One tool teachers can use to help students with letter-sound recognition is a printed worksheet. Each worksheet should display several different pictures, such as a tree, a horse and a duck. Next to each picture, the worksheet should show two different letters. The goal is to have the student to pick the letter that matches the sound of the picture. For example, for the picture of the tree, students should pick the letter "t." For sample worksheets, visit www.kidzone.ws.
Place plastic play letters into a large bowl or pot. Alternately, you can write letters on slips of paper and place them in the pot. Ask each student to use a ladle or a spoon to scoop out a letter. The student must then identify the letter and walk around the room, searching for and securing an object that begins with that same letter.
This is a game that can be played at home or at school. Spread out a newspaper and say a letter you want the child to find, starting with the beginning of the alphabet and working towards the end. Have the child look through the newspaper for the letter and point out the first time he or she finds it. After your child finds the letter, circle it with a pen or highlighter. Then move to the next letter. When you reach the end of the alphabet, count up the total number of letters the child found.
At home, preschool children can practice letter-sound recognition through online games. Sites such as www.internet4classrooms.com offer a variety of games, such as "ABC Gulp," that help teach letters. In this game, a frog appears on the screen and says a letter he wants to "eat." The child must respond by picking that letter from a larger group of letters and selecting it with the mouse. The letter is then "fed" to the frog.