LOWERCASE LETTER LIMERICKS U-Z

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!

ACTIVITIES

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.

*Note!  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.

LOWERCASE LETTER LIMERICKS P-T

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!

ACTIVITIES

Letter Puzzles – Write upper and lowercase letters on opposite sides of a paper plate.  Cut puzzle designs between the letters.  Children will know if they’ve matched upper and lowercase letters correctly because there will be a perfect fit.

Letter Collage - Give children old magazines, catalogs, and newspapers.  Have them cut out letters and glue them on a sheet of construction paper.  Can they name the letters that they cut out? 

*Can they cut out all the letters in their name? 

*Can they find all the letters from A-Z?

Stencils – Give children letter stencils to trace around on construction paper.  Children can cut out the letters after they’ve traced around them. 

Hint!  They can also make a letter necklace by punching holes in the letters they’ve cut out and stringing them on yarn.

Letter Pasta – Purchase pasta/macaroni in the shape of alphabet letters.  Separate the pasta into four plastic bags.  Add a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and a large squirt of food coloring to each bag.  Shake.  Dry on wax paper.  Mix the colors together to get a rainbow of letters.  Children can “find” letters with a magnifying glass.  Or, give them tweezers to pick out letters they know.

Bobbing Letters – Write letters on ping pong balls with a permanent marker.  Place in a water table or tub and let children scoop them out with a fish net.

Hidden Letters – Hide magnetic letters in a sand table or in a sandbox.  Can children name the letters that they find?  Can they make the sound of the letter?

LOWERCASE LETTER LIMERICKS K-O

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.

ACTIVITIES

Senses are like pathways to the brain.  The more senses you activate, the more likely the message will get to the brain.  Here are some kinesthetic ideas for hands-on learning.

Rainbow Writing - Make “rainbow letters” by tracing around letters with different colors of crayons.

Hint!  Make giant rainbow letters using bulletin board paper on the wall.  Invite all the children in the class to contribute to the rainbow letter.

Scratch and Sniff - Write letters with glue, then sprinkle with Jell-o or powdered drink mix.  Dry, scratch, and sniff!

Hint!  Obviously, they can’t share these so each child will need his/her own!

Lotty Dotty - Use a marker to make dotted letters.  Put a drop of glue on top of each dot.  Children trace over the dots of glue with their finger as they make the sound. 

Rub Overs  - Write letters with water soluble makers. Trace over the letters with white glue.  The marker will be absorbed into the glue to create a raised letter.  Children place a sheet of paper on top and rub with the side of a crayon.  Taa daa!

*You can also make invisible letters by just using glue.  Children rub over the letter to discover what it is.

Hint!  You may need to tape these to a table or use with a clip board to keep them in place.

Magic Paint Brush – Give children a clean paint brush and a cup of water.  Children make letters on a chalkboard and then watch them disappear!

Hint!  Place a small piece of sponge in a spring clothespin and use as a paintbrush.

Mystery Letter  - Write letters with a white crayon.  Children take a large paint brush and diluted paint and “wash” over the entire page to make the letter appear.

LOWERCASE LETTER LIMERICKS F-J

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!

ACTIVITIES

Here are some other strategies for writing the letter limericks.

Flashlight – Turn off the lights and make letters on the wall or ceiling with a flashlight.

Palm Writing  - Have children write letters on their “palm pilot.”  Hold up one palm and trace letters with the index finger from the other hand.

Pass the Letter – Have children sit on the floor in a circle facing each other’s backs.  The teacher traces a letter on the first child’s back as he says the rhyme.  That child traces the letter on the next child’s back.  Children continue to “pass” the letter around the circle as they write it on each other’s backs.

Partner Writing  - Let children write letters on each other’s backs.  Can they guess the letters their friends write?

LITTLE LETTER LIMERICKS

My daughter wrote some letter limericks for uppercase letters several years ago.  Many teachers have asked for limericks for the lowercase letters, so Holly worked on these this summer.  (She also wrote some songs for Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, George Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Lincoln, and George Washington Carver…but they are still “under construction.”)  And wait until you see the free download Mary Amoson has created for you on TPT!  THANK YOU MARY!  AND THANK YOU HOLLY!

I’ll post a few letter rhymes each day with ideas for introducing them in your classroom.

 LOWERCASE LETTER LIMERICKS A-E

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.

P.S.  Thanks to Faith Durinsky and K.J. Karapetkov for illustrating the rhymes!  
(Too bad they got bored after the first five letters!)

ACTIVITIES

As you say the letter limericks, encourage the children to close their eyes and make a picture of the letter in the brain.  Practice saying and reading the rhyme several times and then make the letter in the air using one of these techniques:

Air Writing  - Write letters in the air using the index finger and middle finger.  Keep your elbow stiff.

Clap and Clasp Writing  - Have children clap their hands together and clasp their fingers.  Practice making lines, shapes, and letters

in the air using clasped hands.

Writing Wand – Tape ribbon or tissue paper to a straw or craft stick and use it to write in the air.

Body Writing  - Use elbows, tongues, noses, feet, belly buttons and other body parts to write letters in the air.

