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Literacy & ABCsKindergartnersPreschoolers1 Comment
Make learning letter sounds fun with this hands-on letter sounds activity! Kids love making faces in a mirror. Use this fun idea to teach letter sounds to your preschooler!
For more fun, try this Beginning Letter Sounds Sort Game.
Wondering how to teach letter sounds? Studies show that the ability to match letter names and sounds it a huge indicator in reading success.
Whether you’re just starting out with learning letter sounds, or you’re looking for a new way to review, this easy activity won’t disappoint!
Fun Letter Sounds Activity with a Mirror
This activity is so simple, but it’s a really effective way to teach your child how to correctly say letter sounds.
For this Activity, You’ll Need:
- handheld mirror
- letter chart or flash cards
All you’ll need is a mirror and written letters to show to your child. We use a combination of flash cards and letter charts.
If your child is more familiar with the alphabet and matching sounds, use a letter chart to practice sounds she already knows.
If you’re focusing on learning one or just a few letters at a time, pull out those flash cards to help reinforce those letter sounds!
You’ll also love this Beginning Letter Sounds Hunt for Toys to Wash!
How to Use a Mirror to Learn Letter Sounds
First, warm up those facial muscles with some silly faces in the mirror!
This always gets my daughter interested and ready to engage.
Next, choose which letter to work on. We are learning the letter “H” and it’s sound.
Position the mirror so that your child can see your lips and her’s at the same time.
Make sure to use exaggerated enunciation and really focus on that beginning letter sound.
I like to explain letter sounds the same way I teach animal sounds. Just like a cow says “moo,” letters all “say” their sounds, too!
“H” says “hahh. Hahh, hahh, hahh.”
Repeat this a few times together while your child copies the shape of your mouth.
“H” is an awesome letter sound to learn with the mirror because as your child makes the “hahh” sound her breath will fog up the mirror!
Then encourage your child to try this learning letter sounds activity on her own!
She can look in the mirror at her own mouth and repeat the letter and sound.
Finally, have your child trace the letter on the flashcard with her finger as she says the name and sound.
This is fantastic for solidifying those letter sounds and helping kids understand the relationship between letters and letter sounds.
Ready to pump it up with letter sounds? Try this Energetic Activity: Letter Sound Punch Game.
Tips for Teaching Letter Sounds
Pay Attention to the Details
Is your child struggling learning with a certain letter sound? Pay special attention to the details of how the tongue, teeth, and lips are placed. How much breath is coming out? Is it voiced or unvoiced?
In the mirror, point out these details and help your child copy your mouth shapes.
For example:
- To make the letter “O” sound, your lips will look big and round like an “O.”
- The difference between the “B” and “V” sounds is just the placement of the bottom lip behind the upper teeth.
- Show how the “L” sound is made by flipping the tongue up and down from the top to bottom of the mouth.
Teach Both Upper and Lowercase Letters
As you do this learning letter sounds activity, be sure to include lots of practice with both upper and lowercase letters.
Your first instinct may be to give capital letters more preference, and that’s OK. But remember that the majority of books your child will begin to read will have mostly lowercase letters.
Practicing letter sounds with both upper and lowercase will give your child a head start!
Let Your Child Take the Lead
Resist the urge to try to “pull” your child along as you learn letter sounds. Keep it fun and hands-on!
It’s great to have a plan, but it’s totally OK to follow your child’s lead.
For example, we learned the letter “H” because my daughter wanted to play “baby horse” that morning. So, after we galloped around the house a few times, we got out the mirror and flashcards to learn the letter “H” sound.
It didn’t take her long to pick up this new letter and sound because she was invested in the idea from the start!
Your Turn
What are your favorite ways to learn letter sounds with your child? How do you keep in playful, fun, and hands-on?
Share your ideas in the comments below!
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