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The ABCs of the ABCs
Teaching the Alphabet
to Your Toddler By Mark Stackpole
A Connection to Reading?The relationship between learning the ABCs and reading is obvious, but is a knowledge of the ABCs at such a young age critical in terms of teaching a child to be a good reader later on? Not necessarily, according to Caroline Blakemore, author of Baby Read-Aloud Basics (AMACOM, 2006).
to Your Toddler
Blakemore points out that teaching a child the ABCs does not necessarily put her on the road to reading. "The Alphabet Song" can be memorized, which is different from actually knowing the alphabet. Similarly, a child can learn sounds that constitute language without knowing the letters that represent those sounds. In fact, a parent may not even need to teach the ABCs to toddlers as a requirement for his learning to read later.
"Children are given a good start, which all children deserve, when parents start reading to them at birth," Blakemore says. This is the most developmentally appropriate practice parents need to do to ensure their baby excels when he gets to school. And it's so easy. Dad and Mom, older siblings, grandparents or anyone can do it.
"It isn't necessary for children to learn letter names in order to begin reading," Blakemore says. "It's best for parents not to worry about teaching letter names, except for the letters in her name, if she is interested. It's more important that a child know the sound sequence of her name. But none of this needs to be introduced before the age of 4. The good news for parents is that all they have to do is ead and talk to their babies from day one. Children who are read to daily learn all the skills that lead to reading, and therefore learn to read easily when they are first graders, the typical age when children learn to read."