Amazing Alphabet Activities
Alphabet Poster Chant- Lakeshore Alphabet Teaching Chart GG159
Blends and Diagraph Chart GG705 (Discontinued)
Lakeshore Alphabet Chants Book- JJ957
3-D Alphabet Bags
Word Wall- Alphabet with environmental Print www.hubbardscupboard.org
Alphabet Homework
Write the Room
Alphabet Emergent Readers
ABC Book- Phonetic Spelling of Words www.kidscount1234.com
Practice letter formation*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Wikki-sticks or pipe cleaners- make laminated letter cards to put on
shaving cream or pudding
sand or rice trays
yarn on tag cards
templates ( commercial or make your own)
play dough- roll out into snakes and make letters- have a book for reference
ziploc bags with gel or finger paint
paint with water on chalk boards or sidewalks
tactile letters (sandpaper, glue, velvet, foam)
make letters with cereal, noodles, glitter, salt
rainbow letters- trace over letters with different colors
body letters- small groups make letters with their bodies
write letters in the air, on friend’s back or on leg
baseball card writing- plastic card protector sheets
Letter recognition* highlighters- highlight (can use different color highlighters
for more than one letter i.e. yellow- k’s, green- g’s) or
circle specific letters in magazines & newspapers
* letter pointers – sticks with foam letters on for finding the letter
Look for the letter____
How many did you find?_____
* cut out letters and glue on sheet
* fun fonts- sort alphabets printed with different fonts ( or box fronts)
www.fontfreak.com www.momscorner4kids.com
www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/dos/1232/fontindex.html
* alphabet memory/concentration (name tags work well)
* letters on lockers
* turn out the lights and write the letters on the ceiling with flashlight
* stand up for capital letters- sit down for lowercase letters
* playdough stampers- match capital and lowercase or stamp entire alphabet
* alphabet sort- sort magnetic letters, letter cards, die cuts by formation
(sticks, circles, sticks and circles, short letters, tall letters, letters
with slants, letters with tails, letters that curve)
Reproducible letter practice sheets-
* www.edHelper.com/Kindergarten.htm (free downloads)
* www.alphabet-soup.net/dir6/alphacolor.html (free download coloring book)
Teach sign language along with letter recognition or even try making some Braille
Cards with the alphabet on them. (use glue to make the dot arrangements.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Dr. Jean Sing to Learn- “Sing and Sign”
Alphabet Tubs or Boxes- commercial or make your own
Make a set of ziploc bags, 1 for each letter of the alphabet- send 1 bag home
with a different child each day. Instruct parents to find for things at home that
start with the letter that is on the bag. Some kids will not be able to find anything
new when they get the bag, but it is good review. Store in deli 1 lb. containers.
ABC Book Center- Make tapes of class reading alphabet books w/book collection.
Q is For Duck - Elting and Folsum
Tomorrow’s Alphabet – George Shannon
A to Z Do You Ever Feel Like Me? – Hausman and Fellman
Zoo Flakes – Will Howell
Matthew ABC – Peter Catalanotto
The Dog Arf! Arf! To Zzzz
We’re All in the Same Boat – Shapiro and Davis
The Mixed-Up Alphabet – Metzger
Make your own book
Alphabet Bag- ABC Song class book, magnetic letters, letter border, flash cards
Alphabet Puzzles – Use 30 side alphabet dice to put in pieces
Alphabet Bingo – get independent center
Buried Treasure- Hide letters in sand or rice table. Kids have to find all of them.
Have to name it and match it to alphabet strip.
Lakeshore Sift and Find Alphabet Shells- EE256
Alphabet Tic-Tic-Toe- instead of x and o use 2 different letters.
Juice Lid or Utensil Match Up- Alphabet stickers or letters on juice lids or plastic
utensils. Match them up. RR741- Lakeshore Alphabet Picture Stickers
Notepad Alphabet Puzzles or Lotto games- Use notepads for learning games.
RR741- Lakeshore Alphabet Picture Stickers
Make your own Stickers- Alphabet Activities pictures for Avery Labels
www.carlscorner.us.com
Alphabet Dice Game- Write six different letters on a 1” wooden cube. Make a
blackline master with the same letters (color code sheets and dice). The child rolls
the die and write the letter in the appropriate column. Repeat until a column is full.
