jsmith123 wrote:We were given this as a hand me down and I was surprised at how much my kids enjoyed it.

https://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Fridge-Phonics-Magnetic-Letter/dp/B0765ZFJ7Q/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=letter+sounds+leapfrog&qid=1600961314&sr=8-1

+1

My kids played with this and its variants a lot. Every time that they were in the kitchen or passing the kitchen doorway. LeapFrog is a good option for tools to help learning letters. Also, just pointing out letters in ever day life if helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD. My kids learned their sounds and letters watching it a few times. It sometimes streams on Netflix.

I got this when my eldest was 3 out of desperation because I had a baby with reflux. I was shocked that after lots of play-based introduction to letters and their sounds, this DVD was what taught her. I'm sure the play-based stuff probably helped somehow, though.

Same. DS really liked this DVD when he was little and definitely seemed to learn from it. You might be able to find it on YouTube as well.

We also had the Leap Frog fridge magnet thing and it got used, but it was more intermittent. Also, if you're a parent that's more easily annoyed by musical/sing-songy kids toys, be aware that this one is probably up there a bit.

Point them out everywhere you go, every book you read, every food on their plate, every toy in their bath. Not constantly to the point of bombarding them, of course, but take advantage of each moment of down time together to teach basics in little bits. “Hey, which vegetable starts with a ‘puh’ sound? Yeah, peas! How many peas do you have on your plate? One, two, three, four...” In the grocery store, ask them to help you find a cereal with a K on the box.

Toys and apps can reinforce, but kids learn just fine by interacting with parents. You just have to make a point of doing it throughout the day.

jsmith123 wrote:We were given this as a hand me down and I was surprised at how much my kids enjoyed it.

https://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Fridge-Phonics-Magnetic-Letter/dp/B0765ZFJ7Q/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=letter+sounds+leapfrog&qid=1600961314&sr=8-1

OP here. Thanks! I saw that when I was researching this sort of thing on Amazon. I’ll try it out!

Television

Anything VTech or Leap Frog.

We have a Leap Frog letter thingy on our refrigerator that DS likes to play with while I'm making meals

We were given this as a hand me down and I was surprised at how much my kids enjoyed it.

https://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Fridge-Phonics-Magnetic-Letter/dp/B0765ZFJ7Q/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=letter+sounds+leapfrog&qid=1600961314&sr=8-1

Anonymous wrote:Buy the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD. My kids learned their sounds and letters watching it a few times. It sometimes streams on Netflix.

I got this when my eldest was 3 out of desperation because I had a baby with reflux. I was shocked that after lots of play-based introduction to letters and their sounds, this DVD was what taught her. I'm sure the play-based stuff probably helped somehow, though.

Anonymous wrote:There’s an awesome simple little app called Endless ABC (it’s either free or a couple dollars) and I swear it’s the reason both my kids had mastered the alphabet and letter sounds by the age of 2.

OP here. I just downloaded that — it looks great. Thanks!

Buy the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD. My kids learned their sounds and letters watching it a few times. It sometimes streams on Netflix.

Just looked at it - actually called Endless Alphabet.

There’s an awesome simple little app called Endless ABC (it’s either free or a couple dollars) and I swear it’s the reason both my kids had mastered the alphabet and letter sounds by the age of 2.

Anonymous wrote:What happened to playtime to build a strong foundation?

Play-based learning ...

What happened to playtime to build a strong foundation?

DD will be 4 in October. Her teacher mentioned that we might want to help her with letter recognition and sounds at home, since it’s something she’s struggling with a little at preschool. What toys/games helped your kid at this age?

Thanks!!