Hang posters and banners that show the letters of the alphabet. Hang a picture of a corresponding word that begins with each letter. For instance, hang an apple picture next to the letter A. Children should be exposed to the alphabet from the time they are toddlers so letters are familiar when it's time to learn to write.
Have children find letters of the alphabet in books and magazine. Show children a large picture of one letter and tell them to look through their magazines to find examples of that letter. They can simply find the letters or cut them out and make a collage with the letters. This exercise helps preschoolers learn to look carefully at each letter so they have to notice what makes one letter different from another.
Give children tracing sheets. Use dotted lines or a very thin pencil line to write the alphabet. Children can use a pencil or marker to trace on top of your writing. You can create a personalized sheet for each child by writing his name on his sheet with a dotted line. This allows children to practice the physical motion of writing each letter without having to worry about creating the shape themselves. Have children practice tracing each day until they trace the letters easily and neatly.
Give children sensory materials they can write in with their fingers. Put a box of sand, play dough or finger paints out on a table. Tell the children to practice tracing their letters. Show or tell them one letter at a time and have them write it. Preschoolers love playing with these materials, so they'll be excited to practice writing this way.
Write one letter at the top of a piece of lined paper. Give one sheet to each child and have her fill one line or an entire page with that letter. She'll have the sample letter at the top of the page for reference but has to create the shape herself. Repeat this activity with a different letter sheet each day.