ABC Jumble!- Write letters on sides of 1” wooden cubes. Give each student 4 dice
and order them alphabetically. Use an alphabet strip as a reference. Record the
combinations on blackline master.
Alphabet Rubber Stamps- Store in hardware drawer container. Make blacklines for
stamping letters or pictures (Lakeshore LC699- 90 stamps)
*
*
*
*
*
*
stamp little books- letter on each page and pictures to match
stamp the letters in ABC order
collage- 1 letter/page & all the picture stamps that start with that letter
stamp a picture and name the picture using sound spelling
graph paper vertical strips- stamp capital and lowercase letters
blackline with 26 squares- write in alphabet but leave out some letters
Alphabet Eggs- Use small objects collected. Put 1 object for every letter in a plastic
egg. Use alphabet sheet to mark off all the letters found.
Lights On! - This game is great to use with any skill. In small group, give each child
the small round closet lights that you push on (Dollar Store?) Give each child light
and set of letter or picture cards. Ask a question and if a child has the answer they
turn on his/her light (no loud voices and it’s fun to push the lights!) Everyone shows
their answer and then turns off their light.
Spotlight Is On? - Turn off the nights. Briefly shine a flashlight on a letter on the
alphabet chart. Kids can write it or say it out loud.- or give kids individual flashlightsfind the S etc.
Overhead Trace Me/Erase Me - Put die-cut letter on overhead. Trace that letter on
the whiteboard. Have the children erase the letter the way they write it.
Alphabet Line Up- Give each
The class has to line up
cooperative learning.
the door to match for
child and alphabet card.
alphabetically. Great
Extension: Put letters by
lining up.
I’m Mr. Who. How do you do? I’m the wise old owl who watches the hall. I look to the front.
I look to the back. I can tell who’s on track. I’m Mr. Who. How do you do? ©Sloane &Torkelson
Song on Singing With Shari: School is Cool CD
Red Feet for lining up and owl are from www.katieandcompany.net
Flannelboard letter Games- www.katieandcompany.net
“Pick a Letter ABC! What’s the Letter? Say it for me.”
The Alphabet Grabber- Begin with five flashcards face up on the floor. The children
study the letter and then the teacher turns over the cards. The “Alphabet Grabber”
(any puppet) comes and grabs a card. Turn over the remaining cards and the kids try
to guess the missing card. Increase the number of letter cards.
Secret code- Put numbers on alphabet strip. Write a secret message using numbers.
Alphabet Battle- Give each child a set of alphabet cards. Play like war. The letter closest to
z wins. Both say letter name and winner must say “__ is closer to z than __. I win.”
Alphabet Bead Bottle- Fill bottle with colored sand and a set of 26 alphabet beads.
Using a blackline master, the kids should find every letter of the alphabet. Bonus
challenge, find letters to spell words.
Lakeshore Search and Find Alphabet Bags- EE356 Not only great for alphabet work,
I love to have my kids sound out and write the names of the objects.
Eraser- Write 10 or more letters on the board. Say a letter name or a letter sound and hand a child
an eraser. The child has to erase the letter that matches the name or sound. The child passes the
eraser to a friend and the game progresses until all of the letters are erased. For small groups I have
the kids write the letters on lap sized write boards and the children erase the correct letter when I
say the sound.
Another version would be to write the entire alphabet on the whiteboard/chalkboard.
Have the kids come up and erase the letters in alphabetical order. Each child erases one letter and
passes the eraser to the next child.
Beginning Consonant Relay- Give the kids in line a letter card. Kids run down and have
to find the letter or picture card on the floor that matches their letter card.
Alpha File- Expandable file folder- sort envelopes and flashcards
Alphabet Freeze- Spread out letter cards on the floor. Put on dancing or walking
music. When the music stops, kids go to nearest letter and they have to name it.
Lakeshore GG706 Alphabet Activity Mats
Go Fish- “Do you have the letter that (kite) starts with?”
Fly Swatter- Put letters on clip art of flys. Swat the B etc.
