Pre-K preparation · Early literacy

Letters and Sounds

Children learn letters best through play, songs and stories — not drills. These activities build love for words and sounds. Your child does not need to know all their letters before starting school.

5–15 minutes per activity

What matters most right now

Before school, the most helpful early literacy skills are enjoying books, hearing rhymes and the sounds inside words, noticing print around them, and knowing that letters make up words — especially their own name.

Knowing every letter is not required for Pre-K. If your child isn’t interested today, read a story together and try another day.

Activities to try

10 minutesLetters in their name

Name letter hunt

You’ll need

A card with your child’s name written clearly
Books, cereal boxes, magazines or signs

How to play

Show the name card and point to the first letter together.
Go on a hunt for that letter in books, on packaging or on street signs.
Each time you find one, say the letter name and its sound: “M says /m/, like Maya!”
Count how many you found together.

Things you might say

“Your name starts with this letter. Can you spot it anywhere?”

Make it easier: Look for the letter on just one page of a favorite book.

Add a challenge: Hunt for the second letter of their name too.

5 minutesSounds

Rhyme time

You’ll need

Nothing! (Optional: a rhyming picture book)

How to play

Say two words that rhyme, like “cat” and “hat,” and stretch out the ending.
Say three words where one doesn’t rhyme: “cat, hat, sun.” Ask which one sounds different.
Make up silly rhymes with names: “Boogie, woogie, noogie!”

Make it easier: Just enjoy rhyming books and songs together, pausing to let your child fill in the last word.

Add a challenge: Ask your child to think of a rhyming word — made-up words count!

5–10 minutesBeginning sounds

“I spy” with sounds

You’ll need

Objects around the room

How to play

Say, “I spy something that starts with /b/,” saying the sound, not the letter name.
Give hints: “It’s round and it bounces.”
Take turns being the spy.

Make it easier: Place three objects in front of your child and choose from those.

Add a challenge: Try ending sounds: “I spy something that ends with /t/.”

10–15 minutesBeginning sounds

Sound basket

You’ll need

A basket or box
Small household objects (spoon, sock, cup, ball, book)

How to play

Pick one sound, like /s/.
Look around the house together for objects that start with that sound — spoon, sock, soap.
Put them in the basket and say each one slowly, stretching the first sound: “sssssock.”
Tip them out and sort them again next time.

Make it easier: Gather the objects ahead of time and just name them together.

Add a challenge: Sort objects into two baskets for two different sounds.

Safety: Use objects too big to fit in a child’s mouth, and supervise play.

5 minutesSyllables

Clap the parts

You’ll need

Hands!

How to play

Say your child’s name and clap for each part: “Jor-dan” (two claps).
Clap family members’ names, pets and favorite foods: “ba-na-na.”
Stomp, pat knees or jump for each part to keep it moving.

Make it easier: Just clap along with you — keeping the beat is great practice.

Add a challenge: Ask which word has the most claps.

10 minutesLetter shapes

Letter song & shape

You’ll need

Play dough, a tray of salt or sand, or crayons and paper

How to play

Sing the alphabet song together, slowly.
Choose one letter — often the first letter of their name.
Make the letter shape together in play dough, with a finger in a tray of salt, or with a crayon.
Talk about its shape: “M has two mountains.”

Make it easier: You make the letter; your child pokes, squishes or traces it.

Add a challenge: Make all the letters in their name.

Safety: Supervise salt and sand trays so they stay out of mouths and eyes.

10–15 minutesBooks & print

Story detectives

You’ll need

A favorite picture book

How to play

Before reading, look at the cover together. Ask, “What do you think happens?”
Run your finger under the words as you read so your child sees print goes left to right.
Pause for your child to fill in repeating lines.
Afterward, ask about their favorite part — they can point to the picture.

Make it easier: Keep it short: read just the pictures and talk about them.

Add a challenge: Ask your child to “read” the story back to you from the pictures.

Sources we checked

We used these public resources to check safety, nutrition and development guidance on this page. Linking to them does not mean these organizations endorse Boogie & Bean World.