Magical Disappearances added
11-9-98 Original Author
Unknown
Use this multi-sensory activity to improve letter
recognition, sound recognition, and letter
formation. Have each youngster take a turn dipping a finger
into water and writing a letter of the alphabet on the board. Once the
letter is formed, his friends say its name and sound in unison. As the
letter fades away, youngsters will be delighted with
this disappearing act. You'll find this
technique especially effective when E's "evaporate", It's
become "invisible", and V's
"vanish" If you are a home daycare provider and do
not have a large blackboard, a small one will have the same effect.
Pick-A-Pocket
added 11-9-98
Original Author Unknown
Put a child's hanging shoe holder to
interesting use with this suggestion. Drop a
letter cutout into each pocket of the shoe holder. Have children take
turns selecting a pocket, reaching into it, feeling the
letter, and naming it or its sound. This is a
letter game everyone loves to play!
Crossing the ABC River
added 11-9-98
Original Author Unknown
Little adventurers will step gingerly
across this rushing river--if, that is, they
recognize the letters of the alphabet. Divide your children into two
groups. Have the groups sit in parallel lines, facing each other Explain
that between the two lines is a deep and swirling
river. Randomly place a generous supply of
alphabet cards, or "stepping-stones", in this space between
the groups. Designate one group to be the "callers" and one to
be the "steppers." To play the game, a
child on one side of the river calls out stepping-stone
letters as the child opposite him steps from letter to
letter. If a child steps onto a letter other than the
one called, he "falls into the river"
and must begin again from his original position. When everyone
has safely crossed the river, the steppers return to their original
places and become the callers so the callers can become
the steppers.
Around the World added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
Have your youngsters sit in a circle.
Choose one student to stand behind a neighboring
student. For these two youngsters, flash an alphabet card. The first
one of them to correctly identify the letter stands behind the next
student in the circle. The other student is seated.
Play continues in this manner. Reward the kids
efforts with stickers or alphabet stamps on their hands.
Here are some more activities to learn the alphabet in a fun way.
Alphabet Dice added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
Make an alphabet die for this game of
luck. Cut two half-gallon milk cartons in half.
Push one carton bottom inside the other to form a large cube. Cover
the cube with contact paper "before" labeling
each of its sides with a different letter of the
alphabet. To use the cube, youngsters take turns rolling
the die and naming the letter.
Digging the Alphabet added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
This ongoing center activity is one
your youngsters will definitely dig! Nearly fill
a dishpan with Styrofoam packing pieces. In the pieces, bury several
plastic letters identical to the letter currently being studied. Also
bury several small objects with names that begin with that letter. Once
the center is prepared, have the kids take turns
digging into the packing pieces to uncover all
the hidden treasures. As a student names the letters and
identifies the objects, he'll be getting valuable reinforcement of beginning
sounds. As you introduce the next letter, change the items in the dishpan
to correspond.
*Note: Do not leave
packing pieces out where toddlers can put them in their mouths.
Sunny Prints
added 11-9-98
Original Author Unknown
Got a sunny day? Try this bright
suggestion. On a sheet of dark blue construction
paper, have each child arrange a length of heavy gift cord to resemble
a letter. Then, have him place it in a sunny indoor spot for several
hours. Late in the day, each youngster lifts his string to reveal his
sun-print letter.
Milk Carton Letter
Sort added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
Contact covering and half-gallon milk
or juice cartons are the main ingredients in
this versatile alphabet-sorting center. Cut away the upper part
of each of 26 milk cartons, leaving four-inch-high boxes. Cover each
box with contact covering. Label each with a different
lowercase alphabet letter. For letter matching,
provider 26 cards (approximately 3 1/2" X 7"), each
of which has been labeled with a different uppercase letter. Or, for
initial letter matching, provide a small toy or object
representative of each letter of the alphabet.
To use the center, a student places a matching card
or object in each box.
Writing in the Sand added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
If you're interested in providing
your youngsters with open-ended writing opportunities,
you're going to love what happens when they get their hands on
these boxes. For each youngster, provide a shoe box (or something similar)
that has been partially filled with sand. Also provide
a varied selection of unusual writing utensils.
Some things to include are: bottle tops, plastic knives,
and unsharpened pencils. After selecting the writing utensil of his
choice, have each youngster write a letter in the sand
in his shoe box. He'll soon find that it's a lot
of fun to "erase" one letter and try another.
Touch and Know added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
Blindfolds and oversized cardboard
letters help your youngsters get a feel for the
alphabet in this tactile game. Prepare several ten-inch letter cutouts
and place them in a decorated box. In turn, have each child wear a blindfold
as he draws a letter from the box, feels its shape, and identifies the
letter by touch.
