Subject: Phonics

Alphabet Post-It Wall

·  Write a letter on each Post-It note, lower case.

·  Print multiples of each letter.

·  Write the same letters on the butcher paper, upper case letters.

·  Attach to a smooth wall.

Instruct the students to match the lowercase letters to the uppercase letters.

Toss the Letters into the Goal

·  Provide the students a variety of wood blocks or objects on hand.

·  Ask the students to build their own goal.

·  Collect milk caps ahead of time.

·  Write letters with permanent markers.

·  Directions to play tossing game:

1.     Ask your student to set up a few feet away from the goal

2.     Encourage them to lay on their tummies

3.     Instruct them to draw a letter from the bowl and say its name and make the sound

4.     Once they identify the sound, they may feel free to “toss” it into the goal

They continue to play until the letters are gone

Paper Plate Hearts

  • Paint the paper plates.
  • Let them dry thoroughly.
  • Turn the plate over.
  • Use a heart stencil to draw on the back.
  • Poke holes about a finger’s width apart.
  • Cut a piece of string about 2 feet long.
  • Thread the needles.
  • Place a small knot by the eye of the needle, this will help reduce the frustration younger students have with threading.
  • Note the different varieties.
  • Ask your students to say “H—Heart” as they make their project.
  • Hang the project from the ceiling to be referred to throughout the week.

Yellow Yo-Yo

  • Fill a balloon with a small amount of water.
  • Tie the end of the balloon.
  • Secure the rubber band to the balloon.
  • Write several y’s on the balloon.
  • Demonstrate how to “yo-yo”.

Pattern Block “G”

  • Print, in color, the pattern block PDF found in the Stepping Stones Curriculum resources.
  • Place in a sheet protector.
  • Instruct your students to create the letter at a center or independent station.

Books for letter “Gg”:

  • Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathman.
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Feodor Rojankovsky.
  • The Berenstain’s Bears and the Week at Grandma’s by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
  • Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman.
  • Lousy Rotten Stinkin Grapes by Margie Palatini.
  • G is for Goat by Patricia Polacco.
  • The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
  • A Giraffe and A Half by Shel Silverstein.
  • Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreas.
  • Curious George by H.A. Ray.

Zebra Paper Plates

  • Gather all supplies.
  • Drizzle glue all over the paper plate.
  • Spread around the glue with a paint brush.
  • Cut black strips of yarn for the stripes on the zebra.
  • Place strip of yarn horizontally across the plate.
  • Keep handy a warm wash cloth; your fingers will get sticky.
  • Wad a piece of black tissue paper for the nose.
  • Use big googly eyes for the eyes.
  • Turn 2 smaller googly eyes upside down to complete the nose.

Zz Race Track

  • Use painters’ tape to secure canvas to the cardboard box.
  • Then use painters’ tape to create zig zags all over the canvas or form the letter “Zz”.
  • Water down acrylic paint.
  • Use a large paint brush to creating texture and color on the canvas.
  • Allow to dry for 24 hours.
  • Remove tape to reveal creation.

Foam Feet

  • On each foam foot, write one letter of the alphabet with a black marker.
  • Create a foam foot for each letter of the alphabet.
  • Use the alphabet feet to work in a variety of ways.
  • All alpha feet on the floor, call out which ones you wish for the students to find.
  • Place alpha feet around the room and students can participate in a letter find.
  • Call out sound; ask students to collect letters.

Alpha Clothes Pins

  • Ahead of time, write upper case letters at the top of the clothes pins.
  • Continue to write lower case letters at the bottom.
  • On the back write #1-26.
  • Clip all the clothes pins on a large plastic coat hanger or string hung up in the classroom.
  • Once they are all clipped on, see if the numbers are in order.

Note:  This is a great way for your students to self-check

Write the Room

  • Place objects around the room at eye level that start with the letter “Bb”.
  • On a 3×5 card, label each item.
  • Give each child a clipboard, paper and pencils.
  • Instruct them to search the room, or “Write the Room”.

Books on the letter B

  • Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.
  • Little Bear by Else Homelund Minarik.
  • The Berenstain’s B Book by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
  • We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury.
  • Bunny’s Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown.
  • Blessings Everywhere by Dandi Daley MacKall.
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Marten and Eric Carle.
  • Bumble Bee by Margaret Wise Brown.
  • Blueberries for the Queen by John and Katherine Patterson.

