck crashes. Audrey Wood creates alphabet books that are interactive and perfect for the preschool classroom by creating characters directly from the letters themselves.
Extending the Learning: Write letters on the pavement outside using sidewalk chalk. Provide students with a spray bottle filled with water and let their imaginations soar as they become firefighters and wash the letters away.
I Stink by Kate & Jim McMullan
The trash truck is on a mission to eat all the stinky, yucky trash to make alphabet soup. From apple cores and half-eaten hot dogs to smelly sneakers and year-old yams, this alphabet book is anything but stinky. Students will love the gross ingredients and may even think of new alphabet ingredients—a great way to incorporate the alphabet into storytime.
Extending the Learning: Not all smells are stinky! Explore the sense of smell in the preschool classroom. Pick a few spices or extracts and invite students to give each a gentle sniff. (Extracts may be dripped onto a cotton ball or other surface. Model how to take a gentle sniff by wafting the smells towards the face using your hand.) Ask the students to guess what they are smelling. Is it a big smell or a little smell (strong/weak)? Do they like the smell? This activity is great to do within the 5 Senses Unit as well.
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Peek-A-Boo Alphabet Envelopes Game
$3.00Use this fun “Peek-A-Boo” ALPHABET ENVELOPE game to help students practice letter identification and letter-sound connections. This activity is fun on its own and also pairs nicely with the book “I Stink!” by Jim & Kate McMullan.
Prepare this game by adhering the garbage can to a 6″x9″ envelope. Cut out the white square and place the letter cards into the envelope. Students look at the window and guess the letter. “Peek-a-Boo!”
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.
A preschool favorite, the cadence and repeating patterns are one of the best parts of Bill Martin’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Simplistic in nature, students will quickly catch on to this alphabet book.
Extending the Learning: Practice letter recognition in one of the most important ways – the letters in the students’ names! Provide each student with cardboard cut-outs of the letters in their name. Students paste the letters to a poster board with the heading “My name is.” For a time-saving option, these monthly name activities are editable and can create personalized letter cards for each student in less time than it takes to read the book!
LMNO Peas by Keith Baker
The peas in this cute story have different jobs, from acrobats and artists to yogis and zoologists. Students will be able to recognize the different illustrations that match the letters on each page. Small details and intriguing jobs will have preschool students wondering what jobs they might have when they grow up.
Extending the Learning: Invite students to dress up like what they want to be when they grow up. Create name tags that highlight their chosen profession, such as “Veterinarian Jeffery” or “Firefighter Megan.”
More Alphabet Fun
- Bring the alphabet to life with an assortment of alphabet games, practice pages, and more!
- A plethora of alphabet activities to suit all learners!
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