Looking Up Letters
added 11-9-98
Original Author Unknown
Looking for a really unusual approach
to letter review? Try this suggestion as a
before or after nap transition. With your room completely darkened, use
a flashlight to "write" a letter on the
ceiling for your youngsters, to identify. Then
give each youngster a turn to do the same. Letter review is really
looking up!
Yippie Skippy Tune
added 11-9-98 Original
Author Unknown
Interested in getting your youngsters
out of their seats and into motion? Then this
singing game may be just what you're looking for! Label a seasonal cutout,
such as a seashell, for each uppercase and lowercase letter of the alphabet.
Laminate if desired. Scatter the shell cutouts face down on the floor.
At your signal, have youngsters skip around among the cutouts singing
a modified version of "Skip to my Lou." On
the final word, "darling", each student
picks up the nearest shell, takes a look at the letter, and identifies
it when called upon. Students return the cutouts to their face down
positions on the floor and repeat the activity with another verse of
the song. It's easy to convert this idea into a game
for any holiday or special occasion. Just
replace the shell cutouts with others to suit the occasion
and replace the word "seashell" in the song.
Lost my seashell.
What'll I do?
Lost my seashell.
What'll I do?
Lost my seashell.
What'll I do?
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Lucky Charms added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
Charm your youngsters into
beginning-sound practice with this magically simple
center. Draw six 2" circles on several 5" x 8" index cards.
Program each circle with a different letter of
the alphabet. Fill a small plastic pot with
plastic party-favor charms. (Be certain that there is at least one charm
for each letter on the cards.) To use the center, a student chooses a
card, looks in the pot for charms that correspond to
the letters on his card, and places a charm in
each circle. He may continue playing by selecting
another card and repeating the activity.
Letters by leaps and bounds
added 11-9-98
Original Author Unknown
Take a giant step toward letter
identification with this gross motor alternative.
Each time a new letter is introduced, use colorful masking tape or
plastic tape to create a giant version of that letter on your playroom
floor or kitchen floor. Then instruct youngsters to
"walk, hop, crawl, or otherwise move"
along the lines of the letter. While it's a few small steps for
each child, it's one giant leap for letter recognition.
Alphaball added
11-9-98 Original Author Unknown
This alphabetical twist to an
all-American classic can make letter-recognition
practice your youngsters' favorite pastime. Use colorful masking
tape or plastic tape to outline a large baseball diamond, three bases,
and home plate in the available space on your floor. Also prepare a
set of alphabet cards, and five playing cards
individually labeled "single", "double",
"triple", "home run", and "out". Store the
playing cards in a container. Divide your
youngsters into two teams. The first player from
one team comes to the plate, stand in the pitcher's position
and flash an alphabet card. If the player correctly names the letter,
have him reach into the container without looking and remove a playing
card. He takes the number of bases indicated or is out. The next player
comes to bat. The first team continues playing until three outs are
accumulated. Then the other team comes to bat to play
in the same manner.
Batter up!
ABC Stepping
Stones added 2-25-99
Original Author Unknown
Cut out medium sized rectangles (just about
the size of a child's shoe). On each shoe-sized rectangle, write a letter
of the alphabet. Laminate each card or cover front and back with contact
paper. Tape each card onto the floor in a path leading around the
classroom. (Masking tape or clear duct tape would suffice, depending on
surface) The children will make their own games out of it, they have fun
stepping along the path and calling out letters, and it makes a great
indoor gross motor activity.
Flashlight Letters
added 2-18-02
Submitted by: Jean
Make large letter cards or put a letter on the wall with masking tape.
Turn off the lights, and let children "trace" with a flashlight.
This allows large-motor practice of letter formation, and is very
interesting.
Alphabet Fishing
added 4-2-02
Submitted by:
Marcia Dettmann
Trace and cut 26 fish shapes from poster board (anywhere from 3" -
12") On one side of each fish print an alphabet letter (Aa, Bb,
etc.) On the other side of each fish put a magnetic strip. Attach a
piece of yarn to the end of a stick or pole. On the other end of the
yarn, tie a heavy magnet (you can use the ones that have a clip so it's
easier to tie). Flip all the fish over so kids can only see the
magnetic strip. When they catch a fish, they try to say what letter
it is or what sound that letter makes.
Letter Scavenger added 7-12-05
Submitted by: Hunt Margaret
To practice letter recognition, give children a
paper with a bunch of letters or the whole alphabet. They can then search
the classroom for those letters which can be found on books, posters,
labels or anything. When they find a letter, they cross it off on their
paper. Having them work in teams or with a partner might be more fun for
them and will encourage cooperation. When they finish finding all the
assigned letters, they get a little prize like a sticker.
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