How to Set Up Your Preschool Alphabet Literacy Center

Preschool ABC Center

Literacy center set-up and organization ideas with pictures for your Preschool, Pre-K, or Kindergarten classroom.
How to Set Up a Preschool Literacy Center

Alphabet Literacy Center Set Up

How to set up a literacy or ABC center in your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom. Literacy center ideas and activities for teaching letter recognition and the alphabet.

How to Set Up a Preschool Alphabet Center

What do you put in your alphabet literacy center?

The tools and toys in your literacy center should be those that the children are familiar with and which you have introduced during small group activities. This will ensure that your students know how to use the materials in your literacy center properly.

Preschool Literacy Center Alphabots

Alphabet Literacy Center Learning Materials

The materials you select to include in your literacy center should be 3 dimensional. Young children learn best through hands-on experiences, 3-D objects will be more engaging and fun for your young learners.

Pictured above you can see two of the most popular alphabet toys in our literacy center, the alphabet cars and roads and the Alphabots. The kids are learning their ABCs while they’re playing and having fun – yes!

Preschool Literacy Center Puppy Chow Activity
The two toys pictured above are also super popular in every preschool classroom; the Alphabet Puppy Chow activity and the alphabet fishing game.

Preschool Literacy Center Letter Beads and Letter Builders
These letter builders and large alphabet lacing beads are also very popular in the preschool classroom.

Pro tip: Use pipe cleaners to string beads so they don’t fall over the floor!

Preschool Literacy Center
Letter tiles and letter rocks are both super popular in the ABC center! Kids can use these materials to spell their names, their friend’s names, or even words.

Alphabet Books in the Literacy Center

Books in the Literacy Center

Of course, books are an important part of every center in your preschool classroom. Here I have some of the alphabet books the children are familiar with available for reading or reference when they are in the ABC center and interacting with the materials. You can find a list of my favorite alphabet books here.

Magnetic Alphabet Tree Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Do you change out the items in your literacy center?

Yes, I do change out some of the items according to the students interests and ability levels. As the children mature during the school year you can add new materials to challenge your little learners, and remove those things that they have outgrown.

Center Essentials Cover 400

The magnetic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree pictured above is one of the items that holds the children’s interest all year long. In the beginning of the year they enjoy retelling the story and putting up the first letters in their names. As the year goes on, they begin to spell their entire names, names of their friends, and sometimes even simple words on the tree.

Click HERE to find the full instructions for making your own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree, plus download a free printable recording sheet.

Alphabet Puppy Chow Game Preschool Literacy

Alphabet Puppy Chow Game

Another super popular alphabet activity is this “Feed the Dog” game.

Click HERE to find the full instructions for making your own feed the dog activity, plus download a free printable recording sheet.

Literacy Center Tools and Toys for Preschool Classroom

Best Tools for Learning the Alphabet

Here are some of the most popular materials and those that children enjoy using in the literacy center over and over again. These items are also sturdy enough to hold up to daily use by large numbers of small children.

ABC Center Set Up Ideas

Teaching Trailblazers

Having an organized and well stocked ABC Center is awesome! But let’s face it, an alphabet center can’t make you a better teacher. The best place to discuss teaching best practices and get the support you need is in the Teaching Trailblazers. We have many printable lessons and on-demand video trainings to help you become the best teacher you can be! If you want to get on the waiting list for the Teaching Trailblazers, do it soon so you don’t miss the next open enrollment period!


3 thoughts on “How to Set Up Your Preschool Alphabet Literacy Center”

  1. Pingback: Preschool Prep: Learning Letters | Something 2 OfferSomething 2 Offer

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  3. This post is great! I love all of the different games you can put together to change up the typical blocks. The make your own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree. It is so unique and have not seen it before. I will have to look into putting one together.

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