I hope these letter limericks that my daughter wrote many years ago will still be "alive" in your classrooms...and will make writing letters come ALIVE!
LOWERCASE LETTER LIMERICKS
By Dr. Holly
Small a is a great way to start.
It’s made of two joined parts.
First a small circle round
Then a small line straight down
For airplanes, apples, and art.
So bouncy and bold is small b,
With a line straight and tall as can be.
Then a circle that’s small
That looks like a ball.
You can bat, bubble, bop, with a b!
Small c is a cute buttercup;
Make a circle but don’t close it up.
Leave a space on the side
Like a mouth open wide
For eating cookies and coconuts!
For d make a tall line on the right,
Then a small circle down low and tight.
It’s similar to b
But backwards, you see,
For doughnuts, delicious, delight!
Every e starts like a c, you know.
Circle up and around, here we go.
Then a nice even line.
That looks just fine.
E is for eager and eyes that glow.
Small f hooks right up at the top
Then down to the bottom it drops.
A small line cross the middle,
And fit as a fiddle,
Your f will not fidget or flop!
With g you can gallop and go
And the grass in your garden will grow.
First a circle on the ground,
Then a line stretches down
Just like a fishhook below.
Making h isn’t horribly hard.
Make a tall line straight down for the start.
Then next to it bumps
The hip of a hump
And you’ll hop with a happy heart!
Small i is so sweet to make,
Like ice cream or icing a cake.
Make a short line then stop,
Put a dot on the top,
And into the oven to bake!
Small j likes to joke, jive, and jog
And jump around just like a frog.
With a line that drops down
And hooks underground
Then a dot on its top—perfect job!
Small k starts with a tall, straight spine
Then out kick two smaller slant lines.
One kicks up, one kicks down
For the k-k-k sound
That starts kites, kids, and kisses so kind.
Small l is a likeable letter
Lean and light as a feather.
A single tall line
So straight and fine—
For laughter and love there’s none better!
Small m is magnificently wide
A short line then two humps side by side
For monkeys and marbles,
Magic and marvels,
And motorcycles, let’s take a ride!
Small n is one half of m.
Make a short straight line and then
A single small hump
To give it a bump
For a nice, neat, and nifty small n.
Small o is a round cheerio
Rolled on the ground down low.
Keep your pencil pressed down
And take it around
For octopus and ostrich, you know.
Next comes polite letter p
As pretty and proud as you please.
A long line that drops
Down below, and then pop
A circle beside it—whopee!
Small q is quiet and quick.
It’s like p, but with a trick.
It’s the other way ‘round
And the line that goes down
Ends with a quaint, quirky kick.
Now we’ve reached rock’ n’ roll r
And everyone can be a star!
Make a short line, then look—
At the top a small hook,
And your rip, roaring r will go far!
Small s is swirley and steep.
Arch up to the middle and sweep
Down to the end
With another round bend
For swinging and singing so sweet!
Next we’ll try t: don’t delay!
Start high up but not all the way.
Then down you drop,
Put a small line across,
For terrific, tip-top days!
Small u is like n upside down.
Curve down and then back up around.
Add a line on the right,
Straight, short and tight
For upside and underground.
Small v is very victorious
And making v isn’t laborious:
Two short lines slant out
From the bottom they spout
Like two arms raised to say: I am glorious!
Small w is two v’s together
For why, what, where, and whether
Slant down, up, and then
Slant down, up again
And you’ve written a wonderful letter!
Small x makes your xylophone play
And it expertly makes an x-ray.
Two lines that are little
Cross right at the middle.
You can exit and go on your way!
We’re nearing the end with small y:
For yes, yarn, and years that fly by
A short line slants down,
Another slants underground,
And they meet at a point to say hi.
Small z is for zany and zounds;
It’s short and sits right on the ground.
Straight out, slant down, then
Go straight out again
And you’ll zigzag, and zip all around!
Note!! Years ago someone told me if you want children to remember something they need to sing it or eat it. Are you hungry for some letters?
Pretzel ABC’s - Give children pretzel sticks and pretzel twists. Have them nibble the pretzels to make letters.
Squirt and Eat - Use squirt cheese to make letters on crackers. Lick the letters with your tongue.
Alphabet Cereal, Crackers, and Pretzels - Letter shaped snack foods can be used for identifying letters, making words, or eating!
Letter Snacks – Assign each child a letter and a day to bring a snack for the class. Ask parents to send in a fruit, vegetable, or healthy food that begins with their letter. Take photographs and use them to make a class alphabet book.
P.S. I know some schools have banned food in the classroom, so you might send these activities home in a newsletter for parents to do with their child.