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LITERACY CENTERS
"I Spy": newspapers and magnifying glasses at a table. Kids look for and circle sight words that we've learned.
Magnetic words: I put up a list of words from our books we've been reading (CVC words) with magnets. Kids make the words with magnets and read them.
"Read the room": Kids use pointers and point to words in classroom and read.
Write kids names and print out their pictures. Match the names to the photos. Or do the same with pictures of things and write the words and kids match.
WORDO
We call it WORDO and I have large 3 squares by 3 squares grids pre-made and copied in a big stack. It says WORDO across the top. Kind of looks like a giant tic-tac-toe grid inside of a square. The children copy 9 words (we use spelling and high frequency words to play), one in each square or you can do 8 and label the center square FREE. Then as I call a word, they trace over that word with a colored pencil, crayon or marker. We start by using the lighter colors (yellow, pink , orange) and after we get a winner we can choose a new color and continue the game. By using the lighter colors first, you can use the same set of word cards and play the game 4-5 times and they get much more practice with looking carefully at the words and tracing them multiple times. It is one of my class' (firsties) favorite games. It is also a great activity to leave for a sub because the children learn the format for the game and can show the sub how to play it without you leaving detailed
instructions.
WORDMASTER
To play: Have one child be a "wordmaster". The wordmaster for the day grabs a strip of paper and writes one of the words off our word wall. I have the rest of the class' names on popsicle sticks and I draw one name at a time. When I call that child's name, they must try to guess the wordmaster's secret word by reading off the word wall. AT the beginning of the year it is pretty easy, because we don't have many words yet, but as our list grows it becomes more of a challenge. The wordmaster earns a little mini eraser and if anyone guesses the correct word they also earn a mini eraser. At the end of the game when the word is revealed, we then clap-chant the word and talk a little about why it is on the wall (irregular phonetic spelling etc..).
PHONIC PHONES
Each one of my children have a "whisper phone", also known as a phonics phone, in their seat sack. They use them to independently oral read. It has been proven that children do not get enough practice reading aloud to increase fluency.As part of their "center" time, they have books in their sacks (1) at their independent level,(2)books that we have been working on that week, and (3)one of the 5 books they have taken home to practice from the past week that they still are to read to me sometime during the week. They are to read at least one book with their phones 3 times each day.
WORD WALL
Word Cheer!
Use 5 high frequency word wall words on your grade level. I purchased a set of pom poms and a mega phone. We then give each word a cheer. Students can take turns being the cheerleader and using the megaphone. Kids love it! Its a great way to get their attention.
CREATING ENVIROMENTAL RICH CLASSROOM
A "print rich" classroom is one in which many different kinds of print are displayed. Signs, labeled centers, wall stories, word displays,
labeled murals. bulletin boards, displaying children's favorite food products, charts and poems are just a few ways to display print.
The Teacher's Role in a Print Rich Environment
-Provide time and opportunity for multiple literacy activities during the day.
-Models reading and writing
-Introduces students to a wide variety of literature
-Listens to students read
-Works with students during writing time
-Arranges print displays that are at student's eye level
Environmental Print
Environmental print is the print we see all around us - the print on commercial signs, labels and products we use everyday,etc. Displaying
environmental print in the classroom helps children feel successful "reading" at an early age. These early successes motivate young
children to read more and more!
"I Can Read" Bags
provide students with a decorated bag for their print samples. Send a letter home to parents explaining the procedure.
Environmental Print Puzzles
Cereal, muffin, cake mix, cracker and cookie boxes make great puzzles.
Environmental Lotto Boards
Use candy wrappers to make lotto games
Functional Print
Functional print gives children a reason to read by providing information they need: schedules, routines, center labels, graphs, sign in sheets, etc.
Functional print can also elicit responses from children, for example, I Painted Today, My Favorite Food, etc.
WORD OF THE DAY
Submitted by Noelia
I have a word of the day for my prekers but instead of a word I place a logo of different places like Mcdonalds, Walmart and other places. I place the logos low enough so that the children go and "read" them and they get the print awareness.
IDEA SHEETS FOR LISTENING CENTER
1) Fold a sheet of paper into quarters. Characters, setting, problem, and
solution each have a quarter. Students write/draw in each of the boexes
2) Fold a sheet of paper into quarters. Students write/draw what happens
first, next, then, last (sequencing)
3) Student listens and writes/draws about their favorite part of the story.
BOOKS
Submitted by Christine
When ever I finish a unit (i.e. dinosaurs), I like to photocopy the covers of all the books we have either read or left in the reading center for the children to see. I then staple all photocopies together and place them in the file pertainng to that unit. This way I know which books I used the last time we did the unit. I also will note on he copy which books were the most successful.
WORD RECOGNITION
Submitted by Phyllis
Hi....to get your little ones to start recognizing simple words I put a limited number of letter tiles face down on the floor. I make sure that my vowels are marked on the reverse side with waterproof marker (say all in red). Then the kids pick letters and we discuss the word that is made (or not). Soon they learn that they need a vowel and 2 consonants to form words like hop, pop, top. They also learn the placement of the vowel. I pre-plan the tiles and keep only limited numbers out and I try to coordinate with books we are reading such as Dr. Seuss (for the hop, pop example)...
BEACH READING
I saw a wonderful idea in a classroom during my student teaching and
just remembered it when I drove by K-Mart the other day.
For a summer reading area she used a plastic child's swimming pool.
The walls were decorated with a beach mural. She created a palm tree that dangled leaves over the children's head. In the pool was different pillows made with swatches of shells and sea animals.
The children loved it and were so excited about getting to "sit at the beach to read".
ANOTHER BEACH READING IDEA
Another idea a teacher at our headstart used: she used plaster of paris (I guess concrete could be used but may be heavy??)to secure a pvc pipe in a bucket.(the type laundry soap comes in)
She also put a hole in the lid and snapped the lid on. (to simulate a table top)
This was used as a stand for a beach umbrella. Then she added child sized beach chairs to her reading area. One day she took this outside and let the kids wear sunglasses while they read.
RHYMING WORDS SHOW AND GUESS
When you're studying rhyming, adapt your show-and-tell time to show-and-guess time. Ask each child to find two rhyming items or pictures at home, put them in a bag, and bring them to school. In turn, have each child show one of his items to the class. After sharing his first item, have the class guess what the second item might be. Hmmm...could it be a bat? A mat? A hat? Oh, no--not a rat!
FALLING FOR BEGINNER SOUNDS
Every time that old London Bridge falls, another youngster will be using his knowledge of beginning sounds. To start this game, name the letter that will be the focus of the activity. As youngsters sing "London Bridge Is Falling Down," have students walk beneath a bridge made by the bodies and upheld arms of two students. Cued by the word lady in the song, have the youngsters who make up the bridge lower their arms, gently trapping a student between them. Ask the trapped youngster to name something that begins with the specified letter. When he does (with or without the assistance of the bridgemakers), have the bridgemakers release him, and resume the song and the activity.
SINGIN' MOVEMENT
If you're happy and you know it,
Bounce around /b/ /b/
If your're happy and you know it,
bounce around /b/ /b/
If your're happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it
bounce around /b/ /b/
catch a ball /c/ /c/
Dance with me
Fall down
Gallop like a horse
Hop on one foot
jump so high
Kick your leg
laugh at loud
march in place
nod your head
paint a picture
run in place
sit down now
tap your head
vacuum the rug
walk around
yawn right now
zip your zipper
READING CATERPILLAR
Submitted by Diane
I start with a head of the caterpillar and each time we read a story I add a body part, legs and all. As the year goes on he grows from wall to wall which is something the little ones enjoy. I also find the parents enjoy seeing the wonderful books we read throughout the year. At the end of the year I take it down and save the body parts which is a reminder to me of the books the kids enjoyed most. Hope everyone gets off to a wonderful start this year.
VOWEL SOUND SONG
Submitted by Sandra
Old McVowel had a farm
A-E-I-O-U.
And on this farm he had a cat
A-E-I-O-U.
With an a-a here and an a-a there.
Here an a. There an a everywhere an a-a.
Old McVowel had a farm.
A-E-I-O-U.
Then substitute hen (e) pig (i) dog (o) and duck (u). A third grader
visited my class and shared that and I was really tickled.
Recommended reading for adjustment to school
Submitted by Diane
I teach three year olds and usually give out this list at my parent orientation.
"Will You Come Back For Me" by Ann Tompert
"Starting School" by Allan Ahlberg
"What Will Mommy Do When I'm At School" by Dolores Johnson
"All My Feelings at Preschool: Nathan's Day" by Susan Conlin and Susan Levin Friedman
"Chatterbox Jamie" by Nancy Evans Cooney
More First Day Books
Submitted by Eileen
Another excellent book for adjusting to school is called "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn. It is about a little raccoon (Chester) who is going off to school for the first time (at night, of course ;). He is worried and his mother gives him a kiss on the hand and tells him he can press his hand to his cheek whenever he needs a little reassurance. The book also comes with a sheet of heart stickers. I am using this for my whole first day activities (along with "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten").
Also, "Owen" is a good book (I think it is by Kevin Henkes?) to address those who want to bring assorted comfort items to school. Owen finds a way around all those who tell him he can't take his favorite blanket to school.
Title: Reading Bag
Submitted by Shelley
1.Take a bag and draw a picture of what the book may be about on the outside of the bag. A simple picture will do. Put the book inside the bag. We made several "bags" and set them on a shelf for the children to choose from. BIG HIT!
2.Make a reading hat of some kind and place this in the bag along with a couple of books. We instructed the children that these books were very special (pop-up or other interactive books) and that if they wanted to read these books they had to wear the hat and sit down quietly and read the books. When they are finished with the books they must remove the hat and place it back in the bag along with the "special" books. They can only look at these "special" books when they are using the "reading hat bag". We bring in different books everyday to place in the bag and this has been quite successful in getting the children involved with personal reading.
Don't forget to include other books besides children's books in the children's library. Such as cookbooks, how-to books, simple science or social studies books, etc.
Book List
Submitted by Kris
Last year I made a poster where I listed my literature selections all year. The parents could see how many books we had read! I purchased a poster that looked like a piece of notebook paper, but anything would do. I bordered it with a "reading" theme border. I list the books as I read them. It also makes a good reference for me so I know if I have read a book and how long ago I did -- faster than checking lesson plans!
Title Word Wall
Submitted by Joi
I have the children let me know when they find a word that starts with a
letter they know and we can put it on our word wall. Its not important that
they know what the word says, they will just see that all the words under
the S begin with S.
I don't have a lot of wall space so I took notecards and wrote each letterof the alphabet on one. The trick is to turn it vertically. Then I cut notecards in fourths. I use these to write their words. They conveniently make a nice column under the letter. I start out the year with their names and put the theme words up as we go. The pace they add words is up to them.
It usually picks up after Christmas
WINDOW WRITING
Have the students practice writing their "Mm" on our classroom windows. I use this as a literacy center during small group and I was amazed at how hard the kids tried to write a perfect "Mm." They love this and I use it every week and just change the letter. The writing wipes off easily with a wet wipe or wet paper towel.
