Skip to content
Start My 3 Free Days $0 today · cancel anytime

1st Grade Alphabet Activities

22 1st grade alphabet activities. Teacher favorites: Alphabet Uppercase Letter Matching Activity and Short Vowel A Word Sort Activity. How teachers use these

1st Grade Alphabet Activities

22 1st grade alphabet activities. Teacher favorites: Alphabet Uppercase Letter Matching Activity and Short Vowel A Word Sort Activity. How teachers use these

Activity
Activity1st GradeAlphabet Uppercase Letter Matching Activity

This alphabet uppercase letter matching activity has preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade children match 26 letter cards to a game board. A practice page and answer key are included for easy letter recognition fun.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort Vowel A Word Sort Activity

This short vowel a word sort activity gives kindergarten and 1st grade readers 24 word cards to sort into the at, an, ap and ag families, plus a sort mat and practice page. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeLowercase Letters Activity

This lowercase letters activity is a Gumball Hunt card game for Preschool to 1st grade that helps children name all 26 small letters. Answer key included for quick checking.

Activity
Activity1st GradeAlphabet Dice Collection Upper & Lower Cases

This alphabet dice activity has children roll, name, and match uppercase and lowercase letters for Preschool to 1st Grade, with an answer key included for quick checking.

Activity
Activity1st GradeAlphabet BINGO

This alphabet bingo activity helps children find and name lowercase letters with 16 game boards. Made for Preschool to 2nd Grade, with a practice page and answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort Vowel E Word Sort Activity

This short vowel e word sort activity gives kindergarten and 1st grade readers 24 word cards to sort into the et, ed, ell and est families, plus two sort mats and a practice page. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort and Long Vowel O Activity

This short and long vowel o activity has 1st and 2nd graders build picture words with letter tiles and sort them by vowel sound. An answer key is included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort and Long Vowel A Activity

Using this Short and Long Vowel A Activity, students sort the short and long vowel A word cards.

Activity
Activity1st GradeFarm Alphabet Letter Matching Activity

This farm alphabet letter matching activity helps preschool to 1st grade children match uppercase and lowercase letters on a fun farm board. A practice page and an answer key are included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort Vowel I Word Sort Activity

This short vowel i word sort activity gives kindergarten and 1st grade readers 24 word cards to sort into the it, ig, in and ip families, plus a sort mat and practice page. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeFind the Missing Letters Sequencing Activity

This find the missing letters sequencing activity has PreK-1st grade students name the missing letter on 24 Christmas cards using an alphabet line. Answer key included, and alphabet order feels like holiday fun.

Activity
Activity1st GradeLetter Order Activity

This letter order activity has kindergarten and 1st grade children find the letter hidden under a parked car and write it, with an answer key included for easy checking.

Activity
Activity1st GradeRainforest ABC Order Activity

This rainforest ABC order activity has kindergarten and 1st grade children line up animal picture cards by first letter and write them in order. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeVowel Letter E Activity

This vowel letter e activity has kindergarten to 2nd grade children sort under-the-sea picture cards by the short e or long e sound. Sorting mat, practice page and answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort and Long Vowel I Activity

This short and long vowel i activity has 1st-2nd Grade children build picture words with letter tiles and sort them by vowel sound, with practice and an answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeConnect Four Putting Letters in Order Activity

Using Connect Four Putting Letters in Order Activity, students play Connect Four to practice putting letters in alphabetical order.

Activity
Activity1st GradeVowel Letter I Activity

This vowel letter i activity has kindergarten to 2nd Grade children sort under-the-sea picture cards by the short i or long i sound. Sorting mat, practice page and answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort Vowel U Word Sort Activity

This short vowel u word sort activity gives kindergarten and 1st grade readers 24 word cards to sort into the ug, ub, ump and uck families, plus two sort mats and a practice page. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeShort Vowel O Word Sort Activity

This short vowel o word sort activity gives kindergarten and 1st grade readers 24 word cards to sort into the ot, op, og and ock families, plus two sort mats and a practice page. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity1st GradeUppercase Letters Activity

This uppercase letters activity is a Gumball Hunt card game for Preschool to 1st grade that helps children name all 26 capital letters. A practice page and answer key are included.

From our teachers' playbook

Every letter, every sound

What do 1st graders learn about the alphabet?

In first grade, alphabet knowledge needs to be lightning fast. Kids name every uppercase and lowercase letter and say its sound without stopping to think. They write lowercase letters neatly, starting at the top, and tell tricky look-alikes apart, like b, d, p, q. They know which letters are vowels and which are consonants, and they put words in ABC order by the first letter. All that speed frees their brains to focus on reading words. The click moment comes when a child stops pausing at letters and just reads.

Our favorite ways to teach alphabet skills in 1st grade

Fast letter knowledge makes reading easier. These moves build speed and accuracy.

Letter songs on repeat

Play a letter song collection during transitions and have kids say the sound each time a letter appears. Quick, playful repetition builds automatic letter-sound knowledge.

Why it works: a catchy, repeating tune gives the brain a hook to hang words on, so sung text is remembered better (Wallace, 1994).

Alphabet Songs (Animated Video Collection)Try it withAlphabet Songs (Animated Video Collection)SongsOpen it →

Upper and lower match

Hand out uppercase and lowercase letter pieces and have kids find their match as fast as they can. Time them and let them beat their score. Speed matters in first grade.

Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.

Alphabet Uppercase Letter Matching ActivityTry it withAlphabet Uppercase Letter Matching ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Tricky letter check

Flash b, d, p and q cards mixed with other letters. Kids name each one and its sound. Keep notes on who mixes them up so you can give extra practice to just those kids.

Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).

Alphabet Uppercase and Lowercase Flash CardsTry it withAlphabet Uppercase and Lowercase Flash CardsFlash CardsOpen it →

Questions parents and teachers ask us

What alphabet skills should a 1st grader have?

First graders should name all uppercase and lowercase letters quickly, know each letter's sound, write lowercase letters correctly, and put words in ABC order by first letter.

How fast should a 1st grader know letter sounds?

Letter sounds should be automatic, with no pause. Quick letter knowledge frees kids to focus on blending sounds and understanding what they read.

How do I help with b and d confusion?

Teach a trick like making a "bed" with your fists (b on the left, d on the right). Practice in short bursts, and use lots of reading and writing. Most kids outgrow it by 2nd grade.

Should 1st graders still practice the alphabet?

Yes, especially for speed and lowercase writing. Even kids who know their letters benefit from quick daily practice to become faster readers.