SINGING LETTERS AND SOUNDS

Music is the most natural way to learn anything. Mary Ann Wolf (reading researcher) recommends singing alphabet songs with young children. She explains that songs act like an umbrella and “place holder” in the brain. When the letters and sounds make sense to the children, they have a “place” to go.

Hint!
There are many ways to introduce alphabet songs, but it might be helpful to introduce a new song each week. Sing it every morning to start your day, and then use it as a brain break during the day. The next week you can teach the children another song and then review the song you sang the previous week. Write the titles of the songs as you introduce them on a sentence strip and add a picture clue. That way you can let children choose different songs and repeat them.

Visual Connections
As you sing alphabet songs, it will be helpful to connect the visual with the auditory. You can use alphabet cards or point to the letters in your classroom.


LETTER TAILS (Tune: "Gilligan's Island")
This is one of my favorite alphabet books that Barb Smith created several years ago. It's good for letter recognition, phonics, and visual closure (recognizing the whole from the part).

This is a tale about the letter A.
It makes a special sound.
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ A!
Let’s learn another sound.

This is a tale about the letter B….

You can download the book here. If you’ll glue the cover to the front of a pocket folder and put the pages in clear sheet protectors the book will last for a long time.

Hint! This is a great book to put in your listening center with the song.

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2013/09_Sep_css/pg06.html

Here’s a YouTube video of this song: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rEzOQn5ElM 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LETTERS
Who doesn’t like birthdays? Children will love dancing and singing this song.

Happy Birthday Letters
Yo, A,
It’s your birthday.
Let’s all read
Like your birthday.
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
Yo, B…etc.

*Have children stand in a circle and act like rappers. When the letter that their name begins with comes up in the song they get to jump in the middle of the circle and dance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuyyoj_xvUE

Letter Birthday Hats
Let the children make birthday hats from sentence strips and wear them as you sing “Happy Birthday Letters.” (Our old stick pony is modeling the birthday hat for you.)

Birthday Cake
Draw a birthday cake on a magnetic board and sing the letters as you place them on the cake:

Yo, M, it’s your birthday.
Let’s all sing like your birthday
/m/ /m/ /m/ /m/ /m/ /m/
/m/ /m/ /m/ /m/ /m/ m/

Here’s a link so you can download the birthday cake.

https://drjeanandfriends.blogspot.com/search?q=letter+tails

Rapper Necklace
Cut letters out of heavy cardboard. Let children decorate them with fake jewels, glitter, or stickers. Punch holes in the letters and tie on string. Children can wear these as you sing this song.

BADGES AND BEARS AND COOKIES, OH, MY!

These are inexpensive, easy to make, and can provide repetition in daily routines.

LETTER BADGES
Purchase plastic name badge holders at an office supply store. (Or you can save these from conferences.) Choose one letter each day and write it on paper cut to fit in the name badge. Wear the badge and at random times break out in this song to the tune of “BINGO.”

There is a letter you should know,
What can the letter be oh?
/F/ /F/ It’s an F.
/F/ /F/ It’s an F.
/F/ /F/ It’s an F.
The letter F you know!

*Make letter badges for all the letters in the alphabet and let children choose a different one each day to wear. Let the children walk around the room and shake hands with their friends as they practice identifying each other’s letters. For example: “Hello Q!” “Hello S!”

*Call the children by the letter they are wearing instead of their name.
For example: “D, come sit by me.”


LETTER SUPERVISOR
You will need a plastic visor, index cards, and tape for this activity. Choose a different letter each day and write it on the index card. Tape the index card to the visor. Choose one child each day to wear the visor and be the “letter supervisor.” Every time you leave the classroom the letter supervisor stands at the door with her arm extended. Classmates must name the letter or say a word that starts with that sound before she raises her arm and lets them exit the room.



HIGH FIVE HANDS
Cut hands out of construction paper and write letters you want to reinforce on the hands. Tape to the door. As children exit or enter the classroom they “high five” the hands and say the letters (or make the letter sounds.)

LETTER BEARS
You will be able to get a lot of “mileage” out of these little bears. Cut 26 bears out of construction paper. Write upper and lowercase letters on all the bears. Mix up the bears and then sing this song to the tune of “Twinkle Little Star” as the letters are revealed:

Dd bear, Dd bear, what do you see?
I see Kk bear looking at me.
Kk bear, Kk bear, what do you see…

*Focus children’s attention while they settle down for a story or lesson with the letter bears. You could also use the bears as a transition activity. Dismiss children to line up, wash their hands, etc. when the letter that their name starts with appears.

