How do you convince a 5-year-old to practice writing the ABCs?

Question

Those ABC workbooks look so fun. But all the kids want to do is scribble on the pages. They don't even want to try to trace the letters. I have even resorted to bribing the kids with candy, and still I hardly get their cooperation.

Answer 1

Buy bath or any washable non-toxic paint and use the shower walls during bath time. You can also use this on the outside of the house. It comes off so easy. Using water alone to paint the ground or house works good too. Choose one letter a day. Through out the day have them find that letter at various places you go and make sure you pronounce it and words that start with it and have them say it back. Always make if fun and give them lots of praise. Bribes only work for so long. One last thing don't over do it. At 5 maybe only 10 - 15 minutes a day working on workbook material.

Answer 2

Whatever you do make it fun - never threaten or punish.
Praise for success is the best way to get more success. Only try to achieve little steps at a time & go at the child's pace.
Forget the individual letters, let them use the workbooks for colouring at least that will help eye hand co-ordination and manual dexterity. Don't worry if they go over the lines or use the wrong colours - praise them for their effort.
Read with them a lot so that they learn what the letters & their conbinations are all about. A child who knows what the letters are for has much more incentive to learn to read & write.
There are lots of ways to help them learn to write. Make a game of it - shaving cream or bath crayons in the bath - maybe their name or Mum, dad etc; using stencils, letter blocks, writing with help about something they've done, copying at first. Reading & writing need to go together because children learn better when they can see the meaning of what they're doing. Also a child needs input before you can achieve output. Don't worry about writing on lines at first - that can come later.
Cooking is a good way to learn reading & numbers. How about getting some of the children's recipe books instead of the letter books.
Have fun.

Answer 3

Workbooks look fun? Why because they have cute pictures in them? He maybe frustrated trying to trace the letters- and bored! Try building his small motor skills by letting him scribble- eventually the scribbles will turn into more defined objects. Praise him for great scribbling - No kid wants to do anything they are bribed to do.

Answer 4

Your child may not be ready to work in a workbook. At that age they are still learning their motor skills. Now, if the child is able to do this task, then candy is not the right motivator as you well know. So...you may want to make a chart and set goals for the child and then if they reach their goal, reward them. But, in regards to the reward, ask them what they would like and for it to be realistic. Sometimes, all they may want is for you to read with them or play a game with them. Much better than candy.

Answer 5

You should make learning the ABC's into a little game like A is for Aligator B is for Bear and so on make it fun for the kids not work. You could also give them magazines and have them look for pictures of things that start with that letter.

Answer 6

5 is still really young to sit at the table and write ;)
Make it fun use shaving cream on the wall in the tub have them write their letters that way. Use different modalities play dough cut out sandpaper letters to trace with their fingers. You can also tear out one page to make it less intimidating. The color changing markers work wonders they do it first in one color then magically it changes to a different color and they do it 2x without realizing it. Use stickers or another reward and only do it for a short period of time (5 minutes). Have fun!

Answer 7

You know what I think I would do? I would let them look at the letters and then give them some fingerpaint and let them try making the letters with their fingers. They will love it because it's messy and they can be creative. Once they've had some practice with the paint, you can move to the workbooks.

Answer 8

well, bribing with candy is going to cause you worse problems down the road, but I think you need to find a way to make them interested in it...which may be getting them interested in reading first, and enjoying words..from there you can interest them in writing words. maybe start with the letters in their names. and praise them when they do them. hugs and kisses and nice words work better than candy, usually. may be find a way to make it into a game...or a competition between the kids to see who can do the best 'a's today. or who can best describe what such an such letter looks like...draw the picture, draw the letter types of activities that get their imaginations involved...otherwise copying lines is no more fun than those sentences we used to have to do when we got in trouble...I will not talk in class, i will not talk in class , i will not talk in class..haha. good luck.

Answer 9

Try using shaving cream or foam soap to make letters. Try getting them to copy you tracing letters in the sand. Get magnetic letters for the refrigerator.

Some kids just aren't ready right away. Just keep trying. They will work on it in kindergarten.

Answer 10

perhaps the books are actually not a thank you to circulate. who knows. you will possibly be able to attempt doing issues in a miles less wide-unfold way. i'm undecided at what factor you're so i'll declare you're attempting to instruct the newborn what letter is going with what sound and word. you will possibly be able to desire to instruct the letter s with the aid of taking the newborn to the sand field . tell him previous to attending to the sand field what your expectancies are in regard to habit and listening. leave out the area approximately college artwork. as quickly as there tell him you will enable him play interior the sand field right this moment if he can tutor you the thank you to make the letter s interior the sand. then ask what's a word that starts off with s . reward the newborn with the aid of play time interior the sand. instruct him that mommy likes to get letters and he or she might incredibly like it if he could make some letters this may well be interior the sand field as nicely . reward the newborn with a hug. whilst he has found out the thank you to make each letter and knows a word or 2 that starts off with that letter . circulate directly to employing a pencil leave the books out of it and only turn off the television and radio and stop all your artwork every day enable issues quiet down and then use undeniable paper and tutor him one letter revealed wisely with the pencil which you have made . then he can hint this until now each thing it is likewise possible to declare tracing is almost a magic trick . issues like that. you your infant this planet and god all of you have all the flexibility and records and patiance you will possibly be able to desire to try this . if this takes lots longer then you definately thought so what think of of it ths way you get carry of to spend that fairly greater time with this infant on my own your infant it incredibly is the reward for you. whilst the newborn sees you smile because of the fact he made the letter wisely he smiles . you comprehend that that smile is the present of god given to you and him with the aid of his very own hand making the little image of a grin and putting it on the two your faces. greater then something comprehend this no letter selection word or element that infant might desire to convey homestead from college is greater substantial then the smile you him and god make every day at that table or in that sand field or in that automobile or everywhere.