I've Been Workin' On My Letters
(Lyrics: Cherry Carl Tune: I've Been Workin' On the Railroad)
I've been workin' on my letters,
Every day in school.
I've been workin' on my letters,
And I think they're really cool.
Have you heard my teacher singing
Alphabet songs with me?
Have you heard my teacher making
Sounds from A to Z?
Don't you want to know,
I'm a dynamo?
I can write them fast or slow-ow-ow!
Write them in the air,
Write them everywhere,
I can write some words to share.
I can use them all for writing,
I can use them all to read a book,
I can use them all for spelling . . .
Words like tell and took!
And singing . . .
Fee-fi-fiddly, alphabet!
Fee-fi-fiddly, I'm not done yet!
Fee-fi-fiddly, I'm set . . .
'Cause I know the alphabet!
Letter Muncher
I found an idea that Caleb loves to with the letter we focus on for the week.I bought a white trash can with a swinging lid at Walmart.I painted it green with a monster face.During the week we put items that start with that letter we're working on.He loves to feed him!
Letter Collage
A=apple stickers,fingerprint ants
B=buttons,bells
C=cotton balls,cheerios
D=dirt,dots
E=eggshells,ears and eyes from magazines
F=feathers
G=gummies,glitter
H=hearts,hair
I=icicles from tinsel
J=jelly bears
K=kisses with lipstick on
L=lace,lines(zig-zag,straight,curvy)
M=money(pretend of course!),mulch
N=noodles
O=orange prints
P=peanut shells,petals from flowers
Q=quatar rubbings
R=rice,raffia
S=satin,seeds
T=tails(from animal pictures)
U=unicorn stickers
V=vaseline,valentine hearts
W=wrapping paper
X=
Y=yarn
Z=zippers
Letter Recognition-Reading the Paper
With your kids grab a pen and go through the newspaper and find the letter you're working on.Then let them do it on their own.That way you know for certain that they recognize the letter.
Outdoor Letter Fun
This only requires a driveway and chalk.During good weather, a few times a week I draw simple pictures like a car,bear,tree,or anything else kids like.Then I label the picture in all capital letters.Then we play find the letter..like R in Car.This has helped in learning simple words with my son.
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.
Letter Recognition
To help preschoolers learn the letters of the alphabet,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!
Outdoor Letter Recognition
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
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
EGG CARTON SOUND RECOGNITION GAME
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.
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.