Letter Bear Pattern
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljUjloN1BNSUxlOUU/view?usp=sharing


WHO ATE THE COOKIE?
You will need an empty cookie box and cardstock to make this game. Cut 3” circles out of the cardstock and write letters on them. Place in the box. One child at a time chooses a “cookie” (letter) out of the box as you chant?

Who ate (letter) in the cookie jar?
(Child’s name) at the (letter) in the cookie jar.
Who me?
Yes, you!
Couldn’t be.
Then who? (It names another friend and passes the box to them.)

Note! This game is made from all recycled materials!

MAKE AND READ ALPHABET BOOKS

IF THEY MAKE IT, THEY WILL WANT TO READ IT!

Home School Alphabet Book
This book will provide a hands-on activity that will encourage parents to talk to their children about school and alphabet letters. Write different letters of the alphabet on cardstock. Give each family a letter and ask them help their child draw pictures or cut out pictures of things that begin with the letter. Put their pages together to make a book for your class.

I Can Read!

Take 26 large sheets of paper (12” x 16”) and write a different letter on each page. Put pages between construction paper to make a book called “I Can Read My ABC’s.” Hole punch and bind with book rings. Invite children to bring in words from food labels, stores, catalogs, etc. that they can read. As childrenbring in their words, help them match up the first letter with the same letter in the book and glue their word on that page. 

Alphabet Art
Write large letters of the alphabet on paper. Give each child a letter and challenge them to create a picture around their letter. “What does your letter look like? Does it remind you of something? Can you use your crayons to turn it intothat object? Try to ‘camouflage’ it so no one knows what your letter is.” Put their drawings together to make a book.

*Challenge older children to turn their letter into an object that begins with the sound their letter makes.

Alphabet in My Mouth
Use the words and tune to “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” to make thisbook.

I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth
And I can read.

I’ve got A /a/ /a/ in my mouth.
I’ve got B /b/ /b/…

First, take a close up photo of each child with their mouth wide open and their tongue stickingout. Next, cut letters out of construction paper and glue to the tongue on theirpicture. Write words for each page to go with the picture, such as “I’ve got A /a//a/ in my mouth.”

AlphaBODY Book
Challenge children to make letters with their bodies. Or, divide children into small groups and ask them to make letters.

Themes
Make alphabet books that relate to different themes, seasons, holidays, or concepts you are working on. For example:

Pets Foods We Like
Insects Friends Oceans
Transportation Scary Things
Things We Love ABC’s of Spring
Our Country Sports


CLASSROOM ALPHABET
Instead of putting up the traditional alphabet cards, use one of these ideas to create a unique alphabet.

Children’s Photos
Use children’s first or last names to make an alphabet. If several children have names that begin with the same sound, then group them together. If you don’t have names for letters, then use the school helpers’ names or other common objects.

Sign Language
Cut hands out of felt and glue them to make the manual signs for letters.


Real Objects
Glue small objects that begin with letters to make alphabet cards.


Environmental Print
Use labels from food products or clothes to make an alphabet.
Hint! Give each child a letter and ask parents to send in environmental print for that letter.


Giant Letters
Cut out giant cardboard letters for the first letter in each child’s name. Let them decorate these at home with their families. They could use family photos, pictures of things that are important to them, or drawings to decorate their letters.

LETTER LAND

All aboard for Letter Land! The few days I’ll be sharing alphabet activities on my blog because this time of year the ABC’s seem to be the starting line in most pre-k and K classrooms.

I have been at this rodeo a LONG time and I want you to know there is NO one correct way to introduce letters or teach children to read. Just take a look around you and you’ll see people of all ages who know HOW to read and they learned TO READ with a variety of different approaches, materials, and reading programs.

Many people ask me questions about how to introduce letters. Should you do capital letters first? Is there a specific order you should follow? There is NO definitive research to support one particular strategy. Children come to you with so many varied experiences and skills that one size will not fit all. There are two principles that I think are important.

First, make it authentic! Teach letters in context and connect with children’s names, units of study, nursery rhymes, and other interests. For example, a trip to the pumpkin patch would be the perfect time to talk about Pp. Talk about the letter Jj when you say Jack and Jill. If your football team is the Falcons discuss the letter Ff.

Second, make it playful and challenging. Use hands-on activities, songs, movements, and games to stimulate multiple senses. Blocks, play dough, puzzles, and magnetic letters are much more REAL than a worksheet or computer game.

Finally, remember that children take it in and take it in and take it in – and then something comes out! They don’t all learn in the same way at the same time, so you have to provide a variety of opportunities to learn. The key is to keep it fun and make them feel successful.

