Teaching Letters AND Reading in Kindergarten: How to Use my Alphabet Decode and Draw Books in the Classroom

The start of kindergarten is pure magic. Tiny humans full of curiosity, big feelings, and even bigger energy walk through your door. But between teaching kids how to sit on the carpet, hold a pencil, and walk in a straight line, it can also feel a little like organized chaos. And when you add “start reading instruction” on day three… whew. That is a lot.

But in kindergarten, we go slow so our students can go fast. When we give kids structured, hands on practice using drawing, tracing, saying sounds, and exploring letters, they grow into confident readers and writers right before our eyes.

That is exactly why I created the Alphabet Decode and Draw Bundle. It gives students meaningful practice with beginning sounds, letter recognition, fine motor skills, and handwriting while keeping them engaged with kid friendly directed drawings they love.

What is inside?
Each of the 26 letter books includes:

• Simple directed drawings tied to each letter

• Beginning sound picture practice

• Read and repeat letter sound pages

• A letter search

• Letter tracing and handwriting practice

How to use it:
Model the book whole group, then let partners read together, and finally give them time to complete the pages. Once introduced, these books become an easy, independent literacy center you can count on all year long.

If your students can hold a pencil, trace, and draw simple shapes, they are ready. If you want even more support, pair this with the Illustration Unit or your Alphabet Curriculum to build a strong foundation.

And when your class is ready for the next step, move on to the Decode and Draw Stories to keep their confidence and reading skills growing.