Materials Required: 5x10 cards, pen and a box or bag
Activity Time: 10–20 minutes (or as short or long as you want)
Use 5х10 cards to write phonics parts. (Put together, they will make words)
For example, you could make the following cards:
| ba | t | ca | d | pi | g |
| bi | te | n | hu | etc. | |
Make a bunch of these up and then throw them into a box or bag. The child then picks two cards out and puts them together. The child sounds the cards out to see if it makes a legitimate word. If it does, he keeps the cards in his pile, if not, then he throws the cards back into the box. Then it is the next child’s turn. As the child progresses through phonics, you can make it harder and harder by using long vowels and consonant blends.
Materials Required: paper, stapler
Concepts Taught: reading and writing
This is good for small groups.
For high level thinking: Make books shaped as an object that starts with a particular letter that you are studying. Have the children to fill each page of the book with words and pictures of things that begin with that letter. Some may not be ready to write on their own so at the beginning of the lesson make a class word/picture list of things beginning with that letter. The children can copy or come up with new ones on their own.
Materials Required: cardboard, glue, bric-a-brac items
Concepts Taught: phonics
The kindergarten/pre-school children are still very much focused on themselves and their identity. You can use this activity with the initial sounds of each child’s name. Cut the letter out of cardboard grocery boxes. The children have to select objects that start with the same sound as their name to glue onto their initial sound. E.g.: Catherine selected cotton buds, Timothy chose tinsel etc. It is amazing how quickly 4–5 year olds associate the letter shapes with the initial sound. The letters also look great hanging all around the room.
Activity Time: one letter each week
Concepts Taught: phonics, reading
We take a letter each week. We start the week with a show and tell of objects beginning with the letter. Each child then share their object, and we begin a list of words beginning with the letter of the week. Each day during the week we do an activity associated with that letter. All you need is a dictionary for ideas and a little creativity. For example, during “P” week we made pancakes, glued peas on the letter p, studied and drew penguins, made puppets, and counted pennies.