The best app for teaching a toddler the alphabet

[RamonaCP]

Hello, moms! It's the first time to write on this group.
My 5 years old son, for whom English is the second language, refuses to learn anything..I am aware that we need to work extra so he can catch up with the rest of his class. He was for only 5 weeks in Reception and now he is Year 1. I am trying to find an app to make him change his mind about learning the alphabet, to start with. But any suggestion will do. Many thanks.

Have a look at teach your monster to read. Sadly you've just missed a special offer when it was free but it isn't expensive and it is very, very good and children seem to love to play it and it uses the phonics sounds they will be using in school.

Don't use an app, use TRUGS cards, set 0.

Thank you, ladies! We have recently started to watch tutorials with "Gerladine the giraffe" and he likes it..but I need to make him write letters and words..he refuses this too.

http://www.sounds-write.co.uk/page-82-app-for-ipad.aspx

https://www.udemy.com/help-your-child-to-read-and-write/ a free course to help you help your child

Hi OP, Hairy Phonics is fab and lots of fun - phonics rather than alphabet letters but great for learning to read English.

Make sure you are teaching phonics as that’s almost certainly what he will be doing at school. Check with the teacher, last thing you want to do is cause confusion.

Nessy's Hairy Letters (from the same company as hairy phonics) focusses on just the alphabet letters and is free. Teach your Monster to read is still free - the offer ends at midnight after which the app reverts to the usual price of £4.99. My DS recommends both! (And he's a Geraldine the Giraffe fan too.)

Thank you very much.

I haven't done this stuff for four or five years, so I don't know what new things have arrived, but we found the absolute best things the Alphablocks and Starfall websites.

Can he read and write in his mother tongue? Would he gain confidence by doing that for a bit-writing cards to relatives- that sort of thing?

www.teachreadingearly.com

I’ve found this website useful. Lots of helpful tips and advice on there about teaching reading skills to small children. Take a look.

Thank you all for your answers. We have signed up on "teach your monster to read" and he really liked it. I will definitely have a look at the other websites. It is important for me to know how to teach him.
He is learning only in English to read, write etc. I have not started to teach him all these in his mother tongue.
Have a great day!

Alphablocks - you can get some of the apps for free. You can also watch it on cbeebies and buy their magazines! I'm a teacher and really recommend it!

Just in case his teachers have not told you - If English is not your first language then it is very important for his language developmental that at home you continue to speak I his first(s) language rather than English.

The teachers have always told me to speak in English at home, to get him used to the language and make things easier for him..apparently. Of course, we don't. We continued speaking in our first language at home. His vocabulary is very rich and it would be sad to give it all away.
Thank you, I strongly agree with you.