LETTER RECOGNITION
Submitted by Noelia
I have pre k children and they get the newspaper and start "reading" it. They then get a pen or pencil and go through the paper and circle whatever letter we are working on that week and I know they recognize it by what they circle.
ALPHABET CLOTHESLINE
hang a strong piece of small rope or twine against a wall to keep it save and make small circles of each letter and hot glue them onto clothespins - the end that you squeeze. Then you make different shaped alphabets that the kids clothespin onto the right letter - that is a great way to learn recognition - and then you could talk about the sounds that each letter makes. This could be done as an individual activity in a center or as a circletime kind of activity where you hand out the letters and call out each letter name in order and have the child who has the appropriate letter come up and put it on the line - works small motor skills too as sometimes the clothespins are difficult to squeeze.
LETTER RECOGNITION
Submitted by Michelle
To help my preschoolers learn the letters of the alphabet, I hang 6" stenciled letters from the ceiling. The letters are made out of construction paper and decorated with paints to make them visually appealing. The letters are hung randomly throughout the room. We then play a game of "Where is the _______(letter)?" The children then try to find the letter as quickly as possilbe. The children enjoy this large motor game!
"Z" ACTIVITY
Zinnia Seeds
Have children decorate small paper cups with the letter Z. Then let the children plant zinnia seeds in
their cups. Place the cups in a sunny area and water them often. Also talk to children about what plants
need to grow--soil, water, and sunshine.
"Z SONGS
Zany Z's
Tune: London Bridge
Zany Zz's are zipping by,
Zipping by, zipping by.
Zany Zz's are zipping by,
Zip! Zap! Zoom!
Zany zebras are zipping by,
Zipping by, zipping by.
Zany zebras are zipping by,
Zip! Zap! Zoom!
Zip Your Lips!
Tune: If You're Happy And You Know It
If you're loud and you know it, zip your lips!
If you're loud and you know it, zip your lips!
If you're loud and you know it,
Then your mouth will surely show it.
If you're loud and you know it, zip your lips!
The Zipper Man
Tune: The Muffin Man
Do you know the zipper man,
The zipper man, the zipper man?
Do you know the zipper man?
He loves to zip and zip.
He has a zipper coat,
A zipper coat, a zipper coat.
He has a zipper coat
That he can zip and zip.
He has two zipper boots...
He has a zipper tent...
He has a zipper bag...
Let the children add verses about other things they can zip.
"Z" ACTIVITIES
Zipper Rubbings
You'll need different colored crayons, a piece of white paper and a variety of zippers from jackets, duffel bags, jeans, purses, etc. Lay the zipper as flat as you can on a table. Place the paper on top of the zipper then using the side of a crayon, rub it over the zipper. Do this with different kinds of zippers in different colors all over the paper.
Marble Painted Zebras
Materials:
white construction paper
zebra pattern
box lid
marbles
black paint
Directions:
Cut out 1 zebra from white construction paper per child, labeled. Place zebra into box lid. Place marbles into black paint. Next place marble into box lid. Have child move box lid back and forth to paint on black stripes.
"Z" Collage
Materials:
red construction paper
rick rack, various colors
glue
Directions:
Cut out 1 "Z" per child out of red construction paper. Cut the rick rack into
small pieces. Have the children glue on the rick rack to their "Z"s.
Z Creature
Put the letter "Z" on a piece of paper. Have the children make their own letter "Z" creature by adding arms, legs, eyes, and whatever else their imagination leads them to make as part of their creature.
Zany Zoo Animals
If you fold a narrow band of paper on each narrow side of a 9x12" piece of construction paper and then fold the paper in half, it will stand up. Cut an oval or circle shape out of the paper on the "feet" edge. Give the children scraps of paper, foam felt, yarn, glitter, etc to form eyes, heads, tails, fins, horns, beards, etc.
Fun With Z
~Listen to a recording of zither music
~Zoom around like cars, jets, or rockets
~Form Z's on the floor with bodies
~Plant zinnia seeds
~Look for zeros in addresses and license plates
Zoo!
Plan a trip to the zoo. Prepare by studying different animals you will see, reading books, watching videos and filmstrips about the zoo. Make a list of questions about things the children want to find out. Let the children do projects after the field trip, such as making books or art projects for different animals. Match words and pictures of zoo animals.
Zoo Animals Guessing Game
What Am I? Ask the children to take turns acting out animals that are found at the zoo. As each animal is acted out, write its name on the board.
Zinnias
Start zinnia seeds in the little peat pots. Talk about the different sizes and colors that zinnias come in.
Zigzag
Talk about walking in a zigzag, then practice walking that way. It will help if you place masking tape on the floor in a zigzag pattern for the children to walk on. Recipes & Snacks
O IS FOR OSTRICH
Submitted by Nancy
An ostrich snack.
Head-ritz bits cracker
body-ritz regular size cracker
feathers-coconut glued onto body with peanut butter
legs-thin pretzel sticks broke in half
wings-small pretzel twists
beak-use gel icing tube-orange
eyes-use gel icing tube-black.
Put altogether and you have an ostrich snack. Be sure to put your icing on first then stick your pretzels on and then last put on your coconut feathers. Assemble on paper plates. Lotsa fun.
ALPHABET WRITING POEMS
A- Pull down twice from the point to the top. Add a seat to view the apple crop.
a- First make a round apple to eat, then a slide for an ant when he's finished his treat!
B- Big old B has a tall straight back, and two big bellies ' cause he just ate a snack!
b- Draw a straight back just like me, Don't forget to add a belly for b.
Cc- Cars can cruise down curvy c. Stop near the ground- that's it you see!
D- Down to the ground, then take a break. Half a circle is what you'll make.
d - First you make a dime to spend. Go way up high then down to the end.
E- Pull straight down for capital E. Then add some shelves 1, 2, 3.
e- A Little line start off e. Add a plate for and egg- here's breakfast for me!
F- Big F is a tall flower for you. E has three lines F has two.
f- This flower grows tall and hangs a little. Add a fine right in the middle.
G- Big round circle but don't go to far. Add a garage to park your car!
g- A garden starts with a little seed. The roots grow down that's all you need!
H- Make two lines, high to low. Connect the lines so they can say hello!
h- First start high the takes a jump. Little h has a little hump.
I- Big I starts with one side of a door all it needs is a roof and a floor.
i- Little i goes down, it's an ice cream treat. Add a sprinkle on top and it's ready to eat.
J- Jumping jack J jumps up and down and then curls up. Jack needs a hat'cause he likes to dress up!
j- Little j is so thin and lean. Jump way down then add a jellybean!
Kk- K and k have three lines as you can see: a tall straight back and a sideways v.
L- Pull down a line and add a lap. Lie down lazy! it's time for a nap!
l- Little l looks like a number one. Just draw a line and you are done!
M- Go down, hit the ground, then draw a V. down to the ground again big M is two mountains for me.
m- Go down, hit the ground then get ready for bumps. Little m is easy to write just add two humps.
N- Stick a nail in the ground and slant another one right, Add a third pointing up and say nighty-night!
n- Go down, hit the ground and your almost done. Little m has two humps, n has only one!
Oo- Oh yum! An orange to eat! Nice and round, it's a healthy treat.
P- Pull down your pencil. Then pick it up off the ground. Add a half a penny, nice and round.
p- Pop on down and then up, you see. Finish it off with a little pea!
Q- Big Q is a round quarter to spend. Add a line when you're at the end.
q- A fancy queen with a little pearl. Give q's hair a special curl.
R- First draw a line and then a rainbow., Add a ramp and you're ready to go!
r- Go straight down, then race on back r has an arm, like a little rack.
Ss- Silly S and s those slippery snakes, Twisty, turny ready to shake!
T- Big T is a big tall tree. Add a fort at the top so you can see.
t- Little t is a is a little tree. Add a fort in the middle for you and me!
U- Big U is just like a cup. Start by going down and then curve up.
u- Curve down and up, then down once more. Little u is a cup that's ready to pour.
V v - Slant down first then up like so. Thus upside-down volcano is ready to blow!
W w - W and w have two pointy waves. Swim in the water if you're brave!
X x - A criss and a cross and in case you forgot, where is the treasure? X marks the spot!
Y- Capital Y has a V in the air. The pole at the bottom hold it there.
y- Slant down right, down to the ground. Slant down left and take it underground.
Z z - Zigzag Z and z are easy, you see. Just zig a zag- 1, 2, 3!
LETTER RECOGNITION/OUTDOOR FUN
Submitted by Phyllis
This activity only requires chalk and black top. A few times a week during the spring/summer months I draw very large simple pictures on the driveway of the sun, moon, star, bus, stick figures (of my kids) or anything else that the kids might find fun. Then I label the picture (ie. sun, moon, child's name etc.) below in capital letters (or lower case letters). We then play the find the letter game....I'll shout to the kids "find the letter U in Sun". The picture helps them identify the word and they run over to the corresponding letter below the picture and stand on top. I correct them or hint where the correct letter is if necessary. In doing this, not only have my children learned to identify letters, they've learned simple sightwords and can spell their names too. They have so much fun and it only takes a 15 minutes a day!
ALPHABET RIDDLES
(Object: For each letter, cut 4 pictures out of magazines that begin with the intended letter and give them to the children. Make sure that 1 of the pictures is the item the riddle is about. After reading the riddle to the children, let them choose whichever picture is the answer.) (For ages 2 to 5.)
Aa
A core in the middle and a stem on top. Picked from a tree or bought in a shop. Red, yellow, or green and, oh, so sweet. Crunchy to bite and healthy to eat.
What is it? Answer: apple
Bb
Black and yellow buzzing through the sky. Six little legs and wings to fly. Leaving its hive on the first day of Spring, But you better beware --It might sting!
What is it? Answer: bee
Cc
Whiskers so long and fur like silk. Playing with yarn and lapping up milk. Watching the birds by the window’s light. Curled on a rug purring all night.
What is it? Answer: cat
Dd
Chasing the postman and learning new tricks. Begging for bones and fetching sticks. A cold, wet nose, a bark and a bite. Fur so soft-- snuggle up tight!
What is it? Answer: dog
Ee
Symbol of America. Taking flight. King of the birds. Courage and might. Head brown or bald. In a great big nest. Soaring the skies from east to west.
What is it? Answer: eagle
Ff
Way down below in the deep, blue sea. Swimming in schools and gliding so free. Scales and fins. Worms for bait. Home in a bowl. Dinner on a plate.
What is it? Answer: fish
Gg
Living on a farm or a hill so steep. Beard on its chin. Related to sheep. Rams and Billies. Nannies too. Grass and shrubs they love to chew.
What is it? Answer: goat
Hh
Down on the farm with a feast of hay. Trotting through fields with a whinny and neigh. Saddle on top. Shoes down below. A mane so sleek-- Giddy-up-let’s go!
