HIGHWAY LETTERS
Highway letters are a "rabbit trap" to engage kids and reinforce a variety of skills and different age levels. I put my letters in clear sheet protectors because it’s cheaper and easier than laminating. You can also punch holes at the top and tie on string so the children can wear them like letter vests.
https://www.prekinders.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/TPT-letter-roads.pdf
Here are just a few ways you can use the highway letters with different age levels throughout the school year.
Toy Cars - Let children drive over letters with toy cars.
Writing - Trace over the letters with dry erase markers. Erase and use again and again.
Hint! Put a green dot where they start and a red dot where they stop.
Play Dough - Roll play dough and place on top of the letters.
Songs - Pass out letter vests to children. Let them stand up when their letter is sung in the song.
Phonics - Practice blending C V C words. (consonant, vowel, consonant) with vests. Add the “silent e” to words to change the vowel sound.
Chunking - Start by asking children who are wearing “a” and “t” to stand. What does that say? Ask “m” to stand in front of “at.” What does that say? Tell “m” to go away and have “r” stand in front of “at.” Have children suggest other letters to stand in front of “at.” Reinforce other word families with this strategy.
Spelling Words - Slowly call out sight words or spelling words. (Stretch out the sounds.) Children come up if they are wearing that sound and make the word.
ABC Order- Children arrange themselves in alphabetical order according to the letter that they are wearing.
Hint! You can also play “I Have – Who Has?” with the letters. For example: “I have A. Who has B?” “I have B. Who has C?”
LETTERS ON THE BUS
Here’s another visual to help children focus on letters and sounds.
Color and cut out a bus similar to the one below. Add magnetic tape to the back and place it on a magnetic board. Put magnetic letters in the window as you sing the song.
The Letters on the Bus (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The letters on the bus all make their sounds,
Make their sounds,
Make their sounds.
The letters on the bus all make their sounds
All around the town.
The B on the bus goes /b/ /b/ /b/, /b/ /b/ /b, /b/ /b/ /b/,
The B on the bus goes /b/ /b/ /b/ all around the town.
Toy Cars - Let children drive over letters with toy cars.
Writing - Trace over the letters with dry erase markers. Erase and use again and again.
Hint! Put a green dot where they start and a red dot where they stop.
Songs - Pass out letter vests to children. Let them stand up when their letter is sung in the song.
Phonics - Practice blending C V C words. (consonant, vowel, consonant) with vests. Add the “silent e” to words to change the vowel sound.
Chunking - Start by asking children who are wearing “a” and “t” to stand. What does that say? Ask “m” to stand in front of “at.” What does that say? Tell “m” to go away and have “r” stand in front of “at.” Have children suggest other letters to stand in front of “at.” Reinforce other word families with this strategy.
Spelling Words - Slowly call out sight words or spelling words. (Stretch out the sounds.) Children come up if they are wearing that sound and make the word.
ABC Order- Children arrange themselves in alphabetical order according to the letter that they are wearing.
Hint! You can also play “I Have – Who Has?” with the letters. For example: “I have A. Who has B?” “I have B. Who has C?”
LETTERS ON THE BUS
Here’s another visual to help children focus on letters and sounds.
Color and cut out a bus similar to the one below. Add magnetic tape to the back and place it on a magnetic board. Put magnetic letters in the window as you sing the song.
The Letters on the Bus (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The letters on the bus all make their sounds,
Make their sounds,
Make their sounds.
The letters on the bus all make their sounds
All around the town.
The B on the bus goes /b/ /b/ /b/, /b/ /b/ /b, /b/ /b/ /b/,
The B on the bus goes /b/ /b/ /b/ all around the town.
