How to Teach a Toddler the Alphabet: A Playful, Step-by-Step Guide

What to expect at each age

Every child is different, so treat these as rough guides rather than targets.

• Around 2 years: many toddlers enjoy the alphabet song and may sing parts of it. They might point to a letter in their name or a favourite book, but they usually don't know the letters by name yet.
• Around 3 years: children often recognise a handful of letters, especially the first letter of their own name. They start to notice that print carries meaning, for example on signs and food packets.
• Around 4 years: many children can name a good number of capital letters and begin to link some letters to their sounds. Scribbles may start to include letter-like shapes.
• Around 5 years: most children starting school are learning letter sounds in a structured way, and many can write their own name.

If your child isn't interested yet, that's normal. Keep it light and try again in a few weeks.

Start with the alphabet song

The alphabet song is usually a child's first introduction to letters. It uses the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which makes it easy to remember. On its own, the song teaches the order of the letters rather than what each letter looks like, so it helps to pair it with visuals.

• Sing slowly and point to letters on a poster or in a book as you go.
• Pause before the last letter of a line and let your child fill the gap.
• Watch a video that shows each letter as it's sung, like our ABC Class Song, then sing it again without the screen.

You'll find the full words on our ABC song lyrics page.

Use your child's name first

Children are naturally interested in their own name, which makes it the best place to start. Write it on their drawings, their door and their cup. Point out the first letter whenever you see it elsewhere: "Look, that's an M, like in Mia!"

Once they know their own letter, add the letters of family members, pets and favourite toys. These letters mean something to your child, so they tend to stick.

Five alphabet games that take two minutes

• Letter hunt: choose one letter for the day and look for it on cereal boxes, road signs and number plates.
• Bath letters: foam letters stick to the tiles when wet. Name them as your child plays.
• Feely letters: trace a big letter on your child's back or palm and let them guess, then swap roles.
• Letter lunch: cut toast or cheese into simple letter shapes like O, L and T.
• I spy with sounds: for older preschoolers, play "I spy something that starts with mmm" using the letter sound rather than its name.

Letter names or letter sounds?

Letter names are what we sing in the alphabet song (bee, see, dee). Letter sounds are what children use to read (b, k, d). Both are useful. Many Australian and UK schools teach sounds first using synthetic phonics, so it helps to use the sound as well when you talk about letters, for example "S says sss, like snake".

Start with sounds that are easy to stretch out, like s, m, a and f, and avoid adding an "uh" to the end (say mmm, not muh).

Capital letters or lowercase first?

Capital letters are simpler shapes and easier for small hands to draw, so toddlers often learn them first. Most of the print children will read is lowercase, though, so it's worth showing both. A good habit is to write your child's name with a capital first letter followed by lowercase, exactly as they'll learn to write it at school.

Using videos well

Short, clear songs can be a helpful part of letter learning, especially when you watch together and join in. Keep sessions short, sing the song again later without the screen, and connect what they saw to real objects. Our guide to screen time for toddlers covers the current recommendations.

Questions parents ask