What is it? Answer: horse
Ii
Cold and windy. White with snow. Built on the ice for an Eskimo. Out in the Arctic. Bundle up tight. Step inside and say good night.
What is it? Answer: igloo
Jj
Rev the engine. Runway clear. Ready for takeoff. Clouds so near. Full of power. Wings to fly. Zooming fast Across the sky.
What is it? jet
Kk
His majesty stands at the palace gate. A man of power with a royal fate. Father of the prince. In silk and gold. Wealth and jewels. Strong and bold.
What is it? Answer: king
Ll
King of the jungle roaring so loud. Seen in a zoo by a watchful crowd. Around its neck a mane so long. Stalking its prey, fierce and strong.
What is it? Answer: lion
Mm
Out from a hole, running on the ground. A long, skinny tail and a squeaky sound. Nibble the cheese but watch the trap. Hurry and scurry before that SNAP!
What is it? Answer: mouse
Nn
High in a treetop chirps are heard. Resting on a branch, home to a bird. Leaves and sticks, placed just so. Eggs and babies hatch and grow.
What is it? Answer: nest
Oo
Hooting so low in the dark of night. Eyes so sharp, ready for flight. Home in the forest, swooping to the ground. Catching a mouse without a sound.
What is it? Answer: owl
Pp
Living in a sty with an oink and snort. Pink and dirty. Fat and short. A small curly tail and four hooved feet. Rolling in the mud in the summer heat.
What is it? Answer: pig
Qq
Sitting on a throne with a golden crown. A lady so great in a robe and gown. Home in a castle, royal and grand. Proud and fair. Ruler of the land.
What is it? Answer: queen
Rr
Machine of the future. Toy in a store. Made to talk and walk on the floor. Body of metal. Arms to hold. Shaped like a human, silver or gold.
What is it? Answer: robot
Ss
Deep in the woods, awake at night. Black and furry with a stripe so white. Don’t get close or make it mad. It will spray with a smell so bad!
What is it? Answer: skunk
Tt
Moving on the tracks through snow and heat. "All aboard!" Take a seat. Steam from the engine. Wheels go round. Nearing the station, makes a choo-choo sound.
What is it? Answer: train
Uu
Sent from a planet? Shining light. Shaped like a saucer day or night. Martians inside? A mysterious glow. What could it be--does anyone know?
What is it? Answer: U.F.O.
Vv
Driving on the road. Pedal near the floor. Climb inside and slide the door. Bigger than a car. Long and wide. Smaller than a truck--It’s a family ride.
What is it? Answer: van
Ww
Deep underwater, far from shore. A mammal so huge above the ocean floor. A suit of blubber, orca and blue. Air to breathe through a blowhole too.
What is it? Answer: whale
Xx
Taking a picture inside of you, under the skin to see what to do. A doctor or nurse with a special light, looking at bones and fixing them right.
What is it? Answer: x-ray
Yy
It’s rare to see this animal roam. Far away in China, it calls home. With long, straight hair that hangs to the ground. Used for pulling loads around.
What is it? Answer: yak
Zz
Grazing in a field. Hooves like a horse. Home in Africa. Wild, of course. Body of stripes. Black and white. Running to hide--Lion in sight!
What is it? Answer: zebra
Alphabet of Single Letter Poems
Aa
A is for
alligator.
A is for ants.
A is for apples
on my pants.
Bb
B is for bear.
B is for boat.
B is for buttons
on my coat.
Cc
C is for cow.
C is for cat.
C is for caterpillar
on my hat.
Dd
D is for dinosaur.
D is for dog.
D is for doll
on my log.
Ee
E is for envelope.
E is for eggs.
E is for elephant
on my legs.
Ff
F is for fire engine.
F is for fish.
F is for fox
in my dish.
Gg
G is for girl.
G is for goat.
G is for gorilla
in my boat.
Hh
H is for horse.
H is for hair.
H is for hippopotamus
on my chair.
Ii
I is for igloo.
I is for ink.
I is for iguana
in my sink.
Jj
J is for jelly.
J is for jeep.
J is for jacket
on my sheep.
Kk
K is for kite.
K is for king.
K is for key
on my string.
Ll
L is for lion.
L is for log.
L is for leaves
on my frog.
Mm
M is for mittens.
M is for mouse.
M is for monkeys
on my house.
Nn
N is for newspaper.
N is for nest.
N is for numbers
on my vest.
Oo
O is for octopus.
O is for ox.
O is for ostrich
in my box.
Pp
P is for pizza.
P is for pan.
P is for pencils
in my can.
Qq
Q is for queen.
Q is for quail.
Q is for quarters
in my pail.
Rr
R is for rose.
R is for ring.
R is for rabbit
on my swing.
Ss
S is for sun.
S is for socks.
S is for snails
on my blocks.
Tt
T is for tooth.
T is for truck.
T is for tie
on my duck.
Uu
U is for underwear.
U is for up.
U is for umbrella
in my cup.
Vv
V is for violin.
V is for van
V is for violets
in my pan.
Ww
W is for worm.
W is for wagon.
W is for wings
on my dragon.
Xx
X is for x-ray.
X marks the spot.
X is for kisses.
I have a lot!
Yy
Y is for yo-yo.
Y is for yak.
Y is for yarn
in my sack.
Zz
Z is for zebra.
Z is for zoo.
Z is for zipper
on my shoe.
LETTER " J" IDEAS
Jumping activities. Jumping races, jumping rope, jumping over things.
Pretend to be Jack Be Nimble and jump over a candlestick. Do jumping
Jacks.
Jog
Jellybeans
Jigsaw puzzles
Jingle bells
Jars. Have many different jars and lids on a tray. Children can match
the correct lid to the jar. They can arrange them by size.
Jet planes. Arrange your dramatic play area to be a jumbo jet.
Jewelry. Have different jewelry available for dress up. Dramatic play area can be a jewelry store.
J is for Jar
Bring in an oversized jar, and have the children put a picture of something that begins with J in the jar. You can then play a game, that each child picks a picture out of the jar and has to name it.
Go on a Journey
Take the children on a journey walk and see if you can see anything that begins with "J" . Talk about where you will go, and afterwards have a snack with crackers and different jams.
Jump rope games
Jump rope together, and teach the children different jump rope rhymes.
For instance:
I like coffee, I like tea
I like to sing with the girls(boys) and the girls(boys) like to sing with me.
Also, Klutz has a booklet out entitled Classic Jump Rope themes( it's in most bookstores)
Get different sizes of jingle bells and other items that jingle like keys and see if the children can identify the objects.
Have the children close their eyes and sample different flavors of jelly beans. See if they can determine what flavors they are tasting.
Before the children arrive, place J items(jack-in-the-box, jar of jam, jug, jacks, etc)in full view. After they all arrive play I spy a J object in the room and give clues until they find it.
Send a note home that tomorrow is joke day. Each child will be allowed to tell one joke. Read a children's joke book like, Silly Animal Jokes and Riddles, by Seymour Simon or Riddles, Jokes and Other Funny Things by Bill Gerler, John Norment, and Peter Pendragon.
Make jewelry by stringing beads on dental floss.
Read aloud Jiggle, Wiggle, Prance by Sally Knoll. This book gives 36 action verbs for children to act out.
Have the children jump with their feet together, apart, forward, backward, sideways and with a turn. You can also have jumping races.
ZEBRAS FOR Z DAY
We made these in my class the other day and today I took the tape off, and did they ever look awesome!I thought of this myself, but I'm sure others have thought of it as well.Cut and use a simple zebra (horse)template and trace around it with a permanent marker.This is important so you can cut the shape after painting.Trace one for each child on a sheet of white tagboard,bristle board, whatever, and have the children tape wedges of masking tape all over the zebra, the way stripes would go. It is easier having white paper, but you could try black.The masking tape was cut with an exacto knife so that it tapered like a really long, skinny triangle.Cut lots!After the tape stripes have been applied, children will sponge paint with black paint, all over the white paper. When it dries,(at least overnight) remove the tape wedges, and the zebra has startlingly white stripes!Tails could be added with tassels, or yarn, but we didn't put any tails on.
"Z" GAME
Submitted by Twila
Zig Zag
We played this in the gym, using a very large ball.I placed children in a zig zag pattern and they passed the ball(by rolling) to each other saying"zig" or "zag".We did this back and forth many times. This is another of my ideas for Z and it is simple, but I have found the simpler and sometimes sillier, the more they like it.
Marvelous M&M's
Try this sweet idea for reviewing the letter m. Place a small bowl of M&M's and correspondingly colored construction paper squares at each table. Have each child choose one M&M and a square in a color to match the candy. Encourage each youngster to trace a circle pattern on his square or draw one himself, and then cut on the resulting line. Then have him copy the letter m on one side of his cutout and draw a picture that begins with m on the back. Suspend these candy delights from the ceiling for a colorful display. Give youngsters a handful of M&M's to sample. Yum!
Letter Day
Plan a fun-filled Letter Day to reinforce letter recognition, letter sounds, beginning consonants, and more! Program each of a supply of index cards with a letter. Punch a hole in the center of the top of each index card; then thread a length of yarn through each of the holes to make a necklace. On Letter Day, give each child a letter necklace to wear. Throughout the day, choose to do some of the following activities and create your own as the day goes on!
a.. Call youngsters by their letters rather than their names.
a.. Allow letter trades to take place if two youngsters can name each other's letters. Vary the qualifying skills for trading depending on your youngsters' skill levels. For example, a letter trade might require that youngsters name three words that begin with each other's letters.
a.. Have youngsters group themselves according to whether they are vowels or consonants.
a.. Have students race against the clock to get in alphabetical order or "spell" a displayed word.
EGG CARTON SOUND RECOGNITION GAME
Submitted by M-Tou
I got a book from a garage sale last year that I am finally finding use for. It gives reproducibles to make various games using old egg cartons.
The one I just made teaches beginning consonants /m/, /n/, /p/, and /r/. What you do is use pictures of items that begin with those consonants. The pictures should be only about the size of a quarter (or a toonie if you're Canadian... :) ) The pictures can be cut into egg-shaped pieces and made more durable by gluing them on to cardboard. They should be able to fit nicely into the 12 compartments.
At the bottom of each compartment of the egg carton, glue or write the consonants you are using. Use a random order but make sure you have enough to correspond with the pictures you are using.
The children can use the game to match the pictures with their beginning sounds. The book also has game templates dealing with colours, shapes, vowels and other early concepts.
FIND A LETTER SONG/GAME
For some lyrical letter recognition, teach youngsters this song with two verses. Sing the first verse as you hold up a card showing a child's name. Have that child choose a letter from his name and find it on your classroom alphabet strip. Vary the activity by singing the second verse. Have a volunteer find a letter on your classroom alphabet strip; then have everyone perform an action that begins with that letter.
W is for wiggle!
(sung to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")
Find a letter in your name,
In your name, in your name.
Find a letter in your name
And tell us what it is.
Find a letter that you know,
That you know, that you know.
Find a letter that you know
And tell us what it is.
