by Caitlin Spurr, Kindergarten Lead Teacher

One of the most exciting parts of kindergarten is watching children discover the alphabet. At Friends School, we know that each child begins this journey at their own starting point. Some arrive already reading, while others are just beginning to recognize letters for the very first time. Both paths are celebrated here, and we design learning experiences to make every child feel successful.

What makes our approach unique is that we don’t just teach letters and sounds on paper—we bring them to life. Children learn in different ways, and some need to move while they learn. Instead of only sitting in a circle and writing letters, our students might jump from rock to rock while calling out letter names or swing their arms while blending sounds together. By combining movement with academics, learning becomes fun, memorable, and accessible to all learners.

As we teach each new letter and its sound, we also focus on how those sounds are made. For example, we talk about whether a sound makes our throat vibrate, how air flows through our mouths, or whether it comes through our nose. To help children feel and remember this, we pair each sound with a movement that mimics what is happening inside the mouth. For instance, the buzzing sound of z is paired with a zig-zag movement, while the same mouth placement sound of s is shown with a straight line movement. By anchoring letters and sounds in physical movement, children not only remember them better, but they also learn to form the sounds correctly as they speak and read.

This playful, multi-sensory approach makes learning the alphabet a whole-body experience. It engages the mind, the body, and even the senses. Most importantly, it ensures that whether your child is taking their very first steps into literacy or building on skills they already know, they feel confident and excited about learning.

At Friends School, our mission is simple: to meet each child right where they are and guide them forward with joy, creativity, and care. When learning feels this good, children don’t just learn the alphabet, they fall in love with it.