Focus on specific letters for several days. When you tutor a child, the sessions should last no more than 20 minutes, at least three times a week. Work on one letter at a time --- preferably those the student is having difficulty understanding.
Use manipulatives --- such as plastic letter tiles, alphabet and picture flash cards or small objects that represent the beginning sounds of letters such as toy animals --- when you tutor a student.
Play games and sing songs to help children learn sound association. If computers are available, utilize interactive games like ABC Match, in which children match letters with the picture that begins with that letter's sound. Songs that rhyme or are sung to familiar tunes like the ones on the educational site Little Giraffes (see the link in the References section) help students remember letters and their sounds.
Use peer tutors. Many children respond well when working with others. Choose a student who has average or above-average ability to serve as the tutor once a week. Monitor while they work together on an activity you have shown them previously, such as matching letters with pictures or completing a rhyming puzzle.