I've got some simple tools that will provide children with multiple experiences in learning letters. Purposeful practice for automaticity (aka repetition) is important for skill mastery so you will want to do these activities many times.

Note! Although I’ll be focusing on alphabet letters, please “harvest” these ideas and make them work for the age and interests of your students. For example, if your children are proficient with alphabet knowledge, use these ideas for sight words. For younger children adapt these activities for learning colors and shapes.


LETTER PUPPETS

Envelope Puppets
Seal an envelope and cut it in half as shown. Write the uppercase letter on one side and the lowercase letter on the other side. Sing the “Hokey Pokey” with the letter puppet.

You put your (letter) in,
You take your (letter) out,
You put your (letter) in
And you shake it all about.
You make the (letter sound)
And then you put it down.

*Listen up! Tell children when you say words starting with that sound they can hold up their puppet. When you say a word that doesn’t start with that sound they should keep the puppet in their lap.

*Have children write a letter on one side and draw an animal that begins with that sound on the reverse side.




*I Have - Who Has Alphabetical Order?
Seal 13 envelopes, cut them in half, and then write the letters of the alphabet on the envelopes. Pass out one or two envelopes to each child and have the child with A say: I have A. Who has B?
The child with B says: I have B. Who has C? And so forth.

*Let children hold up their letter as you sing different alphabet songs.

*Use these puppets to make CVC words.

Paper Plate Puppets
Staple two paper plates together 3/4 of the way around. Write a large uppercase letter on one side and a lowercase letter on the other side. Or, just write the uppercase and lowercase together on one side. Children wear these on their hands and hold them up when their letter is sung in an alphabet song.

*You can also use these to make CVC words or sight words.


http://bit.ly/drjeanLetterLand

MOVING THE MORNING MEETING

There is a limit to the time that children can sit and pay attention, but this idea might help spark interest in your morning routine as you build skills. Think about having older children stand and walk around the room to face the flag, calendar, word wall, and classroom alphabet. As children stand and walk around the room you can engage them in some of the songs, movements, and interactive activities suggested.

My World
What? flag, US map, poster of handshakes, classroom rules

How? Sing a good morning song, say the pledge, do a handshake, review rules, etc.

Math/Science
What? calendar, weather chart, hundreds chart, daily schedule

How? Sing songs about the days of the week or the month, review your daily schedule. Sing the weather song and have a “meteorologist” report. Count, add boys and girls, think of equations that equal the date, etc.

Word Wall
What? word wall, flashlight, pointer, fly swatter

How? Sing, dance, clap, and cheer words. Make sentences with words, play games, spotlight words, spell words with sign language, etc.

Alphabet Wall
What? class alphabet, pointers

How? Sing alphabet songs and play letter recognition games. Clap on consonants and jump on vowels. Do Karate writing where children punch up high for tall letters, punch in front of them for middle letters, and give a little kick for letters with a tail.

Hint! Even if you don’t want to do all of the above activities, it’s important to get the children up and wake up their brains with a song or movement activity.

PLAYING WITH LETTERS

PLAYING WITH LETTERS is meant to be a resource that you can use with any reading or alphabet program that your school has selected. The ideas can be adapted for circle time, learning centers, small group instruction, take home activities, brain breaks, or transitions to provide children with learning opportunities throughout the day. Think of these activities as a spoonful of sugar to make those skills and standards “taste” more fun!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lG6M8DVJP2umDSVMAdv5uq1vF0l3XjBo/view?usp=sharing

The activities in our book are organized around these categories:

Touch and Tell (Multisensory)

Teaching Transitions

ABC Tools and “Toys”

Let’s Play and Learn Games

Letter Land (Classroom Print &Alphabet Books)

Ready to Write

Letter Centers

Singing Letters and Sounds

Alphabet Poetry Book

NOTE!

Many teachers question how they should introduce letters. Should you do capital letters first? Is there a specific order you should follow? There is NO definitive research to support one particular strategy. Children come to you with so many varied experiences and skills that one size will not fit all. However, there are two principles that we think are important.

First, make it authentic! Teach letters in context and connect with children’s names, units of study, nursery rhymes, and other interests. For example, a trip to the pumpkin patch would be the perfect time to talk about Pp. Talk about the letter Jjwhen you say Jack and Jill. If your football team is the Falcons discuss the letter Ff.

Second, make it playful and challenging. Use hands-on activities, songs, movements, and games to stimulate multiple senses. Blocks, play dough, puzzles, and magnetic letters are much more REAL than a worksheet or computer game.

