Super Star Vowel: Aa

In Lively Letters (readingwithtlc.com), the vowels are named "Super Stars." Our Super Star Aa was a shooting star. Overnight, it flew into our classroom, greeting the children with a sparkly mess in the morning.


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Upside-down Candy Canes

When teaching handwriting for the letter Jj, I say Js are candy canes upside-down. I also incorporate the Lively Letters story, how Jack gets down low to jump over the candlestick. Just like the lowercase j is down low, under the writing line. Then, I have the kids get down low and jump.


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"Lively Letters" Works

I took a course over the summer that was recommended to me by the school's speech pathologist. She and the literacy specialist used Lively Letters as a Tier 2 intervention for last year's kindergartners. I took the course in hopes of learning some new strategies to help with any speech issues my kids might have, and phonemic awareness ideas.The website is readingwithtlc.com and I have used Lively Letters and Sight Words You Can See. Both programs are worth the money and time for the course!

Sight Words You Can See have mnemonic clues drawn on the flashcards. There is a story for EVERY sight word, so the students remember the story, too.

I have seen a tremendous growth in letter recognition and MOSTLY SOUND PRODUCTION. The growth far surpasses growth I have seen in previous years.

I bought a lot of the products, but to save the program as a Tier 2 intervention, I only use the letter cards and tell the story. Every morning with the children on the carpet, we review the letters we have learned and produce the sounds. I use Trophies' letter sequence and not Lively Letters. There is a a combined sequence, too.

In small groups, we use the letter tiles to blend and segment. Sometimes I set them on taplights and we turn on the light for each sound.

If you live in Las Vegas, there is a Lively Letters workshop Saturday, December 3rd at the Red Rock Casino!

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Alphabetical Order

During centers, the children were asked to make the alphabet using cookie cutters. When the alphabet was completed correctly, it made an AB pattern.


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b and d

I made this sign to remind children of the difference between b and d. I have seen less reversals. Maybe it's working?

Letter Recognition

I was recently asked, "What do you do to improve letter recognition?"

For letter recognition, I...

host Alphabet Bingo!

go to the dollar store and buy flashcards for my struggling kids and send them home to use with a note.

use cookie sheets and sugar to have them write specific letters in the "snow" (great sensory activity).

use flashcards and when the student gets it right I let them feed the flashcard to "The Muncher" (a monster-like trash can).

(we) sing and dance to Dr. Jean's "Alphardy".

(we) say the ABC chant every day.

make letters out of Play-Doh.

use www.tickettoread.com as a center and on Fridays in the computer lab.

use a LeapFrog DVD, "The Letter Factory".

use whiteboards and play, "Simon Says." Simon says write a G.

play Letter ball (a beach ball with letters written on it; kids have to say what letter they touch).

line my kids up by first letters of their name. "If your name starts with A line up."

use fridge letter magnets for ABC order.

That's all I can remember for now... The red activities are links to blog posts and more details.

What do YOU do to improve letter recognition? Leave a comment!

Play-Doh Letters

About twice a week, I hand out small pre-made balls of Play-Doh, so the children can make our letters, shapes, and numbers of the week.

This also prepares them for Play-Doh center. They learn how to clean up the Play-Doh, stay on task, and keep it off of the floor!

Magnetic Fridge Letter Fun

I got a master of the alphabet arch and made 25+ copies on large paper. Then, LUCKILY, I found 25+ sets of magnetic fridge letters at Target's One Spot. The children can practice alphabetical order and letter recognition.

I labeled ziploc bags and put a set in each bag. The children will grab an alphabet arch mat and their set of letters to take back to their desks.

Potpourri

I recently took a professional development class. The instructors stressed the importance of entry tasks. Typically, my entry tasks for my kiddos are finding their birthdays, unstacking chairs, putting away their belongings, getting out notes for me, and a welcome worksheet. I gave them a hands-on activity that focused on Trophies' letter of the week.

Students were asked to make the letter "y" using a pipecleaner that fits the flashcard.

Entry task supplies have to be ready for the students, as they enter the room, so they can dive right in!

I displayed my example on the overhead.

At the PDE class, they encouraged us to make flashcards and randomly in the stack, add pictures of familiar faces to keep the students' attention. They love looking to see who pops up next!

We made frog puppets, during our Frog-themed week.

At my class, they encouraged us to get fun, new pointers for students to track print. Here's a water squirter.

We did the same writing activity as previously posted here.

The Muncher!

At our most recent staff development day, "The Muncher" was introduced. I loved it! It is a trash can disguised as a monster. I use it in small group. As the kids correctly identify a flashcard, they give The Muncher a high five and then feed the flashcard to him.

Occasionally, I'll give The Muncher a nudge to make him jump at the children. Very exciting!

He has very sharp teeth, which gobble up letters, high-frequency words, and numbers!

Alphabetical Order

These are shoelaces and plastic letters. The children demonstrate ABC order in a small group by stringing the letters.

All Standards, All the Time

Today in reading group, I noticed my flashcards were looking pretty nasty... so I gave each kid a baby wipe and asked them to clean a stack of cards. While they scrubbed each letter, they had to make it's sound. :)

Pajama Day!

Today's letter was the letter Pp. We do about two letters a week. In celebration, we had a Pajama Day! The kids loved coming to school in their jammies and pointing out all of the words that begin with the /p/ sound. We also had a "/p/ Test". I asked each student what sound the letter Pp makes and when they gave me the correct sound, I pinned a polkadot "P" to their shirt. Even I earned my "P"!

Kids' Favorite

At the end of each day and after chairs have been stacked, the kids beg me to play "Letter Ball." They just toss around the ball; they have to make the sound of the letter their hand touches.