Want to help your toddler prepare for kindergarten? One of the biggest skills they'll need to have mastered? The names and sounds of the letters!  These toys are a great way to practice letters, and have fun too!

Remember when I wrote about preparing for kindergarten? I recently shared thirteen things that parents could do at home to prepare their children for kindergarten…..and MAN, did I get a lot of emails.  One of the questions I got the most? What toys I suggested for toddlers and preschoolers that help practice the sounds in fun and easy ways.  Today I'm sharing a few that we own and love!

1. Alpha Catch Phonics Game: This game is a recent purchase and we LOVE it!  We take turns tossing the balls to Lydia and yelling out the letter names.  I actually have a matching set at school, and my students use it to spell and throw sight words.  You can use it to practice letter names or letter sounds.
2. Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set: These letter magnets are perfect for toddler hands, and keep my own toddler busy while I prepare dinner.  As kids press the letters to the school bus, they can hear it's sound and it used in a word.  I'm always amazed at how Lydia remembers the songs (and the sounds).
3. Alphabet Soup Sorters: This hands on alphabet activity is perfect for ages 3-5.  Kids can sort pictures into soup cans labeled with each letter.  For younger children, introduce one jar and letter.  Once they're older they can sort between two, three, or four sounds….eventually sorting the entire alphabet.
4. Alpha Pops: Kids often struggle with matching upper and lower case letters.  These popsicles are perfect for matching capital and lower case, plus they're fun!
5. Alphabet Marks the Spot: Remember Twister? This is the letter version.  Kids will love running towards the letter (or letter sound) you name.  Start with playing by letter names…..then progress to letter sounds.

Interested in more tips for preparing for school? Check out my tips for how to practice sight words at home (without flashcards)!

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled program……..we just finished celebrating Let It Shine's FOUR year anniversary with a month of giveaways….and now we're back to business.  Each week we share a few of our favorite posts from the week before….

This week, we are loving:

/ transition to fall / military casual with pops of red /

parenting toddlers