Tissue Paper Watermelon – Creative Outlet for Little Hands

  • To create this activity, you will need:

o   One piece of construction paper to serve as your background

o   Sharpie or pencil

o   Green and red tissue paper

o   One piece of black construction paper for the seeds

o   Glue stick

  • To begin you will cut or tear your tissue paper into small 1″ pieces.
  • Place each color in a separate bowl.
  • Cut out approximately 8 seeds from your piece of black construction paper.
  • On your background paper, draw an outline of a piece of watermelon with your sharpie or pencil.
  • Use your glue stick to fill in the watermelon shape with glue.
  • The student will fill in the color of the watermelon – green for the rind and red for the center.
  • Finally glue the ‘seeds’ onto the red middle of the watermelon.

Watermelon Song – The Kiboomers

Watermelon Counting Cards from Modern Preschool.com (Free Resource)

Lego Playdough Press

  • Have the students use legos to create the letter ‘W’.
  • Find thin lego pieces 1.5″ and 1″ long (or other lengths that are varied).
  • Roll out playdough (choose a recipe of your choice).
  • Press lego piece into the playdough to create the letter ‘W’.

Apple Prints Paper

  • Cut an apple in half.
  • Place the apple in a bit of paint.
  • Stamp apples on butcher paper.
  • After the painting is dry…ask your students to practice writing the letter “Aa”.
  • Encourage them to say the sound as they form the letter.

Printable Files

· Q Dots.

· Q Loops.

· Grandma’s Garden Quilt.

Books for letter Q:

·         Cassie’s Word Quilt by Faith Ringgold.

·         Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood.

·         A Quilt for Baby by Kim Lewis.

·         Quiet by Paul Bright.

·         The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle.

·         Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack by Doreen Conin.

·         An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hytts Aston.

·         Little Quack by Lauren Thompson.

·         The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill (about bullying).

Snack

Eddible Q-tips

Pretzel sticks

White chocolate/almond bark

Directions:

Melt the chocolate according to the directions on the package.  Dip the ends of your pretzel stick into the chocolate.  Dip each end twice and put them in the refrigerator between dipping’s.

Arts & Craft:

Provide a simple bird shape and feathers that the students will glue into the shape to make a Quail.

Q-tip maze (for Lego people and miniature cars):

Provide children with several Q-tips and invite children to make a maze for them to play with

Q Quilt:

  • Print an 8” x 8” empty square pattern.
  • Instruct your students to use the same supplies as above to make a pattern.
  • Once the pattern is made, glue each piece to the paper.

Alphabet Post-It Wall

  • Write a letter on each Post-It note, lower case.
  • Print multiples of each letter.
  • Write the same letters on the butcher paper, upper case letters.
  • Attach to a smooth wall.
  • Instruct the students to match the lowercase letters to the uppercase letters.

Toss the Letters into the Goal

  • Provide the students a variety of wood blocks or objects on hand.
  • Ask the students to build their own goal.
  • Collect milk caps ahead of time.
  • Write letters with permanent markers.
  • Directions to play tossing game:

1.       Ask your student to set up a few feet away from the goal

2.       Encourage them to lay on their tummies

3.       Instruct them to draw a letter from the bowl and say its name and make the sound

4.       Once they identify the sound, they may feel free to “toss” it into the goal

5.       They continue to play until the letters are gone

X Coloring Page

·  X Coloring Page can be found in the T7-B2 PDF.

·  Laminate the X Coloring Page.

·  Several activities can be used with this activity:

1.  Dry erase markers—children repeat the letter x to create a rainbow letter

2.  Manipulatives—children place jewels, beans, etc.

3.  Playdough—rolling playdough to create the letter

Cork Board Letter Puzzles

  • Gather supplies.
  • Stretch 2 rubber bands across the board to make 4 distinct areas.
  • Use the push pins to create 4 letters you want your students to practice.
  • When choosing letters, choose one that is relatively easy.
  • Double check that your students can make the letters desired.
  • Use the index cards to make a visual reference.

