by Stefany Smith

Created on: August 12, 2009

Homeshooling youngsters can be both joyous and stressful, especially when you are in search of the best lesson plans to help you teach your little one to read. The cyberworld is full of gems as well as coal...so what does a mother do? She makes up her own! In this article you will find some great starters to get you and your little on the way to learning the alphabet.

Materials to have on-hand:

You will need the basics; pencils, crayons, markers, chalk, and paper (lined and blank, colored and white). It will also be beneficial for you to have a note book or journal, tape and glue, some strings of your choice, scissors (regular and fancy cutters), a few magazines with bright and fun pictures, sticky notes, stickers, and a hole puncher. Some other items that will come in handy are jello, sand, clay, peanut butter and jelly, crackers (the stick shaped ones work great), Ziplock sandwich baggies and gallon bags, dry beans or peas and elbow noodles, colorful candies (m&m's or skittles), and paper towels (for clean up).

Before you begin:

If you are looking for lesson plans on the alphabet, your child is presumably between the ages of 2 and 6. These little people have a world all their own, and until you can get a sneak peak into that world teaching them will be a challenge. So, before you begin drilling with flash cards and having them perform the ABC's for all of the family, take some time to look into their world. Some questions to ask are: How does she learn the best? What are his favorite toys? How long of an attention span does he have? Does she like to perform? Does he like making up his own stories and adventures? Does she love to help out around the house? Questions like these will lead you in different directions for each child, and because of this each lesson plan will vary. This is where the notebook or journal will come in handy. As your child grows, he will change as well. The journal will be a helpful tool as you discover your child and help her discover herself.

You're all set, now it's time to roll up your sleeves and get started. The three lesson starters to follow are arranged by understanding levels. Of course, you can use them interchangeably and expand them in a variety of ways. Get creative, and keep your child's temperament, personality, interests, and attention span in mind as you prepare for your lessons.

For the beginner:

This is the child who is between 2 and 4 and has no previous experience with the alphabet. Your main goal is

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