"Scholastic" says that children who are getting ready to start kindergarten should be able to recognize some letters and have fairly well developed fine motor skills, these being the ones that involve using the small muscles of the body, such as the fingers and hands. Teaching letter recognition and fostering his fine motor skills can be done simultaneously through a variety of activities. Parents who work with their child on these skills will find that they do better in kindergarten.
Step 1
Practice. The best way to get started is to practice recognizing letters by doing activities that allow exposure while also using fine motor skills. According to Family Education, a good way to do this is finger tracing. Give your child a piece of paper with letters printed on it. Show him how to follow the lines of the letter with his finger. This builds the small muscle skills in the hands while also introducing letters.
Step 2
Review. As new letters are introduced, review the old ones too. Children will need lots of exposure before letter recognition is a skill that they don't think twice about. Hang pictures of letters printed off the computer around the house so they are visible to your child and ask him to identify them when you pass by them. Use flashcards if your child wants to--these can also be used for finger tracing. "Scholastic" says that a balance of this type of learning combined with fun and games is a good way to teach skills to your child.
Step 3
Do craft projects. Crafts are a good way to combine teaching letters with developing fine motor skills, says "Scholastic". Let your child cut, color and glue. Children can cut out letters and glue them to paper for form their names or sight words. Finger painting combines finger tracing with making and recognizing letters. Give your child writing instruments in a variety of sizes to help fine motor skills develop.
Step 4
Play with your child. Playing introduces skills that a parent and child don't even realize they are fostering. Read to your child often because this helps children learn to connect letters to words and sentences on the page. "Scholastic" says that sorting toys helps fine motor muscles develop. Give your child several sets of magnetic letters and let her sort them into groups of the same letter while telling her what they are. Drive around town and have your child point out letters she recognizes and those that are in her name. Give your child a letter and have her bring you a toy that starts with that letter. Form letters out of Play-Dough.
Step 5
Meet with your child's teacher. Discussing where your child is developmentally in regards to letter recognition and fine motor skills will help his teacher assess where he is in relation to classmates and what things he can do to increase his skills. Teachers can also give you some great ideas of activities to do at home to work on areas that are lacking.
Tips and Warnings
- If you feel your child may have a learning disability, his doctor or teacher can help you find additional resources for him.
Things You'll Need
- Flashcards
- Craft supplies
- Writing instruments in a variety of sizes
- Paper
- Computer and printer
- Toys