Formation Rhymes

  • Rhymes, chants, tapping rhythms, etc. are powerful tools for this age.
  • Found in this PDF resource file are 2 separate documents that are excellent PDF rhymes to help your students form the letter “Uu”.
  • Print documents.
  • Place each document in a sheet protector.
  • Demonstrate how to write the letter “Uu” as the rhyme is read.
  • Provide the students with dry erase markers and erasers.
  • Instruct them to practice forming each letter as the rhyme is being said.

Lots of Uu’s

  • Using 3×5 cards, print a variety of fonts, styles, and even handwritten Uu’s.
  • Spread the Uu’s in the middle of the table.
  • Ask each student to choose a card.
  • Instruct them to trace with their finger or a writing utensil.
  • Then each student can write Uu’s on the poster with different colors of markers.
  • Show the group the collaborated project.
  • Talk about items that start with the short /u/ sound.
  • Choose several Uu’s and draw a picture of those items with the class.
  • Place the poster board at the student eye level for them to interact with.

Books for U

  • The Umbrella by Jan Brett.
  • Uncle Andy’s by James Warhol.
  • Uno, Dos, Tres by Pat Mora.
  • The Boy and the Tigers by Helen Bannerman.
  • Hey! Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton.
  • Ruby’s Rainy Day by Rosemary.
  • Splosh! by Mick Inkpen.

Learning Center Ideas

  • Put a large umbrella out for students to read under in the reading center.
  • Put paper under a table and let the children draw pictures or write their names on the paper.
  • Invite children to make bridges out of blocks and drive miniature cars under the bridges.
  • Print “USA” on white construction paper and then invite the students to decorate the letters with stars.
  • Ask parents to donate old uniforms for dress up center.
  • Use cut out umbrellas numbered 1-10 and then give the students cut out rain drops for them to count out for each number.

Phonics

  • Juice Box Birds 2.
  • Juice Box Penguins.
  • P is for Penguin.
  • P is for Penguin 2.
  • Parent and Baby.
  • Penguin Coloring Simple Math.pdf.
  • Penguin Dot Art 2.pdf.
  • Penguin Dot Art.pdf.
  • Penguin Dot-to-Dot Activity Page.pdf.
  • Penguin Family.
  • Penguin Maze/ penguin shape.pdf.
  • Penguin Song Sheet Music.pdf.
  • Penguin Song.pdf.
  • Penguin-Do-a-Dot-Printable Unit.
  • Preview of “Penguin Coloring Page – Twisty Noodle”.
  • Recycling-Coloring-Page.
  • Sheep Puppet.pdf.
  • Steps to Draw—Penguin.
  • Trace-the-dotted-lines-1.pdf.
  • Trace-the-dotted-lines-2.pdf.
  • Underwater Alphabet Spy Bottle.pdf.

Letter Activity: I Spy

·  Collect letters and cards that children are able to recognize.

·  Place card in a stack and letters on the magnetic board.

·  Play “I Spy” matching cards.

Note:  Reduce options of letters…sometimes too many options can be frustrating for younger students

Letter “Oo”

  • ABC Play Dough-O.
  • Alpha Bingo-Lower.
  • Alpha Bingo-Upper.
  • Alpha find WS lower-O.
  • Alpha find WS upper.
  • Alphabet Q-Tip Painting Cards O/P.
  • Hand writing-O.
  • Lego Alphabet Mats-O.
  • Letter sounds matching-All.
  • No pic alpha dots-Oo.
  • O funny face.
  • Play Dough Alpha Mats-O.
  • Simple Shapes dots-O.

Toilet Paper Roll Stamps

·  Give your student the supplies listed.

·  Encourage the students to make “O” art, filling the paper with stamped “Os”.

Learning Center Ideas

·         Provide blocks for the children to create obstacle courses for miniature cars.

·         Set out old glasses frames, eye charts, and other materials and invite the children to play that they are in an optometrist’s office.

·         String o-shaped cereal on strings. Put the strings on a bush or tree outside that is near a window where the children can watch birds eat the cereal.

·         Make several bottles filled with oil, water, and confetti available for the children to observe. Note: close the caps tightly and then seal with duct tape.

·         Invite the children to help squeeze orange juice and serve it as part of snack.

·         Use sliced oranges to print paint with.

The O Rhyme

Tune: Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?

O, O, I like the letter O.

O, O, I like the letter O.

O, O, I like the letter O.

