Each of us has a preferred learning style. Some people are visual learners, some are auditory and others are kinesthetic. People with a visual learning style prefer seeing or reading about something new; auditory learners like explanations and stories; kinesthetics need hands-on manipulating and feeling. This is very over-simplified. In reality, we learn using all three ways and some tasks are more suited to one method than others. But we all know friends and coworkers who respond better to memos and emails, others whose mailboxes are over-full but love to chat, and those who need first-hand experiences. 
Children have learning preferences, too. New ideas need to be presented in a variety of formats to both appeal to their strengths and to expand their strategies. That’s why we sing the alphabet, read books, play listening games, and manipulate play-dough. Here’s another idea, that combines all 3. This abc puzzle is hands-on, very visual and kids can practice saying the letters, too. I picked it up at a dollar store. The pieces fit snugly, at first, but are quite small so a container with a lid may help. In any case, it’s easy to do together and 3 times the fun.
