I wanted to share some of my favorite literacy tools and toys for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten. These items help students learn the ABCs through hands-on PLAY during center time, table time, and small groups! Kids can learn to identify both uppercase and lowercase letters along with the sounds of the letters.
From discovering what is inside letter tubs to transforming the ABCs into robots. All of these literacy tools will spark a curiosity to learn all about LETTERS and SOUNDS.
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Favorite Literacy Tools for Letter Manipulatives
Learning Resources Lacing Uppercase Alphabet
These alphabet lacing beads are my favorite letter manipulative! I use them for sorting, letter games, with play dough, or in sensory/messy play. They are super easy to clean and work with so many activities.
Learning Resources Lowercase Lacing Beads
Grab the lowercase set of my favorite letter manipulative! I use them for sorting, letter games, with play dough, or in sensory/messy play. They are super easy to clean and work with so many activities.
Learning Resources Smart Snacks ABC Lacing Sweets
Use these small round beads to help build fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and letter knowledge. There are uppercase on one side and lowercase on the other.
Learning Resources Jumbo Magnetic Uppercase Letters
I like the large size of these magnet letters so students can see them from different areas of the room. They are also great for students to hold and move while using them for learning activities.
Learning Resources Jumbo Magnetic Lowercase Letters
Here is the set of lowercase letters to match the set above. They are magnetic and larger in size so that little learners can manipulate them during learning tasks.
Educational Insights Multicolored Uppercase & Lowercase Alphamagnets and Mathmagnets
This set comes with uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. It has everything you need to get your students ready for reading and writing. They are smaller in size than the above sets but are still great for preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten students.
Learning Resources Letter Blocks
Teach letters while building towers and creations with these cute letter blocks. They are perfect for fine motor muscle building and hand-eye coordination, as well as those very important pincer muscles.
Favorite Literacy Tools for Letter Games/ Puzzles
Play literacy games with these alphabet bean bags. They are the right size for little hands and will work great for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten classrooms.
Learning Resources Goodie Games ABC Cookies
Have so much fun with these ABC cookies that come with instructions for 4 different games. You can also use the ABC cookies for other literacy activities or for sorting tasks.
Use these object magnets for practicing beginning sounds and object identification. These are great for young children learning to talk and build vocabulary. They are also wonderful for older students to use for beginning sounds, ending sounds, or sorting activities.
Have some students beginning to sound out and read words? Use these CVC object magnets to help them increase their literacy skills.
Have fun with these letter pop its! They are approximately 2.5 inches in height, just the right size for little learners. Students can fill each area with a small manipulative to practice letter formation and recognition.
Check out this post for more ideas to use pop its in the classroom!
Practice letter recognition, typing skills, and so much more with this pop its keyboard. It is bright and colorful for little learners.
LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set
Students place a letter magnet into the bus, and it sings a song with the letter name and sound. It also sings a verse of The Wheels On The Bus and The ABCs.
Melissa & Doug Jumbo Floor Puzzle
Little learners will love to put together this jumbo floor puzzle of the alphabet. It is 10 feet long when completed and features a cute train theme.
Carson Dellosa Ladybug Letters Alphabet Puzzles
These are double-sided puzzles that have students match the letters on one side and a picture on the back. There are also leaves with the letters that students can match with the ladybugs too.
Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Peg Puzzles
This set comes with an alphabet, number, and color word puzzle. There are pegs for better manipulation by students. Their wooden design will hold up to years of use in the classroom.
Melissa & Doug Self-Correcting Wooden Alphabet Puzzles
These self-correcting alphabet puzzles are great for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students. They are wooden for durability and self-correcting for beginning learners.
Learning Resources Alphabet Alligators
These cute alligators snap together for a matching letter puzzle that is fun for children. They are safe for even the youngest learners and a great way to start alphabet knowledge.
Develop letter recognition and fine motor strength with these adorable alphabet popsicle puzzles. They are durable and made for little learners.
This set comes with 26 double-sided locks that feature a letter on one side and a picture on the other, a set of 26 letter keys, and some key rings. The students will use the matching letter key to unlock the lock. They will develop fine motor strength while growing their letter knowledge.
Grab your students’ interest with these fun alphabet robots! Each robot turns into a letter and back again.
Learning Resources Alphabet Acorns
These alphabet acorns have small objects that begin with each letter. Students can practice beginning sounds, letter identification, and grasping skills.
Learning Resources Alphabet Soup Sorters
Grab a set of these alphabet cans that are filled with things to sort by beginning sound or letter. Each can holds an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, and 5 real-life image cards.
Practice rhyming skills with these self-checking puzzles. There are 24 puzzles that are double-sided, so students can just read a word or use a picture and a word to rhyme with.
Learning Resources Rhyme and Sort Rockets
Building some rhyming rockets with this fun set! Students will match the 4 real-life images that rhyme and place them on the rocket.
The set includes characters from 4 popular nursery rhymes: Hickory Dickory Dock, Hey Diddle Diddle, Humpty Dumpty, and Baa Baa Black Sheep. The board is felt and the character pieces are felt so they will stick while you tell the story.
Favorite Literacy Tools for Writing Letters
Learning Resources Uppercase Alphabet Stamps
Letter stamps are a great way to practice alphabet knowledge, fine motor skills, and literacy and writing skills. Students can learn that letters make words and continue their knowledge of literacy.
Learning Resources Lowercase Alphabet Stamps
Grab the matching lowercase set to complete your alphabet stamp set.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Stamp Set
Grab this complete set of stamps that includes uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and ink. It even includes an activity pad for at-home or school use.
Educational Insights Lowercase Stamps
These lowercase alphabet stamps are rubber and can be washed off quite easily. They are small, so only use with older children.
Educational Insights Uppercase Stamps
Get the matching set of uppercase stamps.
These alphabet cookie cutters are great for play dough or tracing activities. I also use them in my sensory bins or for messy play because they clean up easily.
This includes 24 dry-erase boards and erasers. They are small in size for little learners and come in a set for a whole classroom.
Slide any worksheet into these reusable dry-erase sleeves so students can work on them over and over again. They are great for centers or small groups, so you don’t have to make so many copies.
I love this set of dry-erase markers since it has so many colors to encourage all your learners to write.
These memo clipboards are the perfect size for little learners to use and carry around the room for a write-the-room activity. They are 6 inches by 9 inches and come in a set of 30.
Golf pencils are the right size for little hands and work great with smaller clipboards. There are 72 pencils in the set. I like that they have erasers too.
Get this set of dot stickers for tons of hands-on literacy activities. It comes with 2800 stickers in a rainbow of colors. Students improve their fine motor skills by taking the stickers off and placing them on the paper. You can also have them use these in their fine motor journals.
Don’t forget that reading to students is a HUGE part of literacy. Read every chance you get, from directions to labels and signs. Kids are clever; they will start picking it up in no time. Here are my book lists if you need some ideas.
Grab the Stem I Can Build Bundle to get extra STEM practice, develop fine motor skills, and so much more!
Get the Alphabet Games Bundle to practice literacy and letter skills.
Do you need themed literacy games? Check out my themed Literacy and Math Centers in my TPT store. Just print, prep, and play!
LOVE these literacy tools? Pin this image!
Want to check out more of my favorite things for little learners? Check out my Favorite Things Blog Series with over 15 different favorite things lists (and growing)! If there are any favorite things for a theme you need, just let us know so we can create it for you.