Alphabet Puzzles – Use the 30 Sided Alphabet Dice
Google or www.boxcarsandoneeyedjacks.com
Alphabet Treasure Hunt – Lakshore or make your own Give clue and find hidden letter
Jump – Flash cards with action word mixed in
ABC Kids- Laura Ellen Williams
Penny and Pals Sing-A-Sound ABC...XYZ- Kids Kollectibles www.pennyandpals.com
“Ally Alligator” “Evie the Elephant” “Flying Frisbee” “Pig Parade” “Uncle Underwood”
Halloween Candy
ABC Community and Cabela’s ABC
Ocean Alphabet Book and Thanksgiving Alphabet Book
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom- _ told _ and _ told _ I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree.
Chant- “ A told B I say /a/ /a/ /a/ B told C I say /b/ /b/ /b/”
www.katieand company.net- flannelboard
Velcro tree- Lakeshore
Old Black Fly- Jim Aylesworth- paint splatter background
Silly Sounds- www.kinderlit.com School ABC’s- photos from around school
www.heidisongs.net - Letters and Sounds
Alphabet in my Mouth- digital photo with mouth open Felt Lips on Sticks www.katieand company.net
Kiss Your Brain- CD “Letter Aerobics” “Who Let the Letters Out?” “Alphabet in my Mouth”
ABC’s of You- R. Grammer Down the Do-Re-Mi or F. Penner What a Day!
Letter Sounds- Discovery Toys Sounds Like Fun CD
Singing With Shari School Is Cool- www.kidscount1234.com “Vowel Bat”
“Sounds Around the Mountain” “Letters on the Bus” “Those Sounds”
Jack Hartmann- www.jackhartmann.com
Sing and Move at the Zoo- “Alphabet Zoo” “The Animal Alphabet and Cheer” (2 versions)
Hip-Hop Alphabop- “Hip-Hop To the Alphabet” “Letter Sounds Yo Yo” “These Are the Vowels”
Music in Me- “ABC Disco” “Learning Letter Sound” (chart)
Shake Rattle and Read- “ABC Disco” “Learning Letter Sounds”
Hands Up For Letter Sounds- Language Play and Listening Fun
Flannel Board Chants and Songs
www.katieandcompany.net or make your own
Have a large pot with letters to put in it. Say this rhyme as you put in the letter.
If you can, use the large witch puppet from www.folkmanis.com
Here’s the letter ____
To make our potion bubble
We all know the sound it makes
We’ll say it on the double
We’ll drop this special letter in
Our magic reading brew (stew)
Letter are so magical
Alakazam! Alakazoo!
©Shari Sloane 2004
(Tune: Happy Birthday)
Here’s a big pot of stew. Here’s a big pot of stew.
Filled with letters and sounds. Here’s a big pot of stew.
All letters make sound. All letters have names.
It’s fun making words. It’s just like a game.
Pick a letter for you. Pick a letter for me
Say it’s name and it’s sound. See how smart you can be.
©Julie Torkelson 2004
Sounds Around the Mountain - from Singing With Shari School Is Cool cd
Here comes A around the mountain on the train /a/ /a/
Here comes B around the mountain on the train /b/ /b/
Oh we’re learning all the letters, we put those sounds together
Here comes C around the mountain on the train /c/ /c/
© Shari Sloane and Julie Torkelson 2006
“Old McDonald had an alphabet, EIEIO
And in his alphabet he had a (any letter). EIEIO
With a (letter sound, letter sound) here
And a (letter sound, letter sound) there
Here a (letter sound) There a (letter sound)
Everywhere a (letter sound) (letter sound)
Old McDonald had and alphabet, EIEIO
©Shari Sloane 2004
Put letter rabbits in a hat and say the following chant as you pull out rabbits.
Abracadabra! Alalakadabit!
Reach in the hat and pull out a rabbit.
What’s the letter’s name? (say the name)
What’s the letter say? (say the sound)
We’ll learn all the letters
To make reading seem like play.
© Shari Sloane 2004
Use a flashlight to shine on the bear.
(teacher) Going on a letter hunt, (class) Going on a letter hunt
(teacher) Look! What do we see? (class) Look! What do we see?
(teacher) It looks like a nice letter (class) It looks like a nice letter
(teacher) It must be a (letter name) (class) It must be a (letter name)
(teacher) Don’t want to go around it (class) Don’t want to go around it
(teacher) Don’t want to go over it. (class) Don’t want to go over it.
