Listening for and recognizing individual sounds in a word is key to learning to read and write. Reading alliterative picture books with your preschooler is a fun way to recognize letter sounds. (Alliteration is the repetition of a leading sound in a phrase.) A common example of alliteration is “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.”

Here are some fun alliterative picture books to check out from your local library:

Anamalia, Graeme Base

How Many Trucks Can a Tow Truck Tow?, Charlotte Pomerantz

The Piggy in the Puddle, Charlotte Pomerantz

Pingo the Plaid Panda, Loreen Leedy

Sheep on a Ship, Nancy Shaw

If after reading a few of these books together your child catches on to alliteration help him make up his own silly phrases (Brett bought blue bubblegum). If that is too difficult, help him recognize initial sounds by simply naming words that begin with the same sound (cat, cot, kite, car, etc.).