How to Print

• Option 1: Use a Chrome Browser to print from the provided link.
  • Under “More settings” make sure that Paper Size = 8.5 x 11 in. and Scale = Fit to paper.
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• Option 2: Download the PDF to your computer and print with Adobe Reader (If you need to download Adobe Reader, make sure you uncheck the optional offers on the left.)
  • Under “Page Sizing and Handling”, make sure the circle that says “Fit” is selected, and make sure the box that says, “Choose paper source by PDF page size” is selected. If you don’t select this box, it will create extra margins on the top and sides.
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Tips and Tricks for Using My ABC Flashcards

• Say the letter name, letter sound, and word for each letter all at once.
• Use the chant from my ABC Video, “A is for apple, a, a, apple”.
• Wait until your child is fed, in a good mood, and ready for cuddles.
• Let your child look at your mouth and really exaggerate saying each sound.
• Once your child is familiar with the letters, say “What’s that?” pointing to the whole flashcard. Whether your child says the letter name, letter sound, or word associated with each letter, praise him or her because they are all right answers.
• In addition to using the flashcards in the traditional sense, you could also put them on the wall or on the refrigerator at eye level. Point to them and encourage your child to interact with them. You could also leave them loose and hand them to your child one at a time or put them on the floor and say, “Let’s step on letter __”.
• I purposefully only included short vowels as well as the hard g and c. Start with only one sound per letter and once that is mastered. The rest of the sounds will be introduced later.

Tips and Tricks for Using My ABC Video

• Start watching when your child is as young as 6-8 months old (or start at any age).
• As your child is introduced to the video, repeat some of the things that are said so they hear your voice along with the video. Say the chant along with the video (“A is for apple, a, a, apple”) and comment where appropriate. (“Oooo, an apple, I like apples, do you like apples?”)
• Wait until your child is alert and in a good mood. With my children, I found that meal or snack time was often a good time to watch learning videos.
• Stop watching the video when your child loses interest. As children get more familiar with the video, their attention spans will increase, especially if you’re using the flashcards at cuddle time as well.
• Use the chant from the video when talking about letters throughout the day.
• Eventually, after watching the video enough times with you, your child will be engaged with it enough to watch it independently. Then maybe you can go take an uninterrupted shower!

For More Information

• For a simple overview for how to teach your child to read, check out my blog: Teach Your Child to Read in 5 Simple Steps, and for a more in depth look at teaching reading, check out my: Teach Your Child to Read Blog Series.
• Check out my Free Reading Resources page to access all of the flashcards, posters, and video digital downloads you’ll need to teach your child how to read.

What Makes My Flashcards Different

There are many different features that set my flashcards apart from anything else I have been able to find on the market. When I was a 3rd and 4th grade teacher, I found that many students with reading difficulties lacked phonemic awareness (the ability to distinguish and identify all of the letter sounds). As a parent, I wanted to create something that would accurately teach my children the letter names and sounds giving them a strong foundation for learning how to read. These are the features that make my flashcards unique.

All ABC Flashcards

• They have both the upper and lower case letters on each card. This is so children can learn that they mean the same thing simultaneously.
• Letters are shaped how we print them. I created my own font and made sure each letter was formed the way we teach children how to print them.
• Each flashcard has a simple, interesting, and easily identifiable picture. Many flashcards use words like “ape” for “a” where kids might get confused thinking it was a monkey. I also try to keep the images related to things children would be familiar with.
• The letter and sound combination makes sense. When flashcards use the word “eye” to teach the letter “e” or the word “shoe” (which has a digraph) to teach “s”, it can be very confusing for children. My flashcards do not do this.
• Short vowels and the hard g and c are used. When children are just starting to learn their letters, these are the easiest versions to begin with, and it’s best to keep things as simple as possible in the beginning.
• There is a printed word below each picture. I have found that it’s important for children to learn that letters come together to form words and that words have meaning. When children memorize the shape of the letters, the image, and a word it really solidifies their understanding of the alphabet.

Follow These 5 Simple Steps to Teach Your Child How to Read:

I created these resources to help any parent (or teacher) teach their child/children to read in a fun and back to basics kind of way. If you follow these steps and fill learning time with lots of love and cuddles, your child will learn how to read easily and naturally just like my own five children did.

1. Language Rich Environment: Use oral language at the child’s level (Get down on the floor and play together!) and help them memorize vocabulary words. (Tell them the names of things!)
2. Phonemic Awareness: Teach one sound for each letter of the alphabet. (Start with short vowels and the hard c and g.)
3. Phonics: Tap out sounds in three letter words to teach how sounds come together to form words.
4. More Complex Phonemic Awareness: Introduce long vowels, digraphs, other vowel sounds, and other consonant sounds.
5. Reading Comprehension Strategies: Use quality literature to interact with books and ask questions before, during, and after reading to make sure your child is understanding what you’re reading.

Start young! It’s better to do a little bit over a long period of time rather than try to cram it all in before preschool or kindergarten starts. Read more about how to teach your child to read in my blog: Teach Your Child to Read in 5 Simple Steps.

Teach Your Child to Read Blog Series 

For a more in depth look at teaching your child to read, follow my blog series. In this series, I divide learning how to read into nine layers that build off from each other to create strong and confident readers. In each blog, you’ll find additional resources and information that will give you a deep understanding for how children learn how to read.

• #1-Oral Language Development Lays the Foundation for Learning to Read
• #2-How Engage Your Baby or Young Child with Reading
• #3-Learning How to Read Begins with the ABCs
• #4-Memorizing Words Before Sounding Them Out Leads to Reading
• #5-Building Vocabulary with Numbers, Colors, and Shapes
• #6-Teaching Phonics with Three Letter Word Families
• #7-Unlock the Final Stages of Reading with Advanced Phonemic Awareness
• #8-Reading Comprehension Strategies Lead to Independent Readers
• #9-Reinforcing Reading with Writing