Alphabet Soup
Warm up emergent reading skills with a big pot of alphabet soup. Label a supply of Ping-Pong balls with one letter each. Put all of the balls in a large pot. Place the pot, a soup bowl, and a large ladle or scoop at a center. To use this center, a child scoops a ladleful of soup (Ping-Pong balls) into the bowl and then names the letter on each of the balls. Vary this activity by having a youngster alphabetize the letters he has scooped out or name something that begins with each letter's sound. Some youngsters might even spell familiar words. (If you need to keep the Ping-Pong balls from rolling away, have youngsters manipulate the Ping-Pong balls on a small, decorative dish towel.)
STAND UP AND SING
Help youngsters recognize letters and remember alphabet sequence with this lively tune. Before singing, give each child a large card with a different letter of the alphabet. Have each youngster stand and show her card when her letter is sung.
(sung to the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")
We're looking for some letters,
Some letters, some letters.
We're looking for some letters.
Oh, where can they be?
Where are [A] and [B]?
And [C] and [D]?
We're looking for some letters from A to Z.
Repeat the song several times, each time substituting the next four letters in the alphabet for the letters in the fifth and sixth lines.
A TO Z WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Aa
Its Aa week! Please do these activities with your child, and return this paper on Friday. Your child will earn a toy from the Happy Face box!
1. Tell your address to mom or dad.
2. Be an artist. Create something colorful.
3. Eat an apple for a snack.
4. Cut an apple in half. Find the star.
5. Make the sound of your favorite animal.
6. Sing the alphabet song.
7. Be an acrobat, and do 10 somersaults.
8. Write the letter "a"
9. Move like your favorite animal.
Bb
Oh boy! It's Bb week! Bring this paper back on Friday for a Happy Face toy!
1. Read a book.
2. Play with blocks.
3. Bounce a ball.
4. Talk about the day you were born with your mom or dad.
5. Count the buttons on daddyâ€Ts shirt.
6. Ride your bicycle.
7. Fly like a butterfly.
8. Hop like a bunny.
9. Buzz like a bee.
10. Listen to the sound of birds outside.
11. Count the windows in your bedroom.
12. Drink a big glass of milk.
13. Draw a beautiful picture.
14. Growl like a bear.
15. Eat a banana.
16. Help make breakfast.
17. Look for brown fall colors.
18. Move your body to music.
Cc
It's "Cc" week! A Counting Questionnaire! Just for fun! Help your child count these things:
1. Count the toothbrushes in your house.
2. How many bed in your home?
3. How many windows in your bedroom?
4. Count the trees in your yard.
5. Count the bathtubs in your house.
6. How many stuffed animals on your bed?
7. Count your toes.
8. How many clocks in your house?
9. Count the televisions in your home.
10. How many flashlights do you have in your home?
11. Check the smoke detectors in your house, and check the batteries.
Dd
"Dd" Week Activities
1. Have your dad read you a story.
2. Pretend to be a dog.
3. Quack like a duck.
4. Help mom and dad with the dishes.
5. Knock on your front door five times.
6. Dust the furniture.
7. Count a dozen dimes.
8. Draw a colorful picture.
9. Give dad a hug!
Ee
On to the letter "Ee!"
1. Walk and dance like an elephant.
2. Jump up and down eleven times.
3. Eat eight grapes or strawberries.
4. Go outside. What do you hear with your ears?
5. Cut out pictures of eyes and ears from old magazines.
6. Try to touch your elbow to your ear.
7. Use your eyes. What things do you see on the way to school?
8. Empty your glass of milk. (Drink it.)
9. Do some exercises.
10. Let a bowl of water evaporate.
Ff
I'm thinking of Flowers! It must be "F" week.
1. Tell a funny story to your mom.
2. Draw a picture of your family.
3. Jump up and down fourteen times.
4. Count forward, as far as you can go.
5. Hop like a frog.
6. Read your favorite story with someone in your family.
7. Help fix dinner or lunch.
8. Eat one of your favorite foods.
9. Fly like a bird.
10. Draw five triangles.
Gg
It's "G" week.
1. Roll like a grape.
2. Wear green on Wednesday.
3. Give someone you love a big hug.
4. Play a game with mom or dad.
5. Move like a grasshopper.
6. Talk about the things you can grow in a garden.
7. Count the green things you see in nature.
8. Go to the grocery store.
9. Gallopp around your backyard or in a park.
10. Make someone giggle.
Hh
Hi Kids, It's "H" week!
1. Tell mom what makes you happy.
2. How many pennies make ten cents?
3. Draw your house. Practice your address with someone.
4. Hop ten times on one foot.
5. Cut out a square and then a triangle. Put them together to make a house.
6. Gallopp like a horse.
7. Hoot like an owl.
8. Pretend it's Halloween. What costume will you wear?
9. Hug a friend.
10.How many stars are in the sky?
Ii
"I" Week
I have a picture of ice cream cones. The cones have numbers on them. They
have to draw the number of scoops on the right cones.
"These ice-cream cones are empty! Fill them up with scoops of ice-cream.
Color in the flavors."
Jj
"J" week
1. Find a calendar and count all the days in January.
2. Jump up and down ten times.
3. Tell someone in your family a joke.
4. Jump like a rabbit.
5. What flavor jello do you like?
6. Wear jewelry at home.
7. Count all of the jars in your refrigerator. Have someone help you.
8. Do ten jumping jacks.
9. Jog in place for one minute.
10. Jump for joy, it's Friday!
Kk
"K" week
1. Read a book about kittens.
2. Play kickball outside.
3. Watch mom or dad cook in the kitchen.
4. Make a colorful kite with a paperbag.
5. What is the name of baby kangaroos?
6. Use kleenex when you sneeze.
7. How many keys in mom's purse?
8. Kiss your mom.
9. Be a king, and wear a crown.
10. What do you like about kindergarten?
Ll
"L" week
1. Listen to a story.
2. Hop on your left foot.
3. Look up in the sky. How many stars in the sky?
4. Draw ten long lines.
5. Tell your family that you love them.
6. Make yourself large and make yourself small.
7. Help sort the laundry.
8. Write the letters of the alphabet that you know.
9. Send a "love letter" to your grandma or grandpa. (Children draw a
picture, and send it in the mail.)
10. Look at the leaves on the trees. What color are they?
Mm
"M" week
1. Look up at the sky. Do you see a full moon?
2. Tell mommy you love her.
3. Count how many coins in mommy's purse.
4. Move like a monkey.
5. Make a funny face in the mirror.
6. March to your favorite music.
7. Drink your milk, please.
8. Moooooooo like a cow.
9. Dance the macareena with mommy.
10. Act like a monster, but only for a few minutes. :)
11. Cut out some pictures from an old magazine.
12. Squeak like a mouse.
13. Write the word, Mom.
Nn
"N" week
1. Put the napkins on your table for dinner.
2. Count the nickels in daddy's pocket.
3. Practice saying your phone number.
4. Look at the night sky. What do you see?
5. Jump nine times.
6. Print as many numbers that you know.
7. Write your name.
8. Look at the newspaper with mom or dad.
9. Name nine farm animals.
10. Be nice to your friends.
Oo
"O" week
1. Open and close your mouth.
2. Draw one picture for mom.
3. Put your socks on your feet.
4. Use an orange crayon to write ten O's
5. What does an orange taste like?
6. Climb over two pillows.
7. Go outside and play.
8. Hop on one foot.
9. How old are you?
10. What are opposite words for: on, hot, up, day, slow, left and happy?
Pp
"P" week
1. Eat a piece of fruit.
2. Put your pants and socks on all by yourself.
3. Paint or draw a pretty picture for your parents.
4. Count all the purple and pink things in your bedroom.
5. Say "please" and "thank you." Use your best manners, and try to be
polite.
6. Count the pennies in mommy's purse. (Ask for permission first.)
7. Do a puzzle with your parents.
8. With help, pour yourself a glass of juice or milk.
9. Print your name on the back of this paper.
10. Please return this paper on Friday.
Qq
For "Q" week, I make a quilt pattern. I number the squares. Then the parents give directions for each square.
Boxes:
1. yellow sun
2. brown square
3. green circle
4. purple moon
5. blue square
6. black line
7. red kite
8. orange A
9. brown leaf
10. a happy face
11. a rainbow
12. your name
Rr
"R" week
1. Draw a rainbow for someone you love.
2. Count all the red toys in your bedroom.
3. Listen to the radio.
4. Hop like a rabbit.
5. Draw five red rectangles.
6. Ring your doorbell.
7. Have fun with rhyming words.
8. Read your favorite nursery rhymes.
9. Crow like a rooster.
10. Roar like a lion.
11. Run in your backyard or park.
Ss
"S" week
1. Touch your shoes seven times. (While your shoes are on your feet, you sillies!)
2. Count the stars in the sky. **********
3. Draw a picture with a beautiful sky.
4. What kinds of things can you buy at the supermarket?
5. Walk like a spider.
6. Use a scissors to cut out some pictures from an old magazine.
7. Skip around your family room.
8. Listen to a story.
9. Crawl like a snail.~~~~~~~
10. Talk about being safe at home.
11. Make some funny animal sounds. (ssssssss like a snake!)
Tt
"T" week
1. Move slowly like a turtle.
2. Touch your toes, two times.
3. Draw ten triangles.
4. Talk on the telephone to a friend.
5. Make yourself tiny.
6. Make yourself tall.
7. Tickle your tummy.
8. Tip toe around your kitchen.
9. Tell someone your telephone number.
10. Touch something soft.
11. Taste a new food.
12. What time is it?
13. Try throwing a ball as high as you can.
14. Tell a funny story.
Uu
"U" week
1. If you were a unicorn, where would you play?
2. How many umbrellas in your home?
3. Reach up to the sky.
4. Look at seashells. Put them underwater in the bath tub.
5. What is your uncle's name?
6. Do you need an umbrella today?
7. What would be unusual to eat with ice-cream? (How about pickles or mustard?)
8. Pretend to fly up in the air.
9. Look up at the sky. Is it cloudy?
10. Write three U's
Vv
"V" week
1. Smell vanilla.
2. Run very fast.
3. Count the vehicles on your street.
4. Talk in a very soft voice.
5. Write the letter V
6. Sing in a very loud voice.
7. Taste a vegetable. What color was it?
8. Visit a friend.
9. Smell vinegar.
10. Crawl very slowly.
11. Make a V with your arms.
Ww
"W" week
1. Look for signs of winter.
2. Walk around your house five times.
3. Count the windows in your kitchen.
4. Walk like an elephant
5. Wiggle like a worm.
6. Try to whistle.
7. Eat or drink something warm.
8. Look outside. What is the weather like?
9. Count the number of wheels on your car.
10. Write your name.
11. Make a wish upon a star.
12. Watercolor a pretty picture for our classroom. (If you don't have watercolors, use crayons instead.)
Xx
"X" week
I have a picture with animals on it. You can use something else. This is another listening experience for the parents to do with their child.
