Books to Help Your Child Learn About Letters

As your young child begins to develop their language skills, you may find that they become very interested in books. Children enjoy looking at books and being read to, and many often try to follow along and make sense of the letters. As they build new vocabulary, toddlers and preschoolers want to create their own stories.

Here are some books that you can read together to help teach your young child about letters.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

Age Range: 1 - 4 years

This book has been a family favorite for over 20 years, presenting a simple and fun story with an engaging rhyming style that children will enjoy. The images are colorful, with the letters standing out to help your child recognize them easily.

Animal Alphabet: Slide and Seek the ABCs by Alex A. Lluch

Age Range: 2 - 6 years

Children love animals, and this board book is ideal to help them learn about animals as well as letters. An animal is shown for each letter of the alphabet, with panels that your child can slide to reveal each associated animal. This interaction can help your child make the connection between letters and words they may already know.

Alphabet Rescue by Audrey Wood

Age Range: 3 - 5 years

In this book, the characters of the story are the letters of the alphabet. When Charley visits his grandparents, the lowercase letters from his alphabet travel to Alphabet City to have an adventure with the uppercase letters. This book can not only help your child learn the difference between lowercase and uppercase letters, but the story will help them to make a visual connection between the letters of the alphabet.

Letter Tracing for Preschoolers by S Mallory

Age Range: 3 - 5 years

For more hands-on learning, this book provides opportunities for your preschooler to trace uppercase and lowercase letter shapes. There are many tracing outlines provided so your child can practice as often as they like, and each section offers a visual connection as well, showing your child which recognizable object begins with each letter. Not only will this book help your child learn the alphabet, it will also help them to develop their fine motor skills.

Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss

Age Range: 3 - 7 years

Another classic children’s book, Dr. Seuss’ ABC not only entertains young children with its whimsical drawings and rhymes, but it encourages them to try reading on their own. They develop letter and sound associations, and frequent repetition of these letters and sounds can help them to remember these associations.

According to research, reading aloud to children is likely the most important factor to help them successfully build essential skills and understanding of reading. Additionally, demonstrating how the printed word corresponds to oral speech is a key factor in developing word awareness in young children. Reading with your child, discussing the story, and asking questions can all help to improve your child’s vocabulary and their understanding of the alphabet. These are just some of the many books available that can help your child learn about letters.