Letter O starts the word _______

PDF Resources

  • ABC Play Dough-o.
  • ABC sound and writing book-o.
  • Alpha find WS lower-o.
  • Alpha find WS upper-O.
  • Beginning sounds bingo-ALL.
  • Consonant sorting mats.
  • Dot Mats-lower-O.
  • Funny Face-O.
  • Funny Faces-o.
  • Hand writing-O.
  • Lego Alphabet Mats-O.
  • Q-tip alphabet-O/P.
  • Simple Shapes dots-O.

Books for letter O:

  • Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Carol Jones.
  • Ostrich by Patricia Whitehouse.
  • Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack Keats.
  • Owl Babies by Martin Waddell.

String Art Letters

  • Cut yarn into different lengths.
  • Lay wax paper out of a smooth surface, out of the way.
  • Dip the yarn into glue container.
  • Shape the wet yarn into letter on the wax paper.
  • Repeat until the letter has been filled in with string.
  • Allow the string to dry completely.

Letter D Sound

  • Show the children the letter D and explain that it makes the /d/ sound.  Say it a few times, and have the children repeat after you.
  • Practice the /d, /d, ding dong!
  • Practice the /d/ sound with different words, DOG, DAY, DAD, DID, etc.
  • Throughout the day, stop what you are doing and have a “pop quiz” by pointing the letter D and asking the children what sounds does this letter make?

Letter Freeze Tag

·         Place ABC letters on the floor all over the room.

.         Pick letters they have studied in previous lessons

.         Letter charts, book titles, projects etc. are good sources for letters

·         Put on an active music CD (i.e. Greg & Steve – “Kids in Action” or Ready…Set…Move!”, etc.).

·         Instruct the students to move freely to the music.

·         When the music stops, they find an ABC letter on the floor and stand on it.

·         The student must freeze on the letter and wait for instructions.

·         The students will take turns saying the letter they are standing on, giving the letter sound and a word that starts with the letter.

Finger Print Lady Bug “L”

·  Paint the lamp shade.

·  Cut out the lamp shade and a colored L.

·  Glue L in the middle of the paper.

·  Glue lampshade on top of the L.

·  Use a black marker to draw a 2-pronged plug

.   chocolate chips

Art Center:

Set out several construction paper L cutouts, paint and slices of lemons and limes. Then have the student press paint onto paper using the lemons and limes.

Snack Center:

Make ladybugs using rice cakes and red colored cream cheese.  Have them spread the colored cream cheese and then put chocolate chips for the dots.

Game for Center:

Collect several milk lids and put stickers on them to make a matching game. Words: ladybug, lemons, limes, ladder, lion, lipstick, lobster, lollipop.

Song for L:

Tune: Three Blind Mice

Letter L

It’s very swell.

It has man words, that you have heard,

Ladybug, ladder and leapfrog,

Listen, letter, lullaby and log.

Letter L,

It’s very swell.

Game:

Play some lively music and have two children hold a jump rope and invite the rest of the children to do the limbo.  After each round let other children hold the rope

More Books for L:

·         Are you a Ladybug by Judy Allen.

·         The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle.

·         Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam Bratney.

·         Moma Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse.

·         Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus.

·         Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes.

ABC Match

·  Write upper case/capitals on the clip end of the clothes pin with a permanent marker.

·  Cut cardstock, craft foam, etc. to produce the shape you want for this activity.

·  Write lowercase letter, one per shape.

·  Instruct the students to choose one clip…match the lower case and upper case together.

Resource PDF Files: Ss

·  A funny faces-S.

·  ABC Play Dough-2-S.

·  Alpha WS lower-s.

·  Alpha WS upper-S.

·  Alphabet_Q-Tip_Painting_Cards–S/T.

·  Free_Goldfish Alphabet Tracing.

·  Hand writing-S.

·  Lego Alphabet Mats-S.

·  No pic alpha dots-Ss.

·  Playdough Alpha Mats-Ss.

·  Simple Shapes dots—Ss.

Phonics Printable Resource

  • A Funny Face-c.
  • Alphabet Q-Tip-Cc.
  • Build Letters-Cc.
  • Dot Mats-lower-c.
  • Funny Face coloring-Capital C.
  • Hand writing-Cc.
  • Lego Alphabet Mats Pack-c.
  • letter sounds matching.
  • No pic alpha dots-Cc.
  • Play Dough Alpha Mats-C.
  • Q-tip Cc.
  • Simple Shapes dots-C.

