"Meet the Letters" DVD Review

From Carey Bryson, Your Guide to Kids Movies / TV. FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Guide Rating -

"Meet the Letters" Overview

"Meet the Letters" uses animation and repetition to familiarize children with the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet. Each letter is shown on the screen in black and white and as letter characters taking part in a colorful animated sequence. Also, the letter is displayed in both cases in different sizes and using different kinds of motion. A voice repeats the letter name each time a new representation of the letter is seen.

According to the Preschool Prep Company, makers of the DVD:

"Meet the Letters" is a powerful tool designed to teach babies and toddlers the alphabet during an opportune window of time when they are learning to talk. A recent study of over 50 babies and toddlers, who watched "Meet the Letters" daily, resulted in over 90% of these children having complete upper and lowercase letter recognition by or before the end of the two-month study. Many learned their letters in less than two weeks." (Read more about the Preschool Prep concept.)

Guide Review of "Meet the Letters"

"Meet the Letters" effectively introduces toddlers and preschoolers to the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet. Each letter is shown and named several times, and the different animations involving each letter serve as memory cues in addition to being fun for kids. This type of repetition, coupled with cute animations, provides a helpful tool for parents and teachers in teaching kids the alphabet. After watching the alphabet repeated on the DVD for two months, I can see how the children in the study referred to above would have good letter recognition.

While the letter characters are fun, some kids may get bored with the repetition. In this case, the DVD can be watched in segments, which is also helpful for going over letters for a particular lesson or that kids might need extra help on.

The DVD focuses only on the recognition and naming of letters, allowing children to easily learn the letters without having to soak up other information about sounds the letters make or how to make words. I think it would be great if the DVD included a similar show to meet the letter's sounds. In some cases, I have heard educational experts recommend teaching the letter sounds prior to the letter names. I hope Preschool Prep will come up with a box set in the future with both "Meet the Letters" and a way to meet the sounds, allowing parents or teacher to choose which to introduce first.

"Meet the Letters" DVD Special Features

• The ABC Song: Animated letters of the alphabet sing the ABC song.
• Tricky Letters: Segments of the DVD are shown for letters that are often confused.
• Letter Flashcards: Black letters are randomly shown on a white screen for children to practice recognizing and calling out letters.

Ideas to Expand upon the "Meet the Letters" Curriculum

• Play the letter game with your kids. As you're driving in the car or walking around stores, encourage them to find each letter of the alphabet in order on signs and other things they see around them. See who can finish the alphabet first!

* See the Preschool Prep Company official website for more information. Preschool Prep also offers the introductory DVDs "Meet the Numbers" and "Meet the Shapes" in addition to other educational products.