Learning letters and the alphabet by coloring
How to combine coloring with learning letters — from recognising shapes to first words, step by step.
A letter is a picture too
For a young child a letter is simply a shape. A page with a big letter and a matching image ('A is for Apple') links the letter's form to its sound and meaning in one memorable picture.
From shape to sound
Coloring a letter, the child traces its outline with eye and hand, fixing the shape. Repeat the sound it stands for — so sight joins with hearing.
Capital and small letters
Color in pairs: the capital and small version of the same letter. The child notices it's 'the same letter' — key for later reading and writing.
First words
Once the child knows a few letters, color simple words: MOM, DAD, the child's name. Coloring one's own name is huge motivation and pride in a first 'read' word.
No rush
Learning letters is a marathon, not a sprint. A few minutes a day, play instead of an exam and plenty of praise build positive links to letters long before school.
