During your everyday activities, point out letters that you see on signs, in buildings and in books. As you read, point to the words; this will signal to your toddler that the letters have a meaning. Talk about the letters that you see in the book. Play games trying to find specific letters on the page and act excited when you find them.
Toddlers enjoy activities in which they are free to move around and not confined to a table and chair. If your toddler is the kind of child that cannot sit still, incorporate movement into your learning activities.
Foam letter mats can be purchased in many toy stores and are great for active learning. Say to your child, "I want you to jump up and down on the W," or "Put your hand on the A." Reverse roles and have your toddler give you the instructions. For children who already know the letter sounds, say, for example, "Sit on the letter that says 'ee'."
Play games with your toddler to motivate them. Toddler games should be very simple and can be easily invented. Find objects in your house that start with B or go outside and draw letters in the sandbox. Alternatively, place letters around the house and go on an alphabet exploration. Dress up like explorers and give your child a pair of binoculars to make it extra exciting.
Take seven pieces of paper and fold them in half to make a book. Label it "My Alphabet Book." Print one letter on the top of each page. The first page should be labeled "Aa," the second page labeled "Bb" and so on. Together with your child, cut out pictures from magazines and glue them on the appropriate page. For example, a picture of boots would go on the "Bb" page. Lastly, write the name of the word below the picture. When your child shows signs of getting tired of the activity, stop. Do not force your child to continue when they are not longer enjoying the activity.
Letter fridge magnets can be purchased inexpensively and are valuable as an activity for your child when you are busy making supper or cleaning the kitchen. Encourage your child to sort the letters by color for an added learning bonus.