More books for letter C

  • Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
  • Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley.
  • Click Clack Moo; Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin.
  • The Christmas Alphabet by Robert Sabuda.
  • Legend of the Candy Cane by Pat Matuszak.
  • Candy Canes in Bethlehem by Miriam Van Scott.

 

PDF Resource List

  • Alpha clip mats-all.
  • Alphabet_Q_Tip_Painting-M/N.
  • Consonant sorting mats-all.
  • Dot to Dot Mat-m.
  • Funny Face-M.
  • Funny faces-m.
  • Lego Alphabet Mats-M.
  • Letter sounds matching-ALL.
  • No pic alpha dots-Mm.
  • Pizza Letter Matching Game.
  • Play Dough Alpha Mats-m.
  • Play Dough Mats-M.

Letter “Hh” Swat

  • Letters can be written or printed on card stock.
  • Would recommend laminating for later activities.
  • Lay letters on a flat surface or letter rug.
  • One person calls out the letter, while the others swat it with their fly swatters.
  • A variety of letters can be used with time.

Letter “Hh”

  • A Funny faces-lower-h.
  • ABC Play Dough-H.
  • ABC-Play-Dough-Mats-H.
  • ABC-Puzzles.
  • Alpha find WS lower.
  • Alpha find WS upper-H.
  • Alphabet_Q_Tip_Painting_Cards-G/H.
  • Build H.pdf.
  • Build Hh.pdf.
  • Christmas Tree felts.
  • Dot Mats-lower-h.
  • Free Pizza Letter Matching.
  • Funny Face-H.
  • Hand writing-H.
  • Lego Alphabet Mats-H.
  • nativity-master.pdf.
  • Q-Tip-Alphabet-Large letters-No picture-H.

Phonics Resources

  • Alpha clip mats-whole alphabet.
  • Dot Mats-lower-a.
  • Funny Face Upper-A.
  • Funny faces-a.
  • Hand writing-A.
  • Lego Alphabet Mat-A.
  • No pic alpha dots-A.
  • Play Dough Alpha Mats-A.
  • Q-Tip Painting Cards-Aa.
  • Upper Dot mats-A.
  • Other Books.
  1. A Is for Airplane by Theresa Howell
  2. Acorn and the Oak Tree by Lori Froeb
  3. Alligators and Crocodiles by Laura Marsh
  4. See You Later, Alligator by Sally Hopgood and Emma Levey
  5. Zack’s Alligator by Shirley Mozelle and James Watts
  6. There’s an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer
  7. Around the Apple Tree by Karen Viola
  8. Astronaut: Living in Space by Kate Hayden

Easy Baking Project – Elephant Bread

·         Use a pre-made biscuit dough (2x biscuits per child).

·         Cut one biscuit into thirds and leave one biscuit whole.

·         Place the whole biscuit on a cookie sheet with space on each side.

·         Use two pieces of the previously cut biscuit for ears—press to attach.

·         Place the remaining piece of biscuit for the elephant’s trunk and use 2 raisins for eyes.

·         Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake as directed on the biscuit package.

·         Enjoy your fresh made “Elephant” biscuit!

“C” is for Cat

  • Review the shape of the letter C by having the children trace the letter with their fingers.
  • Brainstorm words beginning with the letter Cc.
  • Draw a large C on a piece of printer paper and have the children turn the C into a cat.
  • Glue the pom poms inside the letter outline for fur.
  • Add two wiggly eyes.
  • Draw a triangle for a nose and 2 triangles for the ears.
  • Add pipe cleaners for whiskers.

Books about Cats

  • Cat’s Vacation by Irene Schoch.
  • Have you Seen My Cat? By Eric Carl.
  • Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming.
  • Oh Cats! By Nola Buck.

Play Cat Catcher: Pretend each child is either a black, yellow or striped cat.  One child is the Cat Catcher, and the children all stand on one edge of the gym.  The Cat Catcher calls out a color of cat.  As those children run across to the other side of the room, the cat catcher tries to tag them.  If they are tagged, they become cat catchers.  Play until everyone is tagged.

