Letter Necklace
First, make a letter necklace for each child. Cut out
3” circles from poster board, write the first letter of each child’s name on
one circle, punch a hole in it, and thread it on a piece of 24” string to make
a necklace for each child. Choose
one child each day for the routine below:
1. Place
the necklace in your lap and do a little “drum roll” by tapping your hands on
your knees.
2. Give
clues about the child’s name as you write the letters on the board. For
example, “The mystery name today has four letters. This friend loves horses and is a good artist. This friend has brown hair and brown
eyes. Who can it be?”
3.
Present the child with their letter necklace as you sing this song to the
Cookie Monster song “C Is for Cookie.”
M is for Marcus,
That’s good enough for me.
M is for Marcus,
That’s good enough for me.
M is for Marcus,
That’s good enough for me.
Oh, Marcus, Marcus, Marcus starts with M.
4. Encourage children to name other words
that start with /m/.
*Let children decorate their own letter necklaces with
stickers, fake jewels, and glitter pens.
Giant Letters
Write the first letter in the child’s
name on a large piece of poster board and cut it out. Place it at the art center with collage
materials. Invite the children to
help decorate the letter during the day.
Display these letters on a special wall in your classroom.
*You could also send the cutout
letter home with the child with instructions for parents to help him make a
collage on it with pictures, photos, environmental print, and so on.
Sign Language
Teach children the manual sign for the first letter in their name. Dismiss children to line up by making the sign for their name.