Pre-K Printable Fun
  • Home
  • About
    • Pre-K Printable Fun >
      • Paid Contributers
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    • Disclosures
  • Blog
  • Themes
  • More
    • Learning Centers
    • Dramatic Play
    • Block Play
    • Math
    • Language & Literacy
    • Science
    • Music and Movement
    • Educator Resources
    • Free Printables
  • Become a Member
  • Log In
  • Store

Teaching letters

4/21/2021

Comments

 
Picture
The following article about the developmentally appropriate ways to teach letters was written by child care provider guest poster Sheena Wheeler of Building Blocks Family Childcare.
Literacy development is an important part of early childhood education. I often hear early childhood educators inquire about the best way to teach young children how to identify letters and the sounds they make, and in which order it is best to teach letters in.

Approaches to teaching letters

One approach to teaching letters is the “Letter of the Week” approach. Letter of the Week instruction involves focusing on teaching children one letter at a time over the course of the school-year, with the last few weeks typically being a review. The letters may be taught in alphabetical order or in another sequence that the teacher or curriculum direct. The teacher introduces activities which relate to the letter of the week and the sound (or phoneme) the letter makes. Activities might include using flashcards, worksheets, arts and crafts that are associated with that letter (such as assembling a paper alligator for the letter “A”), and snacks related to the letter of the week.
This approach is not developmentally appropriate, nor is it an effective way to teach children letters. This method introduces letters in isolation and subsequently, the letters hold little meaning to children. Without connecting the letters to individual interests, children are less likely to retain the information and more likely to become bored or frustrated.

So what IS appropriate?

Children learn best through play and experiences that are meaningful to them. Children in a literacy-rich program will naturally learn to identify letters. A literacy-rich program includes reading aloud to children, providing a variety of books for children (with a cozy place to read protected from active play),  providing writing materials, labeling shelves where materials are stored (label use in the classroom should be used only when it has meaning; labeling a shelf where a toy belongs provides meaning to children whereas labeling every item in the classroom does not), and teachers having conversations with children including asking open-ended questions.
 One thing that is universal among all children is their interest in themselves and their family and friends. The first letter appropriate to teach a child, is the letter their name begins with. Children become very excited to learn which letter their name begins with.
Picture
There are countless opportunities in the classroom to incorporate children’s names and letters in the daily routine. Some examples are: Label cubbies with the children’s names (you can also add a picture until they begin to recognize their names), names on classroom job charts, and label their chair or place at the table. There are also plenty of opportunities to have conversations about letters with the children within the daily routine. Some examples: pointing out the title of a book shares a letter that a child has in their name, a child’s shirt has letters on it (“oh, I notice Andrew has an “L” on his shirt, I wonder if anyone here has a name that starts with “L”?), dismiss children to wash their hands by the letter their name starts with, pointing out environmental print (while on a walk, you come to a stop sign, “Look, that sign says STOP, can anyone identify those letters? Does anyone have any of those letters in their name?).
Using these methods provides opportunities for teachers to talk about letters naturally throughout the day. As children learn about the letters that make up their own names, they will also want to learn about the letters that make up their friend’s names. This creates opportunities for children to compare and contrast the features of individual letters, which is an important component of learning to identify every letter.

