Sunday, August 19, 2018

LETTER OFFICE AND LETTER LOOKER

LETTER OFFICE

Children will enjoy making their very own letter office and then using it for the activities below. First, tape two file folders together.  Let children decorate the outside, and then glue a copy of alphabet letters on the inside.
Sing and Track
Have children point to the letters as you sing various alphabet songs. (“The Alphabet in My Mouth,” “Who Let the Letters out?” or “Letters You Should Know” all work well.)

I Spy!
Play “I Spy” and other games where children have to identify letters. Can they find the letter that makes the sound at the beginning of “hop”? Can they find the letters in their name? What comes between G and I? Can they match up magnetic letters with the letters in their office?

Partner Play
Use the offices for working with a friend. Read the capital letters, lowercase, consonants, vowels. Read loud, soft, fast, slow, backwards, and other variations. Let friends take turns calling out letters (or sounds) for their partner to identify.

Family Time
Invite children to take their letter offices home and play games with their parents.

*Take turns naming letters and touching them.

*Sing Alphabet songs and track the letters.

*Look around the house for letters that match.

*Find letters in family members’ names.


LETTER LOOKER

Here’s a simple prop to help your children focus. Loop around the end of a pipe cleaner as shown to make a “letter looker.” Children can identify letters in their letter office and around the classroom with their “lookers.”
*They can also play a game with a partner with their letter looker. Children take turns focusing on letters as their partner tries to identify it.


LETTER WAND

Remove the netting from a butterfly net. (You can find these at most dollar stores.) Add some colorful ribbons. Sing the song below to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”
     Do you see the (letter), 
     The (letter),the (letter)?
     Do you see the (letter)
     Somewhere in the room?

A child takes the wand and frames that letter as she sings:

     Yes, I see the (letter),
     The (letter), the (letter).
     Yes, I see the (letter)
     In the room.

Hint! Use the wand to focus on colors, shapes, numbers and other skills you are working on.