Directions:
1. Put a green X on the animal that gallops.
2. Put a red X on the animal that was once a caterpillar.
3. Put a purple X on the largest animal.
4. Mark an orange X on the animal that lives in the water.
5. Put a X on the animal that chases cats.Etc.
Yy
"Y" week
1. Count all the yellow toys in your room.
2. Yell, I love you to someone in your family.
3. Draw a colorful picture, with a bright yellow sun.
4. Clean your room, please.
5. Write the word, Yes.
6. Eat something yellow.
7. Look at yourself in the mirror, and pat yourself on the back for being such a special person.
8. Play with a yo yo.
9. Name a yellow bird.
10. Do you have yarn in your home? What color is it?
11. Show your parents a big yawn.
Zz
"Z" week
Zippity Do Dah, it's Z week!
1. Zoom across the room.
2. Gallop like a zebra.
3. Act like your favorite zoo animal.
4. Put zero fingers in the air.
5. Name ten zoo animals.
6. Zip your jacket.
7. Write the letter Z.
8. Zig zag across the room.
9. What words rhyme with zoo?
10. Go to sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
LETTER BAGS
Submitted by Allison
I call them bag letters, but actually they are letter bags I guess. lol I just send home a brown lunch size bag with each child on Wednesdays and they bring something back in it on Thursdays that begins with the letter on the bag. It's a show and tell type game used to talk about the letter of the week.
ABC MOVEMENT SKILLS
A: animal walks - to music have the children move like various animals.
B: bouncing balls - give children lots of opportunities with many sizes of balls. also Bean bags-throw the beanbag and catch it. Walk around with it on your head, lay it on your foot, elbow, shoulder, etc.
C: clap 2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Try chanting numbers while waiting in line, have the children mimic your pattern.
D: dance to soft music. Try up and down movements as you move.
E: elephant walk: "Can you make your feet big and slow and heavy while you swing your trunk?"
F: fly, flutter, and float. Give children feathers to hold and wave or toss and watch how they flutter to the ground. Encourage them to imitate a feather!
G: glide and gallop. Glide side to side with one foot leading and the other moving to meet it and switch to gallop.
H: hopscotch: use chalk to mark an area outdoors or masking tape indoors and let children be challenged as they hop along on one foot and then on two.
I: ice fun in winter: try "ice skating" by placing paper plates under feet and sliding across the carpet.
J: jumping over blocks, into hoops, from carpet mat to carpet mat, and so on provides a great indoor obstacle course.
K: kookaburra: what is it? Try to find a picture of this bird and share this favorite song. (Kumbaya too)
L: Leap frog is a great indoor or outdoor game that many have forgotten from the past. Leaping across the room to music is also great fun.
M: March!! Make homemade maracas and march to Mozart music!
N: Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky's music is a natural for all kinds of movements!!
O: Over/under, out/in: it's time to explore opposites. Hap Palmer's "Circle Game" contains many opposites.
P: Pathways can be explored as children move from one area to another. Move in a straight, zigzag, or curved path.
Q: Quickly, quietly, with a quiver - how many ways can you move? practice and the brainstorm a chart of all the ways children can think of to move.
R: Ribbon dancing!! (my favorite) Make ribbons from streamers stapled to straws or build a collection from ribbon scraps you have around home. The ways children move to various types of music are amazing.
S: Scarves are especially great with classical music. Suggest places for the scarves - in front, to the side, above below, between.
T: Tambourines can set the tempo to move around the room. Tap quickly and lightly for fast small steps; loud and slow for large slow steps.
U: Under the umbrella. Have children walk a masking tape tightrope as they use a small umbrella for balance like in the circus!!
V: Vary your instructions. Speak very quietly or very slowly. Use adjectives and add numbers (take five very small steps). (I also do some instructions in sign language since my children are learning to sign.)
W: Wheels on the bus is a favorite. Try it using a vehicle besides a bus and see what wacky variations you can come up with!
X: X marks the spot. Place a number of masking tape X's on the floor. Children can have a treasure hunt, find the spot, "dig" lift out buried treasure and opening it. What did you find?
Y: Yarn. Have the children make shapes on the floor with their yarn and ask them to step inside their shape, walk on their shape, make their shape disappear, etc.
Z: Zoo animals. Let's all move like monkeys!, etc.
ABC TONGUE TWISTERS
Submitted by Jody
Aunt Annie always ate apples alone.
Boo Boo Bear has a brown bow and a blue balloon.
Carol's cat carries carrots in a cart.
David's dog digs deep down in the dirt.
Eddie the elephant eats every egg.
Felicia and Freddy fight for fast food on Friday.
Gus the groundhog gathered goodies from Gail's garden.
Happy Henry happily hugged Hilda and Hank.
Iggy Inchworm inches into an igloo.
Jolly Jimmy jumps for joy in January.
Katy and Kevin Kangaroo keep flying kites.
Little Lucy likes lots of lollipops to lick.
Miss Mouse munches on marvelous marshmallows.
Noisy Nora nibbles on nutritious nuts.
Ollie Octopus eats okra, onions, and oranges.
Pretty Peggy plants pumpkins in a path.
Ricky Rabbit gives Ruthy Raccoon red roses.
Silly Sally sings songs about her senses.
Tom Turkey took ten turtles to town.
The unusual unicorn sat under an umbrella.
Vera has violets, vegetables, a vacuum, and a van.
Willy the wild wolf went west for the winter.
Extra! Extra! Read all about x in fox, six, and x-ray.
Yolanda yelled, "Yikes, get that yak out of my yard!"
A zany zebra zipped a zillion zippers.
ABC COLLAGE MATERIAL
A - aluminum foil (squares)
B - brown beans
C - cotton balls
D - dots (I had very small ones from a print shop)
E - elbow macaroni
F - fingerprints (paint)
G - glitter
H - hearts
I - icicles (Christmas kind, cut into pieces)
J - jelly beans
K - kernals, popcorn unpopped
L - lima beans
M - marshmallows, macaroni
N - number macaroni
O - cheerios
P - popcorn, popped or peanuts in the shell
Q - paper quilt squares
R - rice or rocks
S - sand or salt or sugar or fake snow
T - toothpicks
U - umbrella punch outs (umbrella hole punch)
V - violet paint
W - watermelon seeds or worms (gummy)
X - xrays, cut up
Y - yarn
Z - zig zags (rick rack)
ALPHABET COUNTDOWN
The last 26 days of the year we celebrate Alphabet Countdown. The whole
school joins in. This past year it started May 1 and ended June 8.
A: Aerobic Day (jump rope for heart)
B: Bubble day
C: Color day: your most colorful outfit
D: Detective day (no explanation here)
E: Entertainment Day (skits)
F: Family day (family pictures in)
G: Game day: bring a favorite game
H: Hat Day
I: Inside out day
J: Jeans day
K: Kindness Day
L: Lollipop day
M: Music day
N: Neck day: decorate your nect
O: Outdoor day
P: Pigout on popcorn day
Q: Quiet day
R: Read aloud Day
S: Sunglasses day
T: Tongue twister day
U: Uniform day
V: Very favorite author day
W: Wish day
X: X-tra clean day
Y: Yo-yo day
Z: Z last day!
CIRCUS ALPHABET
A is for Acrobat
B is for Bear, Balloons
C is for Clowns, Cannonball, Cotton Candy
D is for Dog (in tutu!), Daredevil
E is for Elephant
F is for Fire (fire-eater), Freaks (bearded lady), Funny faces, Fun
G is for Giggles
H is for Horses, Highwire, Hot dogs
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jugglers
K is for Kids
L is for Lion, Laughter
M is for Monkey, Music
N is for Nose (clown), Noise
O is for
P is for Peanuts, Prancing Poodles, Ponies
Q is for
R is for Ringmaster
S is for Strong men, Souvenirs, Seals
T is for Tiger have Tiger sites, Trapeze, Tightrope Walker, Tent
U is for "Under The Big Top", Uniforms, Unicycle
V is for Visors
W is for Welcome
X is for X-citement, Xylophone
Y is for Yeahs, Yells
Z is for Zebra
ABC SCIENCE IDEAS
A: AIR
SHOW:
Blow air through a straw onto your hand. Ask: Can you feel the air? Can you hear it? Can you see it?
IDEAS:
You can feel moving air. You can hear air as it moves out of the straw. However, you cannot see air. Basically, air is a mixture of two invisible gases, oxygen and nitrogen. Since air is matter in the gaseous state, it has weight and can push against things. Air also takes up space. Blow up a balloon and let the air out as a demonstration or fold a piece of paper to make a fan to show we can feel moving air.
B: BALL
SHOW:
Hold the ball high. Let go. What does the ball do? Why doesn't the ball drop up? Ask the class.
IDEAS:
As soon as the ball is released it begins to move down - that is, it falls. Every object is attracted by the earth's gravity. When an object is free to fall, the force of gravity pulls it "down." It pulls down toward the center of the earth.
C: CUP
SHOW:
Float a cup in a bowl of water. Put pennies into the cup. What happens to the cup? How many pennies did it take to make the cup heavy enough to sink? Let the class help you count the pennies.
IDEAS:
The cup on its own floats. As more and more pennies are put into the cup, it sinks deeper and deeper into the water.
D: DROP
SHOW:
Sprinkle some water with a medicine dropper or spoon on a piece of waxed paper. What happens to the water? Ask the children before you tell.
IDEAS:
On waxed paper, water rolls up into drops of different sizes. Water does not seep into the waxed paper. As a result, each sprinkle of water pulls itself together to form a drop. Large drops are heavier and therefore flatter than small drops. When two drops touch, they fuse (go together) into one larger drop.
E: EGG
SHOW:
Stand a hard-boiled egg on its end. Let go. What happens to the egg?
IDEAS:
When the egg is released, it rolls over and comes to a rest on its side. If the egg were perfectly balanced on one end, it might remain upright. Since the egg is not in perfect balance, gravity pulls it down to the lowest possible position, which is the position when the egg is on its side.
F: FLOAT
SHOW: Several objects that float; other objects that sink. Why do some of these float?
Why do some sink?
IDEAS:
Objects that are heavier will sink. Objects that are lighter will float.
F: FORK
SHOW:
Hang a fork from a string. Let the fork hit the edge of the table. What do you hear? Ask the class as you show them.
IDEAS:
The fork gives off a sound when it hits the table, because the force of the impact makes the tines of the fork vibrate, or move back and forth. The vibrating tines produce the sound. Forks of different sizes will make different sounds. Your child might want to show two different sizes of forks.
G: GLOVE
SHOW:
Wear an old glove on your right hand. Hold an ice cube in each hand. Which hand feels cold first? Show the class and ask, "Which hand do you think felt cold first?" WHY?
IDEAS:
The left hand feels cold first. The glove on the right hand stops the flow of heat from the right hand to the ice. In other words, the glove is a heat insulator. Hence the right hand retains its heat and stays warm. The unprotected left hand loses its heat to the ice and feels cold.
