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Directions for Writing an ABC Book

ABC books not only help teach and reinforce the letters of the alphabet to young children but also help them learn to read. Bookstores and online retailers have plenty of ABC books for sale, but making your own alphabet book is a lot less expensive, and you can choose your own theme and illustrations. You can also draw and write about animals, places and people your child knows well to engage her and help her learn her letters quickly.

Things You'll Need

  • Typing or construction paper
  • Markers, crayons or colored pencils
  • Three-hole punch
  • Ribbon
  • Photos from magazines (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a theme for your book--for instance, animals, people, food, countries, nature or household objects--that will appeal to your child. Whichever theme you choose, ensure it can accommodate all of the letters in the alphabet, including Q, X and Z.

    • 2

      Devote one piece of construction or typing paper to each letter of the alphabet, so that your book is 26 pages long. On each page, draw the letter as a block capital letter in the upper right-hand corner.

    • 3

      At the bottom of each page, in large lowercase letters, write the name of the animal, object, person, etc. that corresponds to the letter--for example, "lion," "fireman" or "house." Refrain from using words that represent intangibles, such as "happiness," "peace" or "fast," as you'll want your child to immediately associate each image with its corresponding letter and word.

    • 4

      Illustrate each page. You can use markers, crayons or colored pencils, but your drawings should be vibrant, colorful and large enough so that they capture your child's attention. Try not to include unnecessary figures in the drawing, except for simple backgrounds, as you'll want your child to focus on the main image on each page. If you prefer, you can cut photos out of magazines and paste them on to each page.

    • 5

      Give your book a title and create a cover with construction or typing paper. You can incorporate your child's name into the title--for example, "Jamie's First ABC Book." You can decorate the cover however you like and even paste photos of your child on the cover. You can create a back cover as well and decorate it too.

    • 6

      Bind your book by using a three-hole punch along the left-hand side. Weave a ribbon through the holes and tie it attractively.

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