Invisible Writing – Practice writing letters in the air with your index finger. Don’t forget to erase when you’re finished!
Tummy Writing – Have children lay on their tummies and extend their finger above their head. They can practice making lines, circles, shapes, and letters.
Body Writing – How many different body parts can you use to write letters? Try elbows, noses, toes, or chins. You can also write on each other’s backs.
Note! Pick and choose for however you introduce the letters.
UPPERCASE LETTER LIMERICKS
By Dr. Holly
With straight lines in every way.
Two lines point up top,
To the bottom they drop,
And another crosses the way.
The second letter is B
For baseball, baby, and beach.
Straight line down the side,
Two humps on the right—
It looks like a fat bumble bee!
After B comes C:
Cookies, celery, and cheese!
Like a smile big and wide
Turned on its side
It’s easy to make C, you see!
D is a letter that’s plump
Like a tummy with one round hump.
A long line straight down,
Then go out and around
For dig, dive, dip and dump!
After D comes E.
It’s shaped like a comb with three teeth.
One line down the side,
Three more to the right
For echoes, ears, eyeballs and eat!
F is the next letter to name.
It can bring with it fortune and fame.
Like E in design
Without the bottom line
But it gets along fine all the same!
After F comes G
Which is curvy and round just like C.
When you reach the end stop,
Put a straight line across
And your G will giggle with glee!
H is a letter with pride.
It has two long straight lines side by side
Then hip, hop, and higgle
Put another ‘cross the middle
And your H will have nothing to hide!
I comes after that,
Eating ice cream, and yet it’s not fat.
One line stretches down,
One lies on the ground
And one goes on top—a flat hat!
Now jump, joke, and juggle— it’s J
With lines both curvy and straight.
The curve starts up top
Then like a hook drops
And the straight line juts over the way!
The letter K has quite a kick
With a spine as straight as a stick.
From the middle about
Two arms reach out
For kangaroos, kindness, and kids!
After K comes L
It’s a letter with lots to tell.
One line heads straight down,
One sticks out on the ground
Like a chair with no legs—how swell!
M is a letter with size,
Like two mountains side by side.
Two straight lines on the end
Two others point in
Making moms, milk, and messes—oh, my!
N is like M only thinner.
It didn’t eat quite as much dinner—
For Nick and Noelle
Two lines parallel
And a diagonal one ‘cross the center.
O is entirely round—
Not a single straight line to be found.
Like a wide open mouth
Saying oops! oh! or ouch!
It makes oceans and oranges abound!
The next of the letters is P
For people and peanuts and please.
Let one straight line prop
With a loop on the top
And you’ll make lots of pumpkins and peas!
Q comes next without fail
With quarters, quick questions, and quails:
First a circle that’s fat
Then like the back of a cat
A straight line sticks out like a tail.
R is ever so clever.
It’s P and K blended together:
The top hoops about
The bottom leg kicks out—
For running and reading there’s no better!
S is a letter with style
For summer, sunshine, and smiles.
Go up and around
Then back around down
Like a snake that slithers for miles!
T is terrific and true
Standing tall as all towers do.
One straight line sits over,
The other points lower
For tigers, trees, and tickles too!
U comes right after T.
It also comes just before V—
An upside down hump
A straight line it bumps:
Unicorn, universe, unique!
V is very healthy—it’s true!
With vitamins and vegetables for you:
Two straight lines point down
And meet at the ground
For vacations and violins, too!
W is just like 2 Vs
Stuck together—like twins, you see.
With why, when, and where?
And who will be there?
W makes words work with ease!
X is the letter that’s next.
Not many words start with an X
But X marks the spot
With two straight lines that cross—
X is never quite what you expect!
The next-to-last letter is Y
For years and yes, give it a try!
Like a small V that sits
On top of a stick
Reaching for the yellow sun in the sky!
Z comes last for a reason
Bringing zeal, zap, and zest to all seasons.
One straight line slants down
Then at foot and at crown
Two other lines zip—very pleasing!
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.
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.