Objectives:
Children will recognize the same beginning sounds in words.
Children will identify words that begin with the letter A.
Children will learn corresponding letter and sounds.
Children will identify the beginning sound of a word.
Instructions:
Letter A
Ant, Alligator, Ape
Talk about the different animals. How do they move? What do they eat? Make the different movements of each animal.
Acorn
Discuss with children that acorns are the “fruits or nuts” from an oak tree. Squirrels collect acorns in the fall (autumn) to store for the winter. Squirrels hide the acorns so that they will have food for the winter.
Hide real acorns or paper acorns around the room and let children hunt for them. Let children take turns hiding and finding the acorns. (View more acorn activities in our Twiggle Magazine and in our KidsSoup Resource Library.)
Airplane/ Airport
Ask children if they have ever been on an airplane. Pretend to be airplanes. (Find more airplane resources in our Travel section in our KidsSoup Resource Library.)
Alphabet
Sing the alphabet song and read alphabet books.
Apples
Go apple picking. Talk about how apples grow. Wash and eat apples. Make apple stamps. (View our apple resources in our KidsSoup Resource Library.)
Arm
Discuss with children what we need our arms for (picking up things, reaching high, hugging, etc.) Make different exercise movements with the arm.
Astronaut
Learn about astronauts. (View our astronaut and space resources in our KidsSoup Resource Library.)
Activities:
Letter Flashcards
Print flashcards on heavy printing paper and laminate for extra strength.
Instructions:
Look at the letter poster or letter flashcards together with children. Point to a picture and ask
What is the name of this picture?
Say the name of the picture, emphasizing its beginning sound. Ask children to listen carefully to the beginning sound of the word as you say it, and then have them repeat the word.
Write the word on the board, on a sentence strip, or on the back of the flashcard.
What is the name of the first letter of this word?
Continue until all flashcards have been identified. Encourage children to think of other words that begin with the letter. Write each word on the board.
Alphabet Book
Let children choose the pictures to use in their alpabet book.
Interactive Reading Wall
Write the names of the pictures on the back of each flashcard or on sentence strips and use at the interactive writing wall.
Matching Game
Make a matching game. Print two copies of the picture cards and laminate for extra strength. Place cards face down on the table and let children find the matching pairs. Let them name the item on the card after they have turned over the card.
Short and Long A Sound
Use picture cards to let children sort the pictures with the short or long A sound. Discuss the two different sounds with children and look at a picture of each sound. Say the word for the picture together and emphasize the sound. Place the two pictures on the table. Then have children sort the pictures into two piles according to their short and long sounds.
Letter Folder Game
Print Letter Folder Game and prepare game (see letter folder game pdf).
The goal of the game is to identify and collect the pictures whose names begin with the same letter. The child who completes his/her game board first is the winner.
Instructions:
Tell children that you will say some words that begin with the sounds of the letter A and some that do not. Ask children to show the ASL sign for the letter A (or clap, stomp, etc.) if they hear the sound at the beginning of the word.
Say the following words:
apple, ant, dog, alligator and apron, ape, frog, acorn.
Make sure that you allow enough time between words for children to respond.
Extension:
Print out the Find Pictures Worksheet and encourage children to find and cut out the pictures whose name begins with the same letter and paste them on the page. This would be a great activity to send home together with a parent newsletter introducing the the letter of the week.
Letter Book
Read the Letter A Book to children.
Online Letter Book
Click on the online letter book image. Have children listen to the dialog. Point to the letter and say
What's the name of this letter?
Let children answer and then repeat the letter name together. Let children point out the lowercase and uppercase letter. Continue to next page.
Have children listen to the dialog. Point to the picture on the page and ask
What is the object on this page called?
Let children answer and then click on the picture. Ask children to listen to the sound.
Now, let's say the word together.
As you say the word with children, emphasize the beginning sound. Continue to the next page.
Printable Letter Book
Print out all letter booklet pages and assemble booklet. Have children look at the title page.
What do you think this book is about? Do you know the name of this letter?
Let children answer and repeat letter name together. Let children point out the lowercase and uppercase letter. Continue to next page.
Read the text on the page and point to the picture.
Can you tell me what this object is called?
Let children answer.
What is the first letter of its name?
Let children point to the letter and name the letter.
Yes, "apple" (emphasize the beginning sound) starts with the letter A. Can you hear the sound of the letter A? /?/ as in apple.
Make the sound together with children. Continue to the next page.
To emphasize the beginning sounds of the letter A, sing the following song for each picture on the page:
(Tune: Farmer in the Dell)
Apple (replace with picture name) begins with /?/
Apple begins with /?/
/?/, /?/, can you hear
Apple begins with /?/.
Pass out copies of the book and allow children to follow along as the book is reread. Place a few copies of the book in the room for children to look through and read on their own or in pairs.
Extension:
Print b/w version of the booklet and let children color the pages. Assemble booklet and let children share the booklet with their family members.
Storybook
Read the Letter Storybook "Ants, Ants, Everywhere!" with children. Emphasize the beginning sounds of the letter in the story. Ask children to listen to the /A/ sound.
Online Letter Storybook
Look at the letter storybook together with children. Have children look at the title page.
What to you think this story is about?
Let children answer.
Yes, this story is about ants. Do you know which letter "ants" begins with?
Let children answer.
Yes, "ants" begins with the letter A. Can you hear the sound of the letter A? /?/ as in ants.
Make the sound together with children. Continue to the next page.
Listening