Learning Letters through play

Materials should be made available to the children that encourage them to explore letters. Some examples are: alphabet puzzles, file-folder games, sand paper letters, salt-writing trays, soft stuffed letters, felt letters, Printable Literacy Activities from thePre-K Printables Club, play dough with letter dough stampers, and wooden or plastic letter construction kits.
Teachers can introduce new games or materials in small groups before placing them in the classroom. I work in a multi-age classroom with ages 8-months to 5-years. My favorite method for inviting children to participate in group activities is called “drop-and-do.” With this method I collect my materials in a basket, position myself in an area of the classroom where the children can see me and there is enough room for the children that are interested to gather.
Picture
When I sit down with my basket, children typically start gravitating towards me. This usually means toys are abandoned and activities are left out, this is okay with me, the children clean them up later, my focus is on the children participating in the group experience.
As with any small group activity, it is important to note that not every child may want to participate. That’s okay! Orient yourself in the classroom where children that are not interested can choose other materials to play with. If you find that one child consistently is not interested, I suggest putting together an invitation that would particularly interest that child. For example, if that child is very interested in construction vehicles, you could place some small construction vehicles in a basket and the book The Construction Alphabet Book.
Picture
One of my favorite literacy drop-and-do materials is soft stuffed letters. I have both uppercase and lowercase (I only take out one set at a time unless doing a matching game), they come in primary colors which extends the activity.  I also include a book or two in my basket. For this example I used Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and I Spy Letters.  We begin by exploring the letters. Often, one toddler dumps out the basket, another toddler will try to fill the basket back up and the preschoolers will look for the letter that their name begins with. As the children are exploring the letters, I take the opportunity to interact with them. Depending on the developmental level and age of each child, this involves talking about the texture of the letters, identifying the letters, talking about how the letter is formed, and the phoneme.
Next, we talk about how we could sort the letters. We start by sorting them by color, then by which ones have a circle and which do not. As the excitement dies down, I introduce the books. As I read the books, I point out any letters that the children are holding which are also in the book, as well as any letters that the children’s names begin with. When the activity is over the letters are placed on a shelf for the children to explore as they choose.
Picture
This method can be used for many different materials and games. Drop-and-do can also be utilized for games that are only appropriate for older children, such as alphabet matching file-folder games and other games available from Pre-K Printable Fun.

For this example I would position myself at the table. As place the game on the table, as soon as a child becomes interested, I will begin playing the game with them. Soon, they are playing with their peers and I leave the table to interact with the toddlers to keep them from trying to join in.
I hope this article will help early childhood educators have a better understanding about how to introduce children to letters in a way that is meaningful and developmentally appropriate for them.

About our guest poster

Sheena Wheeler is the owner of Building Blocks Family Childcare. She has over 10 years experience operating her own child care business. She was introduced to this business by her grandmother who had been a home childcare provider for as long as she can remember! She is a lifelong learner, studying primarily the field of Early Childhood Education. 
Sheena also works as a mentor for home based childcare providers in the area where she lives. She says she, "Enjoys helping other providers start their businesses and lending support once they are operational." You can also find her helping out as an Admin in our FB Communities.
She is also a wife and mother to three wonderful boys. In her free time she enjoys working in the garden with her boys and working on home improvements with her husband. 

You might also like:

15+ Name Recognition Ideas
DIY Sand Tree on a Dollar Tree Budget

Shop my products

Alphabet Books

$6.00

Preschoolers can practice letter formation, letter recognition, and letter sounds with these easy to assemble Alphabet Books! Add them to your literacy center, send them home, or use them daily! Inside this zipped file, you will find a 4-page black and white .pdf booklet for each letter.


When cut in half each book contains the following activities :

A Cover

Certificate of Completion

Uppercase Tracing

Uppercase Find and Color activity

Lowercase Tracing

Lowercase Find and Color activity

First Sounds Find and Color

Frame for drawing a picture


*This is a zipped file you will need to extract the contents.


Assembly Directions

1.Print a book of your choice.

2.Cut each page along the dashed line.

3.Order the pages: Cover, This is an uppercase _, I can find an uppercase _, This is a lowercase _, I can find a lowercase _, _ is for, I can draw a picture that starts with the letter_, certificate of completion

4.Staple each booklet on the left side.


Activity Directions

1 Cover: Have your student write their name, and color the image on the cover. Discuss the letter name, and letter sound(S) for the letter on the cover.

2.This is an uppercase : Have your student trace the letter with their finger, use a pencil or crayon to trace the letter, and write the letter

3.I can find an uppercase : Have your student search the images for the uppercase letter, and color in the images where it appears.

4.This is a lowercase : Have your student trace the lowercase letter with their finger, use a pencil or crayon to trace the letter, and write the letter

5.I can find a lowercase : Have your student search the images for the uppercase letter, and color in the images where it appears.

6._ is for: Color the images that begin with the letter sounds (*for the letter X start or end).

7.I can draw a picture that starts with the letter: Draw a picture that starts with the letter

8.certificate of completion: Add the date the booklet was complete.


Alternative

•Trace with crayons, dry erase markers, paint or fingers.