Group time

Make up cards that have pictures or words that begin with the letter c, and some cards that do not begin with the letter c.  Have the children take turns picking a card and saying the word and if the word begins with a c all the children will clap.

Cloud Creations

  • Look outside and observe the clouds.
  • Recalling that they are made up of water droplets.
  • Give the children a large piece of blue construction paper.
  • Pour a puddle of white paint onto a styrofoam plate.
  • Make a unique paintbrush, a cotton ball and a clothespin.
  • Model how to pick up a little bit of paint on their cotton ball and then tap the paint on the paper to make clouds.
  • For a different effect give them gray paper and gray paint.

Resource List: Rr

—All can be found in T3-B1 PDF

·  Alphabet Q-Tip Rr Cards.

·  Dot Mats-lower-r.

·  Funny Face upper R.

·  Funny Faces r.

·  Hand writing-R.

·  Lego Alphabet Mats-R.

·  No pic alpha dots-Rr.

·  Play Dough-r.

Rr Throw

·  Gather supplies.

·  Write the letters students need to practice, one on each card.

·  Select a clear wall in your classroom.

·  Place cards on the wall.

·  Give the student an appropriate size ball for the room.

·  Instruct them to strike a letter.

·  When they hit a letter….

1.       Say the letter name

2.       Say the letter sound

3.       Tell something that starts with that letter

 

Note:  This activity can be guided by an older student if needed

 

Other Books for letter R

I Know a Rhino by Charles Fuge

Roar by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins

Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Pippa Goodhart

 

Learning Center Ideas

·         Put out several polished rocks and the children can sort them by size, color, and shape.

·         Put out rulers and several items to measure and let them go around the room and measure things.

·         Create a robot out of recycled items, such as boxes, toilet paper rolls, ribbon, paper cups, and then supply glue and tape to put it together.

·         Encourage the children to make up a story about their robot.

·         Make rabbit faces out of toast cut in a circle with a round cookie cutter; then have the child spread peanut butter or almond butter on the toast. Then cut a half of a banana length wise and place them on the toast for the rabbit’s ears.  Raisins can be used for the nose and eyes and black shoestring licorice for the whiskers. Then eat and enjoy!

 

Poem

Rat Race

Five little rats were in a race

Each one wanted to be in first place.

The first rat ran very slowly

The second thought hopping was the way to go.

The third little rat decided to walk.

The fourth little rat decided to run.

But is was the fifth little rat that won.

Q-tip Painting: N

  • print:  N Q tip painting.pdf.
  • The student will dip Q-tip in paint and dab paint on the letter.
  • Have the students form a circle. Teacher tosses a ball or bean bag while she/he says the letter “N” then the child needs to name something that begins with the letter “N”.
  • Have the student toss ball back to teacher and repeat activity by tossing ball to another student

Forming the letter “N” with Elbow Noodles

  • Review with the children the sound the letter “N” makes.
  • Have the student share things that start with the letter “N”.
  • Give the student a sheet of construction paper with the letter “N” printed on it.
  • Provide elbow noodles for the student.
  • Have the student glue the noodles to fill in the letter “N”.
  • Have the student cut out pictures that start with the letter “N” and glue around the letter “N”.

“Jj” Dough

  • Make your favorite playdough recipe.
  • Cut colored straws into 2-inch pieces.
  • Use a large handful of dough and have the children flatten the dough.
  • Draw and outline of the “Jj” using a plastic knife onto the dough.
  • Ask the children to follow the lines, placing straws in the dough (see illustration).

Rainbow “Jj”

  • Print Blackline 4.3.
  • Ask the children to choose four to five different colored crayons.
  • Show the children how to begin and end the letter “Jj”.
  • Instruct the children to trace the letter over and over.
  • Change colors and repeat.
  • This will create a rainbow letter.

Letter “M” Song

Show the following video clip prior to discussing the letter “m”:

Phonics Letter M

Reinforcement activity with the letter “m”:

  • Write the letter “m” on a piece of white paper.
  • Gather small items ahead of time that begin with the letter “m” as well as some items that beginning with other sounds.
  • Have the children sort the items by placing the items that begin with the letter “m” near the white paper with the letter “m”.

