When Barney arrives to play with his friends, Derek, plays ""alphabet fun"" by spelling a ""mystery word"" a letter at a time. The group plays games and sings songs related to each letter of the mystery word. Rhyming words, making alphabet soup, walking through the alphabet, and seeing how, many letters they can make with their bodies, gives the children many chances to play with letters and words. Children learn that having fun with letters and words and learning the alphabet are the first steps to reading.