H: HOOP
SHOW:
Push a hoop. Ask the class, "what does the hoop do?"
IDEAS:
The hoop, like a wheel, rolls when it is pushed. The hoop has the shape of a circle. Of all geometric shapes, the circle is the one that rolls on a surface with the greatest ease. Of course, it is this roundness that gives the wheel its great importance in land transportation. (You can also use small cars or trucks to further demonstrate wheel or hoop movement.)
I: ICE
SHOW:
Put an ice cube in a dish. Let it stand for a while. What happens to the ice?
Talk about it with the class.
IDEAS:
The ice in the dish melts into water. Ice is the solid (hard) state that water can assume at temperatures of 32 degrees or below. Ice melts and becomes liquid water again when the room temperature is more than 32 degrees F.
J: JET
SHOW:
Make a jet flyer. Blow up a long balloon. Let go of it. What does the balloon do?
IDEAS:
Upon release, a jet of air pushes out of the balloon's opening. As the air escapes, the balloon darts around the room in a helter-skelter manner. This illustrates one of Newton's laws f motions, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
K: KEY
SHOW:
Try to pick up different kinds of keys with a magnet. Which keys does the magnet lift? Why?
IDEAS:
If the magnet lifts the key, the key is made of, or contains iron. If the magnet does not lift the key, it does not contain iron In that case the key may be made of brass, aluminum or another non-magnetic material.
L: LIGHT
SHOW:
Hold your hand up in the sunlight. What do you see? Do this outside.
IDEAS:
You can see the shadow of the hand. It forms when light is blocked by an object through which light cannot pass. A shadow is an area that is not reached by the light.
M: MAGNET
SHOW:
Line up some paper clips. How many paper clips can your magnet pull?
IDEAS:
The number of paper clips that a magnet can pull gives a measure of the strength of the magnet. The stronger, the magnet, the longer the train of clips the magnet can haul.
N: NAIL
SHOW:
Make a mark with nail polish at the base of your nail. Leave the polish on for a few days.
Where is the mark after a few days?
IDEAS:
After a few days the mark on the nail is above the base. As the new nail tissue grows, the old dead tissue is pushed out of the finger. The movement of the polish mark shows at what rate the nail grows.
N: NUT
SHOW:
Display several nuts such as pecans, walnuts, almonds or hickory. Ask: What is inside the shell? Why are they important for the plant they came from?
Crack the nuts.
IDEAS:
Nut is the popular name for a type of plant seed or fruit which grows in a shell of woody fiber. The term nut may mean the shell as well as the mean inside. The kernels of most edible nuts form highly concentrated foods, rich in protein.
O: OIL
SHOW:
Put some water in a glass. Add some cooking oil. What happens to the oil? Ask the class if they can figure it out.
IDEAS:
The oil floats on top of the water because of two basic characteristics. First, Oil is less dense than water. Second, oil does not mix with water. It is possible to disperse oil in water for a short time by shaking the mixture vigorously. When the shaking stops, however, the oil runs together and floats back to the top.
P: PENCIL
SHOW:
Try to write on waxed paper with a pencil. What happens?
IDEAS:
The pencil does not write on waxed paper. In order to leave a mark, the lead (graphite) of the pencil must rub off on the paper. The waxed paper is too smooth. Hence, no graphite rubs off on it.
P: POPCORN
SHOW:
A few kernels of unpopped corn. Show some corn that has been popped. What happened?
IDEAS:
Pressure of the heat makes it expand and change. We will pop some corn to help with this demonstration.
P: PUDDING
SHOW:
Put a package of instant pudding in a quart bottle, plus 2 cups of milk, and shake. What happens to the dry pudding mix, the liquid? Why?
IDEAS:
When the bottle was shook, the dry pudding and the liquid start to mix. With the pressure or energy, the ingredients start to change. When allowed to rest a few minutes we get semisolid PUDDING to taste.
Q: QUARTER
SHOW:
Spin a quarter on a table. What do you hear?
IDEAS:
At first the quarter spins silently. When it begins to fall, it rattles against the table faster and faster. The pitch of the sound rises. When the quarter comes to rest flat on the table, the sound stops.
R: ROCK
SHOW:
Look at a rock through a large magnifying glass. What do you see?
IDEAS:
You see many different bits of mineral matter of various colors and shapes. Some are arranged in layers. Some are shiny, some dull; some rough, some smooth. Hunt for two or three different shapes or sizes of rocks to use.
S: STRAW
SHOW:
Place a straw in water. Hold your finger tightly on the top end. Lift the straw out of the water. What happens to the water in the straw?
IDEAS:
The water stays in the straw. As long as the top of the straw is kept closed with the finger, the water cannot run out. As soon as you take the finger off the top of the straw, the water runs out. In the first case, air cannot enter the straw so the water cannot leave it. In the second case, air enters through the top and the water falls.
T: TOP
SHOW:
Spin a top. When does the top fall and stop?
IDEAS:
The top falls and stops when the spinning stops. As long as the top spins rapidly, it remains upright. As the top slows, it begins to fall. The friction at the point increases. The top slows even more. Then, the top falls on its side and the spinning comes to a halt.
U: UNIVERSE
TELL ABOUT:
Hold up a picture. Ask what you can see when you look up at the sky on a clear night.
IDEAS:
On a clear night, when there are no trees, buildings, or mountains obstructing the view, you can see half of the universe. You can see the stars, planets, the Milky Way Galaxy and nebulae. At times you can also see meteors, comets and the moon.
V: VORTEX
SHOW:
We will put water in our sink to form a vortex with a few children at a time. Let the water run out of the sink. Ask, "What does the water do as it runs out?"
IDEAS:
As water goes down the drain, it spins around to form what is called a vortex. A similar vortex in a large body of water is called a whirlpool. In air, a vortex may result in a whirlwind, a hurricane, or a tornado.
W: WATER
SHOW:
Pour some drops of red food coloring in a glass of water. What happens to the red color? Is it still bright red? What happens if you stir it?
IDEAS:
The red color gradually spreads throughout the water. The red is evenly distributed; it is said to be in solution in the water.
Y: YO-YO
SHOW:
Let a yo-yo go. What does the yo-yo do as it falls?
IDEAS:
As the yo-yo falls, it spins around faster and faster. At the bottom of the string, the yo-yo is spinning fast enough to make it climb back up the string to the starting position.
X: XYLOPHONE
SHOW:
Use a small xylophone. Hit a long bar. Hit a short bar. Which bar makes the higher sounds?
IDEAS:
The short bar gives off the higher sound. The shorter the length of the vibrating material, the higher the pitch of the sound. The longer the length, the lower the sound. Play a scale for the class. Let them guess whether some notes are high or low with our eyes closed.
Z: ZIPPER SHOW:
Zip a zipper. Why does the zipper stay together when it is closed?
IDEAS:
When the zipper is closed, it is held together by little interlocking hooks on each side of the zipper. (Show fingers interlocking also.) These hooks are pried apart by the slide when the zipper is opened.
SEASONAL ABC's
Are you tired of traditional ABC posters? Try this refreshingly different seasonal variation instead. To make a fall ABC display, you'll need 26 large seasonal cutouts such as acorns. Perhaps your kindergartners would like to help you embellish the cutouts and then attach a different letter to each one. Mount the cutouts sequentially on a classroom wall at a height within
the students' reach. Arrange the cutouts so that they create interesting curves, rather than a straight line. Every few months, change the theme and color scheme to reflect the flavor of the current season with a bright, new ABC display.
Alphabet Soup
Soup's on! Put plastic, wooden, or paper letter cutouts in a large alphabet soup can. To begin the activity, dump the letters into a large cooking pot. Have each student take a turn stirring the letters with a spoon before spooning a letter from the pot. Ask the student whose turn it is to name the letter, say its sound, and name a word that begins with the letter. Place the letter in a plastic bowl or return it to the can. Repeat this activity until no letters remain in the pot.
It's News to Me!
Letters of the alphabet make it into the headlines every day. Why not use the newspaper to bolster students' letter-recognition skills? Each week display one page from a newspaper in your language center. Also post an oversize class roster near the newspaper, along with a cutout of the letter students are to look for. In turn, each student visits the center, counts to determine how many times the specified letter appears on the page, and writes (or dictates for you to write) the number by his name on the roster. On Friday, work as a large group to identify and circle the letter each time it appears on the newspaper page. Count the number of appearances to find out who had the most accurate answer. Provide a special treat for this person.
What's the Password?
Have a little fun with letter recognition! Write the letter your youngsters are currently studying on a tagboard card. Tape the card to the floor beneath your classroom doorway. As the children enter, ask them to give the password. All who name the letter may enter. Others may ask for assistance from their classmates to identify the letter. When the principal pauses in your doorway to give the password, little ones are likely to beam with delight.
The "Alphaburglar"
Delight your youngsters with this fictitious classroom burglar who routinely snatches a letter from your classroom alphabet display. Before youngstersarrive, remove one letter from your alphabet display. Later in the morning,
ask children to identify the missing letter, and hint that the mischievous alphaburglar is probably the culprit. Explain that he usually returns the letter if each youngster in the room can find a letter just like the missing
one. Mention some good places to look for letters, such as on posters, bulletin boards, nametags, and lunch boxes. Arrange for the letter to reappear while your little ones are out of the room for lunch. After trying
this idea, you'll think it's a crime not to have the alphaburglar sneaking in every now and then.
Let's Sing About Letters
Use this simple song to make your group time letter-perfect! Seat youngsters in a circle and teach them
the song, substituting whatever letter and sound you wish. To reinforce letter recognition, place magnetic
or die-cut letters that your little ones have learned in the center of the circle. As you sing about a letter,
have a student volunteer pick it out of the group. Add difficulty to the activity by having students hunt for
pictures of objects beginning with the letters or for words (written on sentence strips) beginning with the
letters.
(sung to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Let’s sing about the letter [B],
Letter [B], letter [B].
Let’s sing about the letter [B].
[B] says “[buh, buh, buh].”
PICNIC PLATES
Pull out the picnic supplies for a taste of sequencing review! Print one letter of the alphabet on each of 26 small paper plates. Shuffle the plates; then let students put the plates in order on the floor, a low counter, or
even a checkered picnic tablecloth. Store the plates in a small basket.
ABC's CATERPILLAR
Cut up egg cartons into individual cups. You will need 27 cups. To make the head, draw a face onto one of the egg cups, and stick two pipe cleaners pieces into the top of the cup to resemble antennae.
Holding the cup upside down, write one letter on each cup. Each time the class learns a new letter, attach another "letter cup" to your caterpillar with pipe cleaners poked through holes on the cup. Watch it grow!
Letters by Leaps and Bounds
Take a giant step toward letter recognition with this gross-motor alternative. Each time you introduce a new letter, use colorful masking tape or plastic tape to create a giant version of the letter on your classroom floor. Then instruct youngsters to walk, hop, crawl, or otherwise move along the lines of the letter. Although it's a few small steps for each child,
it's one giant leap toward letter recognition.