Alphabet Play-dough Mats

Use CREATION Kids playdough mats (found on CREATION Kids website located in Supplementary Materials – Writing)

  • Provide playdough mats.
  • ABC cards.
  • Playdough.
  • Have children roll playdough to create the shape of the letter.
  • Mix your favorite homemade dough recipe or us the one provided.
  • Play Dough: ⬥
    • 1 c flour
    • 1 c water
    • 2 t cream of tartar
    • 1/3 c salt
    • 1 t vegetable oil
    • food coloring
  • Mix together all the ingredients except the color in a 2-quart saucepan.
  • Cook over low/med heat.
  • Once it begins to thicken, add the food coloring.
  • Continue stirring until mixture is thick and clings to the spoon.
  • Remove from the pan and place on wax paper or a plate to cool.Note:  Store in sealable bag or airtight container for future use

Find the Letters and Swat It

  • Draw circles on butcher paper.
  • Tape the butcher paper to a flat surface.
  • Write letters of the alphabet in different colors in the circles.
  • A stack of alphabet cards can be placed next to the child for independent work.
  • Instruct the students to pick an alphabet card, then swat the letter in the circle with the fly swatter.

Letter Orientation

This is a great pre-reading, writing and phonic activity:

  • Place a small chair in front of the class.
  • Turn the chair sideways and ask: What is this?
  • Turn the chair upside down and ask: What is this?
  • Have the children come up with a variety of uses for the chair.
  • Discuss with the children that the letters of the alphabet are similar but have different roles.
  • Write the following letters with a blue marker on separate pieces of paper: m and w or b, d, p, u, and n.
  • Turn letters upside down or backwards so the children can see the similarities: (i.e. m and w or b, d, and p, etc.).
  • Explain to the children that they need to be careful with the directions they write the letter, because it might not be the letter that they want.
  • Give them the opportunity to practice forming the letters m, w, u, and, n using air writing, shaving cream, sand table, rough wall paper, etc.
  • While the children are forming the letters have them make the sound of each letter.

Sticker B

Activity:

  • Print blacklines 1.5a and 1.5b for each student.
  • Give each child a whole sheet of small award stickers.
  • Instruct the children to stay within the lines of the letter B.

Post Activity:

Give the children some old magazines and have them find pictures that begin with the letter B. Have them make a booklet with all their pictures.

Play-dough “Bb”

Activity:

  • Print blackline 1.5a and 1.5. (one set per child)
  • Place blackline masters in the plastic sheet protectors, uppercase letter on one side and lower case letter on the other side. (1 set per child)
  • Demonstrate rolling play-dough to make a long worm.
  • Model making both letter “Bb” using the finger and then dough.

Variation:

You can do the same activity with numbers.

Rhyming Around the House

Gather a variety of objects, simple and easily rhymed from around your house (i.e. a can).

  • Identify each object.
  • Instruct students to:
  1. Pick 1 item at a time
  2. Say the simple name
  3. Think of words that rhyme with each item
  • Put item aside and choose again.

Now you have connected words that rhyme visually.

To add math to this activity have the children count how many pairs of items rhyme.

Shaving Cream Fun

·  Spray about one half cup of shaving cream on cleanable surface.

· Spread shaving cream into a thin layer.

· Depending on the evaluation needs, the student’s index finger, opposing end of a paint brush, etc.

· Once the surface has been written in, the child can easily spread the shaving cream again and creativity can continue.

 

Note:  Shaving cream is a soap and will eventually dissipate with use.  It will take some time…therefore a smaller amount for each student is suggested.  This is also a great way to clean tables and chairs.

Alpha Beach Ball Evaluation

Pre-Activity:

  • Write uppercase and / or lower-case letters on large beach balls.

Activity:

  • Place a sticker or stamp on the right hand of each child.
  • Model underhand throwing, catching and identification of the right hand.
  • Throw the ball to the children one at a time.
  • Ask: “What letter is under your hand with the sticker/stamp?”
  • That child can then throw the ball to another child or back to the teacher.

Letter Sound Identification

Prior to Lesson:

  • Print blackline masters 1.8a – 1.8z onto 8.5 x 11 card stock.

Note:  These letters will be used for different activities throughout the school year, so you may want to invest time and money and laminate them for reuse.

Activity:

  • Have the children identify the name and sound of each letter.
  • Individual evaluation should be continued if you suspect a child needs extra reinforcement.
  • Have the children sky write letters that they identify and name.