I'm A Parenting Expert, and These Are My Favorite Toys That Teach Letters and Literacy
The goal is to start with letter recognition and end with a confident reader.
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Witnessing a child learn to read is pure magic. It was, hands down, one of my favorite parts of parenting my two kids. Their preschool teachers did a lot of the work, but I know we helped at home. We read to the kids every night, and we had toys that reinforced letter recognition, phonics, and spelling. There are plenty of toys, both electronic and classic, that can help kids ages 1 to 7 learn literacy skills. I've scouted out the best ones during my 25 years reporting on the toy industry.
Our top picks
• Fun phonics, on the fridge: Leapfrog Fridge Phonics
• Sight words, in wooden puzzles: Melissa & Doug See & Spell
• Simple stories, with beginner books: Bob Books, Set 1
Parental reinforcement helps. If you have a set of foam letters for the bathtub, pull out the letter that starts your child's name. If you have a puzzle that shows A is for apple, name other A words while you play, like alligator. Learning is a game for children, and thrilling for you, too, when you realize that the connections are clicking in their brain.
Best Deal
Your tot touches a picture and this book reads the word aloud, including common foods such as "banana" and animals such as "bird." Or set it to play fun sounds, and ask your child to say what they see, pointing out the word to help them make the connection between the letters and the object. There's an English and a Spanish mode.
This has tens of thousands of five-star Amazon reviews, and there are others, such as 100 Things That Go. Requires 2 AA batteries, ages 18 months+
While this set is an investment, our kids' book editor, Karen Cicero, approves. She calls it, “the most comprehensive and organized system to teach reading I’ve seen outside of a school setting.” You can buy the whole thing, or a part (purchased separately, each of the three parts are $160). Cicero recommends Part 3, for instance, for early elementary kids struggling to read.
Lovevery put a lot of effort into making the set motivational and fun, without introducing screens. The award-winning packages include toys, games, and books. Ages 3 to 7
RELATED: Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards
This was a personal favorite for me and the kids. Yeah, the music gets stuck in your head, but it's worth it because the kids easily remember what sound any letter of the alphabet makes. The magnetic letters can also be used to spell out simple words on their own. I really liked having something the kids could play with in the kitchen while I got meals ready. 3 AAA batteries included, ages 2+
Sight words are short, common words that kids can memorize for faster reading, rather than working to sound them out each and every time. This puzzle helps. Each of the eight spelling boards are double-sided for 16 sight words in total, and 64 wooden letters for your child to slot in. Ages 4+
RELATED: Best Toys for 4-Year-Olds
Preschoolers want to pretend to be big kids in school, which is the sneaky appeal of this activity desk. One of the five activity pages is all about the alphabet (others cover math, science, colors, and music) and the LED screen demonstrates how to draw letters. Requires 4 AA batteries, ages 2+
The bathtub is a great place to work in learning. Your kid has to be in there anyway, so let them play with letters that stick to the tiles. See which ones they can identify and help them make simple words. This set has all 26 letters. Ages 2+
RELATED: Best Bath Toys for Kids of All Ages
Kids can endlessly reuse this gel pad. Insert the letter cards and they can trace the uppercase and lowercase of each letter, or practice general strokes until they get more confident in their handwriting. It's good practice that saves you from going through a lot of paper. Ages 3+
Ms. Rachel's voice sounds out these letters and their accompanying words, so fun for her little fans. The wooden letters can be used on their own or fit into their correct spots in the puzzle. Requires 2 AAA batteries, ages 2+
Flash cards are old-fashioned, but effective—they feel like a game to preschoolers. I used them with my kids to reinforce number sense and to practice letters. You could DIY some cards, but I like this set that makes it easy to ask questions like, "What letter is this? What letter does this animal start with?" and so on. 18 months to 4 years
Mr. Pencil appears on the screen, introduces letters and animals that start with those letters, and teaches kids how to draw each letter. The kids can try it themselves, using their own pencil-looking stylus. Kids being kids, they might also just scribble, but they'll still hear the lessons. It folds up into a backpack shape. Requires 2 AA batteries, ages 3+
I remember learning my letters on pages just like this! It just goes to show, tracing letters on paper is still effective, and your kid's future teachers would probably thank you for providing these practice sheets for your kids to use and color at home. Ages 3+
These were a revelation to me when my kids started reading. They were the first books they read by themselves, at home, and they were so proud! This box contains 12 books, at 12 pages each, created by a teacher with simple illustrations and easy-to-follow stories. The set gets thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon. Ages 4+
Help your big kids keep going! They can store thousands of children’s books on this 16GB e-reader, designed for a long battery life and glare-free reading. “I liked that it encouraged reading,” said Marisa LaScala, our GH Senior Parenting & Relationships Editor, whose daughter started downloading and reading a bunch of books right away.
A Good Housekeeping Parenting Award Winner, others appreciated the Kindle’s travel-friendly, lightweight, and waterproof design, with one calling it “easy to bring around with us.” Ages 3 to 12
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