Tummy Writing  - How about “tummy writing”?  Have children lay on the floor on their tummies.  They can extend their arm in the air and trace giant letters on the floor.

HAPPIER BOXES

Here are a few more suggestions for creating independent, self-contained activities for your children.   Wouldn’t these be a good project for families to create for you?  You could give them suggestions, or just let them come up with their own ideas.

Inventor’s Box – Recycle toilet paper rolls, bottle tops, and other materials and challenge children to invent something with them.

Cutting Box – Put scissors, scrap paper, junk mail, and old catalogs in a box.

*Hole punches are also good for small motor development.

Dealer’s Choice – How about a deck of cards or other simple card games like “Go Fish” or “Old Maid”?

Play Dough Factory – Play dough, cookie cutters, plastic dishes and silverware, and cookie cutters will entertain children and develop small muscles.

Puppet Box – Hand puppets, finger puppets, or stick puppets can be placed in a box for story telling.

Story Box – Put a book and small stuffed animal children can read to in a box.

Sew and String – Fill a box with sewing cards, shoe laces, wooden beads, pasta with holes, and other things that you can sew or string.

Nature Box – Collect leaves, sticks, rocks, pinecones, shells and other natural objects that children can examine, sort, and explore.

Dress Me – A shoe that ties, shirt with buttons, buckle belt, or other clothing are great for practicing self-help skills.

Common Core Standards in a Box

RF.K.3.c.  Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g. the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).

Clip and Read - Write high frequency words on the ends of craft sticks and place them in the box.  Write letters on clothespins.  Children clip the clothespins to the end of the stick to spell the words.

String and Read - Place a list of words in the box along with pipe cleaners and letter beads.  Children string the beads on the pipe cleaner to spell words.

Math - Write numbers from 0 to 20.  Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

Smart Cookies - Write numerals on plastic plates with a permanent marker.  Put play dough in the box along with the plates.  Children take play dough, roll it, and place it on top of the numeral.  Then they make the appropriate number of cookies out of play dough.  Can they put the cookies in a line and count them?  Can they put them close together and count them?
*You can also write numerals on paper and insert it in clear sheet protectors or folders.

*My mind’s going 90 miles an hour.  Visit my website in October to see what I’ve come up with.   I might call it “Common Core in a Box.”  If you have any suggestions I’d love to have you email them to me.

HAPPY BOXES

Many years ago they sold laundry detergent in boxes that had a nice plastic handle.  That’s when my college students and I first came up with the idea of “happy boxes.”  We would decorate the outside of the box and then fill it with self-contained materials that children could do independently.  As most things do, this concept circled back to me at a workshop recently when a teacher asked if I’d come up with ideas for “busy boxes.”  Her description of a busy box turned out to be the same as our happy boxes of the 90’s.   I’m going to do an extensive article about these on my October website, but I’ll get you started with a few you can create to start the school year.

Why?             Executive function  (task initiation and completion)

                        Common Core Skills (math, phonics, word work, writing)

                        21^st Century Skills (perfect for partner or small group work to

                        encourage communication, cooperation, and collaboration)

                        Creativity

                        Differentiated instruction

                        Brain Research (multi-sensory and hands-on)

WHEN?          Children can use these if they finish their work early.

                        Children could check these out and take them home to do with 

                        their families.

                        Children could do these if they arrive at school early or if they have 

                        a late bus.

                        Children could do these with a partner or small group.

                       

How?             You could store these on a shelf for children to choose.

                        Number the boxes.  Give children a numbered index card where

                        they punch the number as they complete the activity.

                        Put a class list in the box so students can cross through

                        their name as they finish the task.

What?           Shoe boxes, plastic tubs, cloth bags, lunch 
                       boxes, pencil boxes,  wipe boxes, etc. could
                       be use to create these activities.

Concept Boxes –Put objects that are the same color, shape, beginning

sound, etc. in a box.  Children could explore the items and then explain (draw, dictate, write) what they have in common.

Writing Box – Put paper, envelopes, sticky notes, pencils, pens, colored pencils, stickers, scissors, glue, and other writing paraphernalia in the container.

Math Whiz – Add a calculator, ruler, minute timer, counters, toy money, tablet, pencil, calendar, and other math related objects to the box.

Science Lab – Add paper, pencils, a magnet, magnifying glass, safety goggles, and science books and magazines to the box.

Sew and String – Fill a box with sewing cards, shoe laces, wooden beads, pasta with holes, and other things that you can sew or string.

Art Smart  - Put crayons, markers, paper, glue, scissors, hole punch, etc. in a box.

Common Core Standards in a Box!

RL.K.5.  Recognize common types of texts (e.g. storybooks, poems).

Book Shopping List - Put order forms from book clubs in a box, along with scissors and glue.  Add a "shopping list" where you ask children to find different types of books.  The list might include a poetry book, two books by the same author, a nature book, a book where you could learn how to do something, and so forth.

Count to tell the number of objects.

4.   a.  When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.

Doing Dots - Download dot cards at  www.k-5mathteachingresources.com.  Add math counters (such as bears, buttons, small erasers) for children to match up one to one on the dots.