Letters and sounds are the foundation of literacy, and it all starts in kindergarten! Don’t let all the noise around the science of reading and teaching phonics keep you from teaching the alphabet in a hands-on, fun way! In this episode, I explain how I introduced the alphabet and letter sounds in my kindergarten classroom.
Before kids can read and write, they need to understand that letters represent sounds and sounds go together to make words. This all starts with teaching sounds and the letters that represent sounds.
This foundational skill is the starting point for phonemic awareness, phonics, and early reading.
The goal in the beginning of the year is not mastery. It is exposure, consistency, and building routines that support learning.
In my classroom, we had such a wide-range of learners and ability levels that we spent the first 30 days of school learning how to be students, how to follow routines, and all that goes with it. In those first 30 days, we introduced a letter a day starting on day 4.
We used this opportunity to introduce letters as an introduction, not for mastery. Toward the end of the 30 days, we began our phonics curriculum, where we taught for mastery.
We set up simple routines that helped students learn how to work independently so I could begin to pull individual students for assessing or even to start small groups.
We started each day with a whole group lesson with our Alphabet Anchor charts. Then students completed their independent work or centers:
Handwriting Practice
Letter Worksheet
Letter Hat Craft (or crown)
Hands-on Fine Motor Center
These alphabet routines are not just for back to school.
You can use the same tools:
Having a consistent set of alphabet activities makes it easier to meet the needs of all learners.
Having the tools you need to supplement your big box ELA curriculum is important – and having resources that kindergarteners can actually complete independently is a game-changer!
You’ll find all of the alphabet resources mentioned in this video as well as phonemic awareness and CVC word activities! So you can build your Kindergarten ELA Toolkit and be ready with centers, independent work, and tools to reteach in your intervention groups all year long.
How to introduce the alphabet in kindergarten
How to set up predictable routines to promote independence
Letter activity ideas to use in your classroom
Teaching Exceptional Kinders Links and Resources:
The Kindergarten Writing Toolbox
The Kindergarten Management Toolbox
Follow me on Instagram @teachingexceptionalkinders
More about The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast
Welcome to The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, your go-to guide for creating calmer classrooms and more confident writers in the wonderfully unique world of kindergarten.
I’m Amy Murray — former kindergarten teacher, Type C “organized-in-piles” human, and vanilla-latte enthusiast. After years of helping teachers streamline their classroom routines with tips and tools that actually make sense for 5- and 6-year-olds, I created this podcast to support you with the practical strategies you’ve been craving.
Each episode is short, actionable, and designed to help you:
✔ simplify classroom management
✔ reduce behavior chaos with systems that stick
✔ teach writing in a way that meets beginning writers where they are
✔ build routines that make your day flow
✔ use visuals, tools, and expectations that really work in K
Whether you’re a brand-new kindergarten teacher or a seasoned pro looking for clarity and calm, you’ll find step-by-step support to help you feel more confident and in control.
Because kindergarten isn’t just the new first grade, it’s a world all its own, and you deserve tools that actually work.
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Here’s to calmer days and more confident writers!
