Alphabet craft projects are a great way to introduce children to the Alphabet, and reinforce the beginnings of reading. The sensory input helps kinesthetic learners pick up and retain information about the Alphabet faster than conventional teaching methodology. The eyes, hands, mouth and ears send messages to the brain that help the brain have a stronger imagery of the Alphabet through Alphabet Crafts.
These are some craft projects that have proven their worth in providing both craft fun and educational value to children.
* Alphabet Dried Pasta Craft Project: Many of us would probably recall reading out the letters in our alphabet soup. Today, these letters come as pasta come in the ready-to-cook form, but are also useful as craft materials. Children paste dried pasta depicting their names on a colored ice cream stick to make a personalized book marker. They may want to paint the letters on both sides with non water-soluble paint and lacquer them, before they stick them onto the sticks. This craft works great for children learning to read and spell. The words can be stuck to any item as labels - a cupboard door, recycled tin or drink can turned stationery holder, clock and other small item, to personalize it.
* Alphabet bread and cookies: How do you occupy inquisitive little children who want to know what, and how, you bake? Give them some of the bread or cookie dough, an alphabet book, and get them to shape as many of the letters as they can. They will probably admire their own creations so much that they will probably not want to eat their baked letters.
* Alphabet Play Doh, Clay Dough: Instead of using bread or cookie dough, use Play Doh, Plasticine, paper mache pulp, and even soft clay to form letters. Form words with the letters, such as their names and common nouns, and get them to read the words they or their friends have formed.
* Alphabet Mini-Scrapbook Project: Cut out or print and paste, or write the twenty-six letters of the Alphabet onto construction paper, one letter per sheet. Children will find and cut out pictures or word names of items, and paste them onto the sheets bearing the same letter that begins the names. This is a great way for children to begin reading.
* Alphabet Fridge Magnet Project: Fridge magnets could range from something as simple as having a circular or square piece of magnet stuck behind a colored cardboard cut out of letters, to something more classic such as beautifully carved wood letters that children have a hand in polishing and lacquering, before having the magnet mounted on them.
* Finger Painting Project: Children use their fingers to paint letters of the Alphabet on wooden blocks or tiles, and use these to make labels, name tags and even jewelry.
* Story Letter Project: Give each letter a character, for example, A for Alison. Weave a short story about Alison, using A words. Alison likes apples and alligators. If you cannot draw, fret not. http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/ has all the printable materials you need.
* Print Wrapping Paper Project: This activity aid in word letter recognition and recall. Make templates of the letters of the Alphabet in capital and small letters using hard cardboard. Such templates are also commercially produced and may be available in upbeat Do-It-Yourself stores, art and craft stores, and even some stationery shops. Children use different colored pencils, pens or crayons to color, draw or trace the template of letters onto colored paper. Getting them to read or count how many of each letter they have written is a simple way to consolidate their learning.
* Alphabet Key Chains, Jewelry and Hand Phone Tags: Beautifully crafted metal plates, plastic, wooden and even glass letter cubes or tiles are commercially available in specialized craft stores. These are sold by the piece, and strings, necklaces, and bracelets, are sold separately and for the buyer to connect to form beautiful name tags and jewelry pieces. Although it can turn out an expensive craft project for children, the products can be used as wonderful and personalized gifts that will touch the hearts of the receivers.
* Sand Projects: Writing in soft sand can aid children with learning disabilities get better penmanship. It is also a fun way to learn outside of the formal classroom. Get children to make their own castles and get them to name the castles and watch towers by writing the names in the sand right in front of their sand buildings.
* Magazine Cut-Out Collage: This project works great for young children who have learnt to use a pair of blunt scissors, is cheap and clean, messy fun. It is best carried out in an empty air-conditioned room with a bare floor, so that you can just sweep or vacuum, and mop after the project. Children find letters from magazine to form words, to be pasted on a sheet of paper. Avoid using print such as newspapers, as the ink is soluble and children's body parts, as well as their projects and clothes, tend to blacken. If the letter they want cannot be found, show them the way to being resourceful by writing the letter on a piece of colored magazine page, and cutting it out. You could even want them to form a secret message, such as, 'Keep Our Classroom Clean and Beautiful', classroom or bedroom labels, and laminate their pieces to be displayed in appropriate places.
There are many more alphabet craft projects children can carry out. These will keep little hands busy for quite a while, and they will subconsciously pick up and remember the letters of the Alphabet.