Materials
Construction paper
Pencils
Scissors
Pictures of people and animals
Instructions
1. Choose a letter/sound you wish to focus on for a few days and write it on a
large index card. Put a variety of alphabet books into a basket.
2. Form a group of no more than five children and invite each of them to
choose a different alphabet book from the basket on the table.
3. Hold up the card containing the letter you wish to work on, and ask the
children to name the letter. Then challenge them to try to find the letter in
their books. You may simplify this step by locating the letter for the children
and giving each one a chance to point and say the letter in their own book.
4. Go around the group and ask each child to identify a picture on his letter
page. For example, for the letter "T," a picture in one child's book might be a
toothbrush, the next child might have a tiger, and so on.
5. The others in the group repeat each word as it is identified by the child.
6. Now go around the group again, asking for another word that starts with "T"
on their page.
7. After a while, children will notice that the beginning sound of each word is
the same. There are many values to this activity. It promotes "reading"
because the children get practice in handling the books, turning the pages,
and "picture reading." In addition, the sound/symbol connection is being
developed, which is the basis for phonemic awareness.
More to do
Set up an Alphabet Center in the classroom with books, alphabet puzzles, letter
stamps and stamp pads, mini chalkboards and chalk, alphabet blocks, magnetic
letters (metal cookie sheets make excellent individual boards for magnetic
letters), primary pencils, and markers.
Art: Form alphabet letters using clay
Books: Make your own alphabet books using pictures from magazines,
catalogues, or stickers.