LETTER RECOGNITION
Submitted by Jessica
I teach kindergarten in NY. Every week, I introduce a new letter of the week. I create a large letter out of tagboard, and ask each student for homework to cut out a magazine picture that begins with that letter. The next day in school, we glue the class pictures on the giant letter of the week, and I hang it in the classroom. By the end of the year, I have a classroom filled with hanging letters. Keeping them up all year is excellent reinforcement for letter and sound recognition.
LETTER "C"
Submitted by Deb
Paper Plate Car
Kids learns about shapes, colors & writing the letter C
Materials needed:
Large 9" paper plate
scissors
glue or stapler
Two cups of paint, one black & another of child's choice
markers
ruler
small paper cup to use for tracing
1) Let the child draw a line in the middle of the plate with a ruler and
marker, making two half-circles.
2. Cut along the line while talking about half-circles
3. On one half, trace two small circles for wheels using the small paper cup
4. Cut out the wheels, paint them black, let them dry.
5. Paint the other half-circle the child's favorite color & let dry.
6. Staple or glue two wheels to the car.
7. Have child write upper case C & lower case C in body of car
Cloudy Visions
Materials needed
Light blue construction paper
cotton balls
glue
crayons
1. Give each child a piece of paper & several cotton balls
2. Have the child rip apart or unroll the cotton ball into different sizes
3. Help them glue their cloud shapes to the top of the paper
4. Have the children use crayons to draw scenes below the clouds, or add the
car from the above project to the picture.
C for Clouds & C for Car.
We also put pieces together of a clown I pre-cut. They loved that!
Having lots of fun! ABC Activities
Submitted by Kris
Here are some ways to help you teach your children the alphabet. Learn a new letter every few days. Use this activity to make learning the alphabet fun and "hands on". For each new letter you do, make a cut out of that letter (enough for each child). Then choose items from this list to glue on to the cutout of that letter. Make sure to tell the children that the items that they are gluing on start with the same letter they are learning. (ex. For "B" week, have the children glue buttons, beans and bubble wrap onto the "B" cutouts.) Display these creations on a bulletin board over the time that you are learning that letter, then send them home when you move on to the next letter on the list! Here are some fun items that you can use with this activity.
A - apple chips, acorns, almonds
B - beads, balloons, bells, bubble wrap, brown sugar, brown, blue, bag,
beans, bread, bottle caps, band-aids, buttons
C - circles, coins, cookies, crayons, construction paper, clay, chips,
crackers
D - dental floss, dirt
E - envelope, eggshells
F - flower petals, flower, foil, feathers, fish(goldfish), sm. plastic frogs
G - green, grass, glitter, glue, gum, golf tees, plastic gold coins
H - hay, hemp (heavy string)
I - plastic insects, ink
J - jelly beans, piece of jean material
K - keys, kite string
L - leaves, plastic lizard, lids (from fast food drinks or milk jugs)
M - magnet, matches, markers, mosaic paper squares
N - nails, newspaper, nuts
O - orange peels, orange
P - purple, pink, paper, peanuts, paper towels, popcorn, pom poms, paint,
pencil, pipe cleaner, plastic wrap, popsicle sticks
Q - q-tips
R - red, ribbons, plastic rings
S - sun, sand, sugar, spaghetti (dry or cooked), sock, seeds, string,
stencil, stickers, plastic spiders, stamps, (Barbie) shoes, sticks, plastic
spoon
T - toothpicks, tissues, toilet paper, twist ties, tape, tissue paper
U - umbrella (paper cocktail sized)
V - valentine, vegetables, vines
W - gummy worms, plastic worms
X - tic,tac,toe (X's), X's made out of Popsicle sticks
Y - yellow, yarn
Z - zipper, zero
MARCHING AROUND THE TABLE
Submitted by Margie
I contacted A-F around the circular table. Children will begin to say which letter they were going to sit by at meal times.
We also play a marching game to begin recognizing the letters. It goes like this...
MARCHING AROUND THE TABLE (we all march around table)
MARCHING AROUND THE TABLE
MARCHING AROUND THE TABLE
GO STAND ON THE GREEN MAT (near the door by the table)
The children all scramble to the green mat and then I say.."Sarah, go to the letter D"...or I associate along with the letter..."Sarah, go to the D for daddy".
Your really young (like my 15 month old) enjoys the marching around the table part which shows auditory comprehension and such. I will say to the 15 month old..."Ok, Nickie...Here's the A !"...why not expose even the youngest to your fun game.
They love the spontaneous silly games...I will change to the next 6 letters in a month!!
An Alphabet of Single Letter Poems
Submitted by Kris
Can be used on charts, for poetry journals, as a class Big Book, or to make individual books to illustrate.
Aa
A is for
alligator.
A is for ants.
A is for apples
on my pants.
Bb
B is for bear.
B is for boat.
B is for buttons
on my coat.
Cc
C is for cow.
C is for cat.
C is for caterpillar
on my hat.
Dd
D is for dinosaur.
D is for dog.
D is for doll
on my log.
Ee
E is for envelope.
E is for eggs.
E is for elephant
on my legs.
Ff
F is for fire engine.
F is for fish.
F is for fox
in my dish.
Gg
G is for girl.
G is for goat.
G is for gorilla
in my boat.
Hh
H is for horse.
H is for hair.
H is for hippopotamus
on my chair.
Ii
I is for igloo.
I is for ink.
I is for iguana
in my sink.
Jj
J is for jelly.
J is for jeep.
J is for jacket
on my sheep.
Kk
K is for kite.
K is for king.
K is for key
on my string.
Ll
L is for lion.
L is for log.
L is for leaves
on my frog.
Mm
M is for mittens.
M is for mouse.
M is for monkeys
on my house.
Nn
N is for newspaper.
N is for nest.
N is for numbers
on my vest.
Oo
O is for octopus.
O is for ox.
O is for ostrich
in my box.
Pp
P is for pizza.
P is for pan.
P is for pencils
in my can.
Qq
Q is for queen.
Q is for quail.
Q is for quarters
in my pail.
Rr
R is for rose.
R is for ring.
R is for rabbit
on my swing.
Ss
S is for sun.
S is for socks.
S is for snails
on my blocks.
Tt
T is for tooth.
T is for truck.
T is for tie
on my duck.
Uu
U is for underwear.
U is for up.
U is for umbrella
in my cup.
Vv
V is for violin.
V is for van
V is for violets
in my pan.
Ww
W is for worm.
W is for wagon.
W is for wings
on my dragon.
Xx
X is for x-ray.
X marks the spot.
X is for kisses.
I have a lot!
Yy
Y is for yo-yo.
Y is for yak.
Y is for yarn
in my sack.
Zz
Z is for zebra.
Z is for zoo.
Z is for zipper
on my shoe.
Letter Recognotion
Submitted by Carol
To help reinforce the learning of our alphabet, I have a small portable board which I can bring to our circle time, up close and personal.
At the beginning of the year I send a letter home to parents explaining our "letter board" and encourage parents to help their child find an item, ie: toy, picture (selfdrawn, computer, or magazine) that begins with the letter that we are concentrating on. The background of our board is flannel fabric with the alphabet printed on it. I have the letters of the alphabet individually enlarged, cut out and mounted on colorful construction paper that I have also covered with clear contac paper. Each week I place a letter in the center of the board and the children take time to present the item that they have brought to share. The items work best if they are small enough to place in a ziplock bag and be attached to the letter board.
We then sing the appropriate song:
I learned the letter "A"
I learned the letter "A"
I learned the letter "A" today
And this is what is says,
a, a Apple or
A, a Angel etc........
Fun Idea for ABC's
During circle time I have a soccer ball and write a letter of the alphabet throughout the whole ball and I underline the letter to distinquish between such letters like "N" and "I" and "M" and "N" and so on...I roll the ball to a child and they read the letter closest to their thumb. The kids really enjoy using the ball and everyone gets a turn. They pick up on recognizing letters quickly. Just a quick game of letters!!!! : )
HAND & FOOTPRINT ABC'S
Submitted by Kris
Here are some ideas for a hand or footprint "ABC" book:
A= apple with handprint leaf
B= footprint bunny
C= chick with handprint wings
D= Handprint dog face -- 3fingers together, pointing down, pinky and thumb extended slightly. pinky and thumb are ears, 3 fingers are face
E= draw earthworm with one finger
F= footprint, or handprint frog, fish, flower or flag
G= footprint ghost: paint foot white and print. toes face down, add facial features when dry.
H= handprint
I= Indian
J= Handprint jelly fish. Use white paper and water paint ocean scene. Paint hand and fingers light blue & purple. Print upside down on scene
K= handprint king -- fingers facing up form the crown, palm of hand is face
L= "left" hand or foot, handprint Lily, handprint Leprechaun
M= handprint 'Maypole' -- paint each finger a different color, beginning at base of palm and continue to fingertips. Fingers point down on paper, attach crepe paper streamers to ends of fingers.
N= handprint nest -- paint both hands brown, omitting thumbs. Press on paper, fingers together, to form nest. Add bird and tree branch.
O= handprint octopus -- paint both hands, omitting thumbs. Add detail when dry.
P= Pilgrim man -- trace hand on black paper, thumb and pinky extended, other fingers together. Cut, trimming off palm section to make the pilgrim hat. Add details to hat, add face and collar.
Q= handprint Queen -- fingers form the crown
R= "right" hand or foot
S= handprint snowflake -- fold fingers and cut as snowflake. Sailboat -- hand with fingers all together form the sail for the boat. Sunshine -- print hand in a circular fashion in yellow.
T= paint hand and arm brown for tree, add fingerprint leaves when dry
U= handprint umbrella -- trace hand with fingers and thumb together. Section off each finger by drawing a line back to the heel of the hand. Color the strips and add the handle for the folded umbrella.
V= handprint woven valentine. Trace and cut out 2 handprint with fingers together, omitting thumbs. Cut out, slitting fingers apart. Weave as you normally would, forming heart. Add lace edge.
W= handprint or fingerprint wreath
X= Add "bones" to foot or hand to form "X-ray"
Y= Yellow hand or foot print?
Z= Zebra stripes for hand or footprint?
Some of these ideas are mine, some are adapted, many are from "Hand-Shaped Art."
Letter Recognition
Submitted by Tammy
I have a game the kids love to play for letter recognition. I call it "Sad Sam". I have cut out between 35-40 baseball size circles. On each I write a capital and small case letter (ie Rr or Aa). On the remaining circles, I have put happy faces on some and sad faces on the rest. To play the game, spread the cards facedown on the table/floor. One child picks a card. If it is a letter he/she tells what the letter is. They keep the card if they are correct and play goes around the circle. If incorrect, the child puts the card back in the pile and play still goes around the circle. If a happy face is picked, they get to keep that card and go again. If a sad face is picked, the child says "Sad Sam" in a sad voice and has to put all of his cards back in the middle. Play ends at a determined round number and the kids can count their cards.