Finally, remember that children take it in and take it in and take it in – and then something comes out! They don’t all learn in the same way at the same time, so you have to provide a variety of opportunities to learn. The key is to keep it fun and make them feel successful. 

HINT!  You’ll also be able to adapt many of these strategies for other skills, such as sight words, math concepts, etc.

SKILLS GALORE OUTDOORS

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box to make standards more fun!

Reading Tree
Choose a poetry book, storybook, and non-fiction book to read outside under a shady tree. Can the children identify the books?


Reading Buddies
Divide children into pairs and let them each choose a favorite book. Go out on the playground, find a shady spot, and enjoy sharing their books with each other.
*Encourage them to ask each other questions about the books they read.


Alphabet Walk
Write letters on a paved surface with chalk. Challenge the children to step on the letters as they name them. Can they think of something that starts with each sound.

Word Hopscotch
Draw a hopscotch grid on a paved surface. Write high frequency words in each section. Children hop on the spaces as they read the words.


Talking Stick
Choose a stick on the playground and then have the children sit in a circle under a tree. Explain that you will start a story. As you pass the stick around, the child holding the stick can add to the story. Only the person holding the stick is allowed to talk. You might want to start a story about the day a space ship landed on the playground or the day animals started to talk.

Prepositions on the Move
Using playground equipment, call out various prepositions, such as on, off, over, under, by, between, to, from for the children to demonstrate.


We Can Do Opposites
Gather children around playground equipment and tell them you will call out a word. Can they demonstrate the opposite? For example, if the teacher said down, the children would climb up. If the teacher said front, the children would move to the back. Other words could be over, behind, inside, and so forth.


Verb Relays
Divide children into relay teams. The teacher names a verb and the children act out the meaning until everyone on their team has completed the movement. For example, you could have them walk, march, strut, prance, and so forth.
*It's a good way to integrate synonyms!

END OF YEAR PROGRAM

This time of year many of you are stressing out over your “end of the year” program. Listen, no matter what their kids do, the parents will be thrilled and think they are wonderful. So keep it fun this year with these simple ideas.

Who Let the Letters Out?
Staple ovals to a strip of paper to make doggie headbands. Let children decorate large cardboard letters with glitter and bling bling. Punch a hole in the top and tie on a string to make rapper necklaces. Make a large doghouse to pin on the stage curtains. (Square with an arch cut out. Triangle roof.) As you sing the song children come out of the doghouse dancing and wearing their letters.

Who let the A out?
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
Who let the B out…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1H-LTV4pkU

Happy Birthday Letters 

Have children bring in baseball caps and sunglasses. Make microphones out of toilet paper rolls wrapped with aluminum foil. Turn the caps backwards as you sing:

Yo A, it’s your birthday.
Let’s all read like your birthday.
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
You B, it’s your birthday…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuyyoj_xvUE

Alphabet Remix
Sing the regular ABC song. (Fold hands and sing sweetly.)
“Remix!"
I say, A B C D E F G! (clap twice) (Dance from side to side.)
H I J K L M N O P (clap twice)
Q R S, (clap)
T U V, (clap)
W X Y and Z.
Now I know my ABC’s.
Next time, won’t you rap with me? (Make rapper hands and dance.)
A (blow out of the side of your mouth)
B (blow) C (blow)….Z
Now I know my ABC’s (blow).
Now you’re ready to read with me! (blow)

The Very Hungry Class
This is a take off on "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Choose a song, finger play, or poem that you’ve used for every month in the school year. It will bring back fond memories for your students and will be an easy program to put together for the parents. It might go something like this:

When school started we were a very hungry class eager to learn.
In September we learned our rules -THE RULES RAP.
In October we learned the days of the week – DAYS OF THE WEEK.
November was when we said our letters and sounds – ALPHARDY.
In December we learned the months in the year – MACARENA MONTHS.
January was our Hundreds Day Celebration – ZERO THE HERO STOMP.
In February we learned about money – THE MONEY SONG.
March was time to learn to spell – COLOR FARM.
In April we learned to recycle – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
May was a time to study (plants, dinosaurs, caterpillars, or another song that reflects your standards).
Now, before we say good-bye,
We’ll sing our favorite song for you.
Please stand up and join along
And you can learn to “Tooty Ta”, too! (The audience stands up and does the “Tooty Ta” with you.)





Author's Tea
After writing and editing original stories, invite parents to a party where each child gets to share her book and read a few pages.

Check out activities for the end of the school year on my video:
http://bit.ly/2pFoAqU

EGG-STRA, EGG-STRA!

WOW!  How many ways can you use plastic eggs in your classroom ?

