When it comes to teaching preschoolers and kindergartners to learn phonics and read, I’m always looking for resources that make learning meaningful, hands-on, and fun! The phonics resource that I reach for time and time again is a method that teaches kids with movement and adorable animals. Of all the literacy resources I have for letter sounds, this is the one I think of first because it works so well with many different kinds of learners.
In the past, when I found books that were focused on teaching reading to preschoolers, I usually skipped them because they were watered down versions of programs for kids that were much older. I am always on the lookout for programs or methods that are clearly made by people who understand children and how children learn! Preschoolers learn through movement, through touch, and through hands-on play. If a program doesn’t offer any multisensory elements, chances are that it won’t be very appropriate for young children.
Then I found a method that is child-centered and focuses on teaching children right where they are at! This program checks all the boxes for being multisensory and engaging. When I open up the book to the picture of the ant with my class during circle, they excitedly raise both arms and shout /aaaaaa/. Or when we see the turtle, they know to start tapping the air and say /t/.
ABC See, Hear, Do is a game-changer when it comes to teaching children the foundations they will need to learn to read. It takes a child-centered approach to early literacy by combining letter sounds with playful animal movements. Children don’t just hear the sounds. They see them, say them, and act them out!
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What I especially love is that the method goes beyond teaching individual letter sounds. It helps children practice blending those sounds together, which is an essential skill for learning to read.
There are several great resources in the collection:
Lowercase Letters Book: ABC See, Hear, Do: Learn to Read Lowercase Letters (great for circle time or one-on-one)
Uppercase Letters Book: ABC See, Hear, Do: Learn to Read Uppercase Letters (great for circle time or one-on-one)
Uppercase Flashcards: ABC See, Hear, Do Flashcards (perfect for small groups and matching games!)
Level 3: Blended Beginning Sounds
Learn to Read Sight Words
I’ve used these books with my own children and in my classes for years now, and even though I’ve come upon other literacy resources along the way, they just never top ABC See, Hear, Do.
In fact, I love this approach so much that I invited the author to share the story behind ABC See, Hear, Do and explain how she developed this creative way to help young children learn to read!
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Hi everyone! My name is Stefanie Hohl and I am the author/illustrator/creator of the ABC See, Hear, Do series. I am also Mom to five crazy kids who has homeschooled a few of those kids at various times, and because, you know, five kids, I’ve taught preschool co-ops for years. I also have a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Children’s Literature.
As you can see, I’m a big fan of books and teaching. I’ve also always had a special interest in teaching kids to read. I taught my three oldest children to read using various methods. Then my fourth child had a preschool teacher that taught letter sounds using actions.
Genius, I thought, as I watched my son pick up the letter sounds much more quickly than his older siblings.
I remembered this method later when I began teaching my youngest child to read. I’d learned quickly that he is a very different type of learner than my older kids, and I knew I needed a more active approach to teaching him to read.
In pursuit of this goal, during one of my graduate classes, I chose to research methods of teaching children to read. My goal was to find a method of teaching reading that not only used actions, but that was also parent-friendly.
As I researched, I found that while there were preschool-focused curriculums that used actions to teach letter sounds, none could be found in a simple picture book format that would be easy for parents to use.
I set out to create my own program. My first book, ABC See, Hear, Do: Learn to Read 55 Words, breaks the letters into groups of four. Each letter includes an animal and an action to go with it.
After each group of letters, children can practice reading words that build on all the previously learned sounds. This method integrates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles, thereby allowing children to learn and retain the information more easily. Plus, it’s silly and fun, and simple to use.
I tested my method with many children and preschool teachers and got great results. But best of all was how quickly my youngest son picked up on the letter sounds and blended words together. Not only that, but he loved the book.
For my older children, learning to read was often overwhelming. But the ABC See, Hear, Do method consistently held the attention of my youngest, and it was so easy to implement, it soon gave him the confidence he needed. These kinds of results confirmed for me that I had something special to share.
Even though the books were developed to help parents teach their children, it has also turned out to be a great resource for preschool teachers and librarians as well!
Our website, ABC See, Hear, Do, Facebook page, and Instagram account provide a wealth of crafts and activities to go along with each letter, which helps supplement learning in any setting, from home to a classroom, to a Storytime circle. We’ve also created numerous printables for purchase, including many different types of alphabet cards. These sets can be printed, laminated, and implemented in lots of fun ways to increase learning. Check out our blog for ideas and tips on using the visual alphabet cards.
All kids learn differently, so of course, there’s no one method that will work for every single child. I developed my books with kids like my youngest son in mind – those who refuse to sit still and just aren’t interested in book learning. That being said, we’ve heard success stories from parents of all kinds of kids. And that makes sense – by incorporating sight, sound, and movement, the ABC See, Hear, Do method appeals to all kinds of learners.
There’s nothing better than seeing the excitement in a child’s eyes when he reads his first word. Hearing stories about how my books have helped children to read has been the most rewarding part of this journey, hands down. So if you’ve tried ABC See, Hear, Do, please tell us what you think! We love hearing from you!
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What a lovely collection of books! I am a pediatric speech therapist working with many preschools on pre-literacy as well as speech and oral language skills.