Alphabet Riddles

Ideas for Parents and Teachers

Create your own word riddles! They don't need to be fancy. Start out simple:

I start with a C and end with a T.
I meow and yeow. What can I be?

Stretch the exercise: add more lines, with more clues.In a group, instruct children to wait until all clues have been given before guessing the riddle. Have the child who guesses the answer first say the correct word, spell it out, and then make up a new riddle.Encourage children to illustrate their riddles.Share your best riddles with others!Creating alphabet riddles that rhyme is a wonderful way to explore words and what they mean. As you engage children personally in the poetic process, you will see them blossom, both in vocabulary and in their grasp of letters and sounds. Flexing their "mental muscles" helps them develop reading, writing, and thinking skills.As a young child, I had dyslexia &endash; and a very difficult time with letters and words. My family encouraged me by making up alphabet riddles. We would invent them while riding in the car, waiting on a bus, or whenever we had a few minutes to spare.Do the same! They're fun!