Write an upper case letter on one half with a permanent marker and the lower case letter on the other half.
*Children can match letters. They can also write words or draw pictures of things that begin with that sound and put them in the egg.

Write onsets (consonants or blends) on one half and rimes (word endings) on the other half. Children twist around and read words. You could also ask children to write the words.

Practice making and reading two letter words by writing a letter on each half. Ask children to write the words or use them in a sentence.

Write numerals or number words on the eggs. Children fill with the appropriate amount of beans or paper clips.
Can they write all the different ways they can make five?

Make compound words with eggs.

Let children draw pictures of all the animals that come from eggs.

Write a poem about spring on a small sheet of paper. Fold it up and put it in the egg.

Practice addition and subtraction with eggs.

Write sight words or spelling words on the eggs. Write the same word on a 1” x 4” sheet of paper and cut between the letters to make a puzzle. Place puzzle pieces in the egg. Children shake and then open and put the pieces together to make the word.
*You can also put random letters in the egg and ask children to see how many words they can make and write from the letters.

Hint! I have tried both Sharpies and permanent markers and they rub off. I would suggest just putting clear tape on top of the marker.

BLOCK PLAY

I often tell teachers, "If I could have two things in my classroom I'd take books and blocks." Blocks are great for creative play and STEM, but they can also be used for other skills.

Note! For some of these activities you will want to tape the paper to the blocks or use sticky notes. For other games that will be used in multiple ways (such as letters and numerals), you could write on the blocks with a permanent marker.

Sequence– Tape illustrations (from a workbook or worksheet) of different parts of a story. Children can sequence the pictures and retell the story using the blocks.

Rhymes– Tape pictures of objects that rhyme to blocks and have children match them up.

CVC Words– On 2 ½” squares write consonants with a blue marker and write vowels with a red marker. Tape to blocks. Let children build CVC words using the blocks.

Prefixes and Suffixes– Use a black marker to write root words on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper and tape to blocks of the same size. Write prefixes with a green marker and suffixes with a red marker on 2 ½”” squares and tape to square blocks. Children place the prefixes in front of the root words and read. Place the suffixes on the end of the blocks and read.

Onsets and Rimes– Write rimes (vowel and letters following) on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper and tape to blocks. Write onsets (consonants and blends) on 2 ½” squares and tape to blocks. Children put onsets on rimes and read the words.

Singular and Plural – Write nouns on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper. Tape to blocks. Write “s” on a 2 ½” square and tape to a block. Challenge children to read singular words and then make them mean “more than one.”

Inflicted Endings– Write verbs on 2 ½’” x 5” pieces of paper. Write “s,” “ing,” and “ed” on 2 ½” squares and tape to blocks. Can children make words and then use them in sentences?

Letter Blocks– Write uppercase letters on 26 blocks and lowercase letters on other blocks. Can children match upper and lowercase letters?

Alphabetical Order– Ask children to put the blocks in alphabetical order.

Sight Words and Spelling Words– Invite children to reproduce their names, high frequency words, spelling words, or vocabulary words with the letter blocks.

Beginning Sounds– Using old workbooks, cut out pictures and tape them to blocks. Ask children to match up letters with pictures that begin with the same sound. (You could do this for final sounds or vowels.)

Building Sentences– Challenge children to construct sentences using the high frequency words.
I like…
We can…

I see…

DON'T FORGET MATH!!!!

Sorting – Can they sort like blocks together? Can they regroup the blocks by another attribute?

Numerical Order – Write numerals 0-10 on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper and attach to blocks. Can they put the blocks in order? 

Sets and Numerals – Write numerals, number words, and sets on blocks for children to match.



Roll and Stack – Children take one or two dice and roll. They select that number of blocks and stack them as tall as they can. 

Counting – How many blocks can you stack?

Math Signs – Write inequality signs, =, +, and – on pieces of paper and attach to blocks. Children can build equations and practice addition and subtraction with the numeral blocks and signs

Liquid Measurement – Write “cup” on two square blocks. Write “pint” on a rectangular block. How many cups in a pint?



Fractions – What would happen if you cut the square block in half? What would happen if you cut the rectangular block in half? How many ways can you make the square block? Rectangular block?

Measure Up – Children lay on the floor as friends take unit blocks and measure how many blocks long they are. Use different size blocks and compare.

Graphing – Have children draw their faces on 2 ½”” squares. Tape to blocks. Use for comparing and graphing.
For example: You could have a picture of a bus, feet, and a car. Children place their block under the way they travel to school. Which one is more? Less? How can we tell for sure?