*Mix and Match the pages

•Use as a guide to form letters with pipe cleaners, waxed yarn, or writing trays.



Pre-K Printables Club Members:

Log In and click here to download this product for free!

Not a member? Click here to learn more about our membership


Subscribe to my free newsletter:

Receive a weekly freebie!

Shop

Alphabet Play Dough Mats

$5.00

These printable alphabet dough mats are a such a fun way for preschoolers to practice forming letters while building fine motor skills at the same time!


These mats are to easy to assemble. Simply print and laminate! Children learn to build the letters, by simply rolling out their dough and forming it around the letters. Each mat also includes a fun dough activity to strengthen small hands even more.

This 29 page pack includes the following:


- 26 letter play dough mats

-Directions, TOS, and Graphics Credit


Pre-K Printables Club Members:

Log In and click here to download this product for free!

Not a member? Click here to learn more about our membership

Shop

Alphabet Letter Formation Mats

$3.00

Preschoolers can practice letter formation and letter recognition with these flexible ABC mats! These can be used as regular tracing pages, with play dough, or with other manipulatives!


This 28 pg. .pdf file includes 26 full size letter pages. Scale down your print to 4:1 to create tracing cards for your writing trays or other activities.


Assembly Directions




  1. Print Mats
  2. If you plan re-using these with dry erase markers, play dough or manipulatives I recommend laminating them for durability or placing them inside a dry erase pocket!


Directions for use:

•Trace with crayons, dry erase markers, paint or fingers.

•Cover with collage items, play dough, stickers, or other manipulatives.

•Use as a guide to form letters with pipe cleaners, waxed yarn, or writing trays.

•Use as sorting mats: to sort alphabet items from your classroom, or to place the letters in alphabetical order.


Pre-K Printables Club Members:

Log In and click here to download this product for free!

Not a member? Click here to learn more about our membership


Subscribe to my free newsletter:

Receive a weekly freebie!

Shop

Ice Cream Alphabet First Sounds Puzzles

$2.00

Ice Cream themed activities are great for keeping preschoolers engaged in learning activities. This set supports children in learning to recognize uppercase & lowercase letters and phonemes.


This 23-page .pdf includes:

Ice Cream Scoop Pieces


  • Lowercase letters
  • Uppercase letters
  • First Sounds

Ice Cream Cone Pieces


  • Uppercase Letters
  • Lowercase Letters
  • Both Uppercase & Lowercase


Also Included: Directions, TOS, Graphics Credit


Pre-K Printables Club Members:

Log In and click here to download this product for free!

Not a member? Click here to learn more about our membership

Shop

Pattern Block Alphabet Letter Mats

$3.00

Preschoolers love to use pattern blocks! These fun letter mats are a great way to engage preschoolers in learning how to form letters.


This set of Uppercase Pattern Block Mats contain the following 3 activities per mat:


  • I can make it: Children build the letter on the mat
  • I can count it: Children count the total number of each type of pattern blocks they used and record it.
  • I can find it: Children search the border for the mat for the featured letter and circle it.


Also Included: Directions page including alignment to PKPF learning standards and extension ideas, TOS, Graphics Credit, and Contact Information


Try this set of lowercase letters for free! This set of Lowercase Pattern Block Mats contain the following 3 activities per mat:


  • I can make it: Children build the letter on the mat
  • I can count it: Children count the total number of each type of pattern blocks they used and record it.
  • I can find it: Children search the border for the mat for the featured letter and circle it.



Please note this is a .zip file containing 2 .pdf files.



Pre-K Printables Club Members:

Log In and click here to download this product for free!

Not a member? Click here to learn more about our membership


Subscribe to my free newsletter:

Receive a weekly freebie!

Shop
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Comments
    Picture

    What can I help you find?


    Become a Member

    Picture
    Learn More

    Get Free
    Lesson Plans!

    50+ Free Sample Preschool Lesson Plans!
    Free Lesson Plans
    Sign Me Up!

    Popular Products

    On Sale

    On Sale

    Easter Preschool Activity Pack

    $7.00 $0.00
    Shop

    Musical Instruments Sound Patterning

    $2.00
    Shop

    Flower Shop Dramatic Play Pack

    $4.00
    Shop

    Let's connect!