(teacher) Let’s just read through it. (class) Let’s just read through it.
((teacher) letter name, letter name, letter name)
(class)(letter name, letter name, letter name)
(teacher) (letter sound, letter sound, letter sound)
(class)(letter sound, letter sound, letter sound)
© Shari Sloane 2004
Sing With Shari: School Is Cool cd- www.kidscount1234.com
Those Sounds (Tune: Dem Bones)
Those sounds, those sounds, those letter sounds.
Those sounds, those sounds, those letter sounds.
Those sounds, those sounds, those letter sounds.
Now sing the sounds with me.
The a bone’s connected to the /a/ (sound) bone.
The b bone’s connected to the /b/ (sound) bone.
The c bone’s connected to the /c/ (sound) bone.
Now sing the sounds with me.
(repeat until)
The y bone’s connected to the /y/ (sound) bone.
The z bone’s connected to the /z/ (sound) bone.
Letters and sounds are really cool
We’re learning to read at school.
Those sounds, those sounds, those letter sounds.
Those sounds, those sounds, those letter sounds.
Those sounds, those sounds, those letter sounds.
Sounds we’ll never forget.
©Julie Torkelson 2004
Clipart from www.djinkers.com
www.katieandcompany.net
ALPHABET
ART
Aa- apple prints, fingerprint ants
Bb- bubble prints, block prints, blue, band-aids, beans
Cc- cotton prints, car prints, carrot prints, corn
Dd- dot design (Dot Art Painters), diamonds
Ee- elbow painting, egg shapes, wiggly eyes
Ff- finger painting, draw faces or fish, feathers, flowers
Gg- glitter glue
Hh- hand prints, hearts, hay
Ii- ice cube painting, ink (rubber stamps with a variety of inks)
Jj- junk prints, jewels, jazzy J’s (decorate with lots of stuff)
Kk- kite shapes, keys (rubbings), kleenex
Ll- letter collage (rubber stamps or alphabet punches), ladybugs
Mm- marble painting, mosaic, fingerprint mice
Nn- nature prints, newspaper numbers, nickel rubbings
Oo- O’s (toilet paper tubes), orange (the fruit) prints
Pp- painted picture, purple potato prints. penny rubbings
Qq- quarter rubbings, q-tip painting, quilt (squares of paper)
Rr- rubbings, rainbows, ribbon rectangles, red objects
Ss- sponge paint, stamp designs (rubber stamps), sand, stickers
Tt- torn paper collage, toothpick triangles, tea
Uu- upside-down picture, up arrows Xx- x-ray (q-tips)
Vv- vegetable prints, valentines
Yy- yarn design, yellow yo-yo’s
Ww- watercolor, waves, wallpaper Zz- zigzags, zipper rubbing
Alphabet Chart
Today your child is bringing home an alphabet chart. The purpose of the chart is
to help students make links between letters and sounds. The chart is to be used
over and over again. This repetition will help the letters and sounds to be
internalized by the child. The child then uses the links they have formed to aid
them when reading or writing.
The attached alphabet chart is a smaller version of the chart used in our
classroom. The class reads the chart together at school. By using the chart at
school and at home, your child will have consistency in the sound associations.
The chart should be read as follows – A(letter name) /a/(letter sound)
apple(picture name), B(letter name) /b/(letter sound) butterfly(picture name), C
/c/ cookie, D /d/ dog, etc. Help your child to point to each letter and picture as
they are reading the chart aloud. Chant the chart all the way through without
stopping.
While reading with your child it is often helpful to the chart. If your child
substitutes the word “boy” for “man” you can ask your child, “Boy starts with the
same sound as butterfly. This word starts with m like monkey. What word starts
like monkey and would make sense?” Monkey is the picture word from the alphabet
chart.
When your child is writing you may also refer to the alphabet chart to help you
child spell a word. If he/she is trying to spell “got.” Tell your child to say it slowly.
For each sound, refer to the chart. “/g/(sound) like guitar; /o/ like olive; /t/ like
tiger.” The child gets a picture in his/her mind and he/she is hopefully able to
visualize the letter for each picture.
Please use this chart often and keep it in a spot where you will remember to use
it. Thank you for supporting your child’s learning!
!
!