Alphabet books have been a big part of our reading instruction. It is a good idea to read to our young children anyway, so reading picture books, where you can reinforce phonograms is a win win.

To maximize the phonics potential, I teach the sound of the letter, along with the name. For instance instead of saying "A is for Alfred", I will say "A says "a", "ay", "ah"". Ditto for every phonogram. Once our children understand that letters represent sounds, they can string those letters together to make words. I might also say the alphabet with my child, either before or after reading the book, but our main focus is teaching them the sounds.

"So Many Bunnies" is one of our very favorite alphabet books. It has a sweet story, includes some simple counting, and the illustrations are beautiful.

"B is for Buckaroo" is a fun story for your little cowboy. It also includes some details about cowboy life, so you get a book that will grow with your preschooler, and might spark other studies. You can also find "C is for Castle" which introduces items related to the middle ages, among thousands of historical themed alphabet books.

If you are looking for a simpler story for a very young child, this one, "An Alphabet in Bloom" is lovely. The cut paper illustrations could lead to cutting a collage with an older preschooler, and the wordless pages provide lots of visual interest and even some mystery as you discover what each letter is represented by. Some other favorite ABC books for younger children are "A is for Apple" which includes tracks for your child to trace each letter, and "Eric Carle's ABC" which would be a great read on those weeks when we are doing "The Grouchy Ladybug" or another of his stories.

One of my most well loved alphabet books, is "A is for Annabelle" by a favorite children's author and illustrator, Tasha Tudor. Her beautiful illustrations and creativity come through in every page. We also love finding ABC books about nature and animals, such as "Discovering Nature's Alphabet"

Finally, a wonderful way to play with letters, and even to work on articulation with your young children, is with our Picture Word Cards . These would make a wonderful Christmas gift for your child. Simply laminate them along with a few phonogram bingo cards, add some nature themed bingo counters, such as acorn caps, and you have an inexpensive and educational gift.

What is your favorite ABC book?

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ABC Books