The Best Alphabet Books to Teach Letter Recognition
Here’s a list of the best alphabet books to teach letter recognition. Although there are many activities, you can use, books will help aid in oral development and associate sounds with a letter. Books can also build vocabulary, and if the book has a story, you can discuss what happens in the story.
Let’s start reading!
Here are some tips when reading alphabet books aloud.
- Read the book for enjoyment first. Let them enjoy the characters and illustrations first.
- Reread the book, focusing on what you want the student to learn. If the book has a lot of details you want to cover, cover some of it on a different day.
- Create a meaningful follow-up to capture the key details from the text. You can make a chart that identifies words or pictures you want them to learn or create an alphabet book or list.
Alphabet Mystery by Audrey Woods
Audrey Wood’s Alphabet Mystery will have your students guessing what letter is missing in this interactive story. One letter is missing, and your students have to figure it out!
The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni
The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni is a book with a message (literally and figuratively!) A strong wind rattles a tree with letters, forcing them to band together to make words and a sentence. This book is excellent for teaching the concept that letters and words make sentences.
The Letters Are Lost! By Lisa Campell Ernst
I love a good mystery and The Letters are Lost by Lisa Campbell Ernst is so good! A long time ago, the letters were all together and then something happened, and now they are lost! A ends up in an airplane, and B is in a bath (do you see what the author is doing?) This is a fun introduction to the alphabet.
After you read this book, you can have them make their alphabet book or draw a picture of their favorite part.
We Mix Up Our ABCs by Aaron Wills
We Mix Up Our ABCs by Aaron Wills has humor and letter recognition! Your students will enjoy singing and saying the letters of the alphabet.
After you read this book, have students write the letters of the alphabet in order.
Alphabreaths: The ABCs of Mindful Breathing by Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschafen
In Alphabreaths, by Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschafen, children learn their ABCs and essential mindfulness through breathing exercises. It’s playful and includes movement.
You can use this book during a brain break!
The Construction Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books) by Jerry Pallotta
The Construction Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta is for fans of construction equipment A to Z. After you read this book, you can give your students playdough or blocks and build the letters of the alphabet.
The Alphabet’s Alphabet
This book will have your students looking at the letters in a completely new way. For example, B is D with a belt on too tight. It’s a silly book that’s fun to read aloud. You can discuss shape attributes and formations with your students while laughing and enjoying an exciting book.
What are your favorite alphabet books? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy teaching,
Tee