    By Category:

    All
    4th Of July
    All About Me
    Alphabet & Letters
    Animals
    Apples
    Arctic Animals
    Around The World
    Art & Creativity
    Assessments
    Back To School
    Bakery
    Basic Operations
    Birds
    Birthday
    Black History
    Blocks & Small World Play
    Book Companion Activity
    Book Lists
    Calendar Activities
    Camping
    Canada Day
    Caterpillars And Butterflies
    Childcare
    Chinese New Year
    Christmas
    Circle Time
    Circus
    Classroom Management
    Clouds Wind Rain
    Colors
    Community Helpers
    Construction & Building
    Cooking And Snacks
    Crafts
    Cut And Paste
    Deck The Halls
    Dental Health
    Diner
    Dinosaurs
    DIY
    Doctor's Office
    Dramatic Play
    Early Learning Standards
    Earth Day And Recycling
    Easter
    Educator Resources
    Fairy Tales
    Fall
    Family And My Home
    Farm
    Farmers Market
    Father's Day
    Feelings And Emotions
    Felt Activities
    Fine Motor
    Fingerplays
    Fire Safety
    First Sounds
    Flowers & Bees
    Focus Wall
    Free Printables
    Friendship And Kindness
    Fruits And Vegetables
    Fun In The Sun
    Gardening
    Gift Ideas
    Gingerbread Sweet Treats
    Graduation
    Graph & Measure
    Gross Motor
    Groundhog Day
    Halloween
    Health & Safety
    Hibernation
    Holiday Pretend Play
    Holidays
    Homeschool
    Hot Chocolate
    IKEA Ideas
    Important People
    Infants & Toddlers
    Insects
    Kwanzaa
    Language And Literacy
    Learning Spaces
    Leaves & Trees
    Lesson Planning
    Library Fun
    Loose Parts
    Martin Luther King Jr. Day
    Math
    Medieval Fantasy & Fairy Tales
    Military
    Monthly Themes & Ideas
    Mother's Day
    Movies And Popcorn
    Mud Kitchen
    Music And Movement
    Name Activities
    News Station
    New Years
    Nocturnal Animals
    Number Formation
    Numbers & Counting
    Nursery Rhymes & Mother Goose
    Organizing & Storage
    Outer Space
    Outside
    Parent Communication
    Parent Engagement
    Pattern Blocks
    Patterning
    Penguins
    Pets
    Physical Development
    Picnics
    Pie Stand
    Pirates & Tropical Island
    Play Dough
    Police
    Pond
    Positional Phrases
    Post Office
    Printable Crafts
    Printsble Tips
    Process Art
    Pumpkins
    Puppet Theater
    Puzzles
    Rainbow
    Reading
    Recipes
    Rhymes
    Rocks Dirt And Mud
    Routines & Job Charts
    Safety
    Santa And His Helpers
    Scarecrows Corn And Crows
    Scavenger Hunts
    Science & Discovery
    Science-stem
    Science-stem
    Self Care
    Sensory Play
    Shapes
    Sight Words
    Signs
    Snakes
    Snow And Snowmen
    Social Emotional
    Social Studies
    Sorting And Classifying
    Spiders
    Sports
    Spring
    Spring Cleaning
    Squirrels And Acorns
    STEM Activity
    St. Patrick's Day
    Summer
    Theme Calendar
    Themes
    Transportation
    Turkeys And Thanksgiving
    Under The Sea
    Valentine's Day
    Veterans Day
    Veterinarian
    Weather
    Whole Group
    Winter
    Winter Clothes
    Winter Sports
    Woodland Forest Animals
    Worms Snails Slugs
    Writing
    Zoo

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    September 2018
    August 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    RSS Feed

My Newsletter Rocks!

Let's Connect

Picture
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. You can learn more about our policies here.
Copyright © 2023 prekprintablefun.com
  • Home
  • About
    • Pre-K Printable Fun >
      • Paid Contributers
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    • Disclosures
  • Blog
  • Themes
  • More
    • Learning Centers
    • Dramatic Play
    • Block Play
    • Math
    • Language & Literacy
    • Science
    • Music and Movement
    • Educator Resources
    • Free Printables
  • Become a Member
  • Log In
  • Store