How to make 4.5 year old more interested in learning letters?

[Anonymous]

My kids became more interested in letters when they understood they could be used to spell words they liked. I remember my oldest beaming when she figured out how to spell s**t by herself, age 5. Start with your child's interests. Even naughty words can be a great motivator.

[Anonymous]

How to make 4.5 year old more interested in learning letters?

Wait until he's ready.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the elementary school forum. Post in the preschool forum.

A 4.5 year old will start K in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Sesame Street

[Anonymous]

Two generations of kids learned how to read from Sesame Street.

[Anonymous]

Play with foam letters in the bathtub

[Anonymous]

Try the show alphablocks

[Anonymous]

My son loved those Preschool Prep videos. Also the Leap Frog videos.

[Anonymous]

My son was the same at this point last year. He’s now thriving in K and learned anything he didn’t know already during the first couple months of K (letter, sounds). So don’t stress, read things he’s interested in, point things out where you can but my son needed both more time and the structured daily direct instruction of K

[Anonymous]

Wait until kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Have him trace them in sand/ rice or shaving cream on a tray (cafeteria type or a disinfected meat tray. Shaving cream can be on the wall of the bathtub- they make bath crayons for this too.

Put 5 target letters on the floor or walls of your house or outside. and make him drive a fire truck or run (walk hop etc) to them as you name the sound.

Play I spy something that starts with (letter sound).

Get old fashion balloons and write a letter on one play don’t touch the ground with it and every time you hit it you have to say the sound (or name of the letter or word that starts with that sound)

Point them out in bokks

[Anonymous]

Maybe an unpopular opinion given that a lot of posters are opposed to teaching a 4.5 yo to read. But my 4 yo daughter has done very well with the techniques that Spencer Russell describes in his videos: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mm-cwbwBvI. He’s got great advice on how to make it fun for the kids and keep them engaged.

[Anonymous]

Endless Alphabet app or YouTube
https://www.originatorkids.com/endless-alphabet/

Super Why on PBS Kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the elementary school forum. Post in the preschool forum.

A 4.5 year old will start K in the fall.

Next school year is 6-7 months away. This is a preschool question… since they are in preschool currently. Most kindergartners know their letters already.

[Anonymous]

What is the worry OP? It is completely normal for a 5.5 yr old to start Kindergarten not knowing how to read. He will just pick it up faster because he’s older. If he is understanding and remembering books about trucks, that’s so much more important because it means his comprehension is good! I see some UMC parents anxious that their kids will start kindergarten not knowing how to read and I don’t get it because it isn’t like their kid is never going to learn how to read. We are at. Predominantly UMC/UC elementary school and lots of kids started K not reading or knowing many letter sounds. Some did read fluently. By 2nd grade, they’ll all be in similar places. And the journey to there won’t be that different or more or less fun depending on where they are now.