Learning how to read is such a big step- and is such a difficult one at that! When we really think about the English language- all the rules and exceptions, it's pretty daunting. One of the best ways we can prepare our children to succeed in learning to read is to make sure that they can recognize letter sounds. Matching is a perfect way to practice!

You will need:

Paper & Pen
Magnetic Letters

Instructions:

Get out your pen and paper.
Draw a big rectangle, and then draw a line horizontally through the middle.
Draw as many vertical lines as letters you would like to practice.
On the top boxes, draw familiar objects that start with the letter sounds you'd like to practice.
Pull out the magnetic letters and have your child match the sounds with the correct pictures.

Activity Notes:

If you don't have magnetic letters, use any other kind of letters that you can find! You could even cut out squares of paper and write letters on those.
If your child is just starting out, only put out the letters that you are using so there are less options and it is a little more simple for their first time. As they get more advanced, try adding more and more letters for them to search through to make it a little more challenging.