The children really love this game. They even like getting "Sad Sam" because it is fun for them just to say it. I have also made games like this for number, shape and color recognition.
Letter Recognition
Submitted by Betty
Letter Uu Idea - Make an Upside-Down Cake !!! I have done it for years and after doing it today, I just had to suggest it on the loop! The kids just loved the whole idea.. I just used a recipe for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in my general cookbook (made it from scratch!) They were sooo impressed. First, we asked them in the "Question of the Day" for which we do a "yes/no" tally...Have you ever eaten an Upside-Down Cake? You should have seen their faces!!! After we ate the entire thing!...we did another tally...Do you like Upside-Down Cake? Fun!
Title: The Alphabet
Submitted by Carol
We introduce two letters per month.
One bulletin board is specifically our "Letter Board"
Our letter of the week (or two weeks) is placed in the middle of the board. We discuss the letter, it's sound and see if anyone can think of a word that begins with that letter. The children are encouraged to bring something from home that begins with that letter. It could be an object(keep plastic bags available to put small objects in), a picture from a magazine, drawn or computer generated. The children tell what they have brought in and these items are attached to the "Letter Board". This activity gives parents an opportunity to share in the school experience with their child. The children are always very proud to share!
LITERACY CENTERS
"I Spy": newspapers and magnifying glasses at a table. Kids look for and circle sight words that we've learned.
Magnetic words: I put up a list of words from our books we've been reading (CVC words) with magnets. Kids make the words with magnets and read them.
"Read the room": Kids use pointers and point to words in classroom and read.
Write kids names and print out their pictures. Match the names to the photos. Or do the same with pictures of things and write the words and kids match.
WORDO
We call it WORDO and I have large 3 squares by 3 squares grids pre-made and copied in a big stack. It says WORDO across the top. Kind of looks like a giant tic-tac-toe grid inside of a square. The children copy 9 words (we use spelling and high frequency words to play), one in each square or you can do 8 and label the center square FREE. Then as I call a word, they trace over that word with a colored pencil, crayon or marker. We start by using the lighter colors (yellow, pink , orange) and after we get a winner we can choose a new color and continue the game. By using the lighter colors first, you can use the same set of word cards and play the game 4-5 times and they get much more practice with looking carefully at the words and tracing them multiple times. It is one of my class' (firsties) favorite games. It is also a great activity to leave for a sub because the children learn the format for the game and can show the sub how to play it without you leaving detailed
instructions.
WORDMASTER
To play: Have one child be a "wordmaster". The wordmaster for the day grabs a strip of paper and writes one of the words off our word wall. I have the rest of the class' names on popsicle sticks and I draw one name at a time. When I call that child's name, they must try to guess the wordmaster's secret word by reading off the word wall. AT the beginning of the year it is pretty easy, because we don't have many words yet, but as our list grows it becomes more of a challenge. The wordmaster earns a little mini eraser and if anyone guesses the correct word they also earn a mini eraser. At the end of the game when the word is revealed, we then clap-chant the word and talk a little about why it is on the wall (irregular phonetic spelling etc..).
PHONIC PHONES
Each one of my children have a "whisper phone", also known as a phonics phone, in their seat sack. They use them to independently oral read. It has been proven that children do not get enough practice reading aloud to increase fluency.As part of their "center" time, they have books in their sacks (1) at their independent level,(2)books that we have been working on that week, and (3)one of the 5 books they have taken home to practice from the past week that they still are to read to me sometime during the week. They are to read at least one book with their phones 3 times each day.
WORD WALL
Word Cheer!
Use 5 high frequency word wall words on your grade level. I purchased a set of pom poms and a mega phone. We then give each word a cheer. Students can take turns being the cheerleader and using the megaphone. Kids love it! Its a great way to get their attention.
CREATING ENVIROMENTAL RICH CLASSROOM
A "print rich" classroom is one in which many different kinds of print are displayed. Signs, labeled centers, wall stories, word displays,
labeled murals. bulletin boards, displaying children's favorite food products, charts and poems are just a few ways to display print.
The Teacher's Role in a Print Rich Environment
-Provide time and opportunity for multiple literacy activities during the day.
-Models reading and writing
-Introduces students to a wide variety of literature
-Listens to students read
-Works with students during writing time
-Arranges print displays that are at student's eye level
Environmental Print
Environmental print is the print we see all around us - the print on commercial signs, labels and products we use everyday,etc. Displaying environmental print in the classroom helps children feel successful "reading" at an early age. These early successes motivate young children to read more and more!
"I Can Read" Bags
provide students with a decorated bag for their print samples. Send a letter home to parents explaining the procedure.
Environmental Print Puzzles
Cereal, muffin, cake mix, cracker and cookie boxes make great puzzles.
Environmental Lotto Boards
Use candy wrappers to make lotto games
Functional Print
Functional print gives children a reason to read by providing information they need: schedules, routines, center labels, graphs, sign in sheets, etc.
Functional print can also elicit responses from children, for example, I Painted Today, My Favorite Food, etc.
WORD OF THE DAY
Submitted by Noelia
I have a word of the day for my prekers but instead of a word I place a logo of different places like Mcdonalds, Walmart and other places. I place the logos low enough so that the children go and "read" them and they get the print awareness.
IDEA SHEETS FOR LISTENING CENTER
1) Fold a sheet of paper into quarters. Characters, setting, problem, and solution each have a quarter. Students write/draw in each of the boexes
2) Fold a sheet of paper into quarters. Students write/draw what happens first, next, then, last (sequencing)
3) Student listens and writes/draws about their favorite part of the story.
BOOKS
Submitted by Christine
When ever I finish a unit (i.e. dinosaurs), I like to photocopy the covers of all the books we have either read or left in the reading center for the children to see. I then staple all photocopies together and place them in the file pertainng to that unit. This way I know which books I used the last time we did the unit. I also will note on he copy which books were the most successful.
WORD RECOGNITION
Submitted by Phyllis
Hi....to get your little ones to start recognizing simple words I put a limited number of letter tiles face down on the floor. I make sure that my vowels are marked on the reverse side with waterproof marker (say all in red). Then the kids pick letters and we discuss the word that is made (or not). Soon they learn that they need a vowel and 2 consonants to form words like hop, pop, top. They also learn the placement of the vowel. I pre-plan the tiles and keep only limited numbers out and I try to coordinate with books we are reading such as Dr. Seuss (for the hop, pop example)...
BEACH READING
I saw a wonderful idea in a classroom during my student teaching and just remembered it when I drove by K-Mart the other day.
For a summer reading area she used a plastic child's swimming pool.
The walls were decorated with a beach mural. She created a palm tree that dangled leaves over the children's head. In the pool was different pillows made with swatches of shells and sea animals.
The children loved it and were so excited about getting to "sit at the beach to read".
ANOTHER BEACH READING IDEA
Another idea a teacher at our headstart used: she used plaster of paris (I guess concrete could be used but may be heavy??)to secure a pvc pipe in a bucket.(the type laundry soap comes in)
She also put a hole in the lid and snapped the lid on. (to simulate a table top)
This was used as a stand for a beach umbrella. Then she added child sized beach chairs to her reading area. One day she took this outside and let the kids wear sunglasses while they read.
RHYMING WORDS SHOW AND GUESS
When you're studying rhyming, adapt your show-and-tell time to show-and-guess time. Ask each child to find two rhyming items or pictures at home, put them in a bag, and bring them to school. In turn, have each child show one of his items to the class. After sharing his first item, have the class guess what the second item might be. Hmmm...could it be a bat? A mat? A hat? Oh, no--not a rat!
FALLING FOR BEGINNER SOUNDS
Every time that old London Bridge falls, another youngster will be using his knowledge of beginning sounds. To start this game, name the letter that will be the focus of the activity. As youngsters sing "London Bridge Is Falling Down," have students walk beneath a bridge made by the bodies and upheld arms of two students. Cued by the word lady in the song, have the youngsters who make up the bridge lower their arms, gently trapping a student between them. Ask the trapped youngster to name something that begins with the specified letter. When he does (with or without the assistance of the bridgemakers), have the bridgemakers release him, and resume the song and the activity.
SINGIN' MOVEMENT
If you're happy and you know it,
Bounce around /b/ /b/
If your're happy and you know it,
bounce around /b/ /b/
If your're happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it
bounce around /b/ /b/
catch a ball /c/ /c/
Dance with me
Fall down
Gallop like a horse
Hop on one foot
jump so high
Kick your leg
laugh at loud
march in place
nod your head
paint a picture
run in place
sit down now
tap your head
vacuum the rug
walk around
yawn right now
zip your zipper
READING CATERPILLAR
Submitted by Diane
I start with a head of the caterpillar and each time we read a story I add a body part, legs and all. As the year goes on he grows from wall to wall which is something the little ones enjoy. I also find the parents enjoy seeing the wonderful books we read throughout the year. At the end of the year I take it down and save the body parts which is a reminder to me of the books the kids enjoyed most. Hope everyone gets off to a wonderful start this year.
VOWEL SOUND SONG
Submitted by Sandra
Old McVowel had a farm
A-E-I-O-U.
And on this farm he had a cat
A-E-I-O-U.
With an a-a here and an a-a there.
Here an a. There an a everywhere an a-a.
Old McVowel had a farm.
A-E-I-O-U.
Then substitute hen (e) pig (i) dog (o) and duck (u). A third grader
visited my class and shared that and I was really tickled.
Title: Reading Bag
Submitted by Shelley
1.Take a bag and draw a picture of what the book may be about on the outside of the bag. A simple picture will do. Put the book inside the bag. We made several "bags" and set them on a shelf for the children to choose from. BIG HIT!
2.Make a reading hat of some kind and place this in the bag along with a couple of books. We instructed the children that these books were very special (pop-up or other interactive books) and that if they wanted to read these books they had to wear the hat and sit down quietly and read the books. When they are finished with the books they must remove the hat and place it back in the bag along with the "special" books. They can only look at these "special" books when they are using the "reading hat bag". We bring in different books everyday to place in the bag and this has been quite successful in getting the children involved with personal reading.
Don't forget to include other books besides children's books in the children's library. Such as cookbooks, how-to books, simple science or social studies books, etc.
Book List
Submitted by Kris
Last year I made a poster where I listed my literature selections all year. The parents could see how many books we had read! I purchased a poster that looked like a piece of notebook paper, but anything would do. I bordered it with a "reading" theme border. I list the books as I read them. It also makes a good reference for me so I know if I have read a book and how long ago I did -- faster than checking lesson plans!
Title Word Wall
Submitted by Joi
I have the children let me know when they find a word that starts with a
letter they know and we can put it on our word wall. Its not important that
they know what the word says, they will just see that all the words under
the S begin with S.
I don't have a lot of wall space so I took notecards and wrote each letterof the alphabet on one. The trick is to turn it vertically. Then I cut notecards in fourths. I use these to write their words. They conveniently make a nice column under the letter. I start out the year with their names and put the theme words up as we go. The pace they add words is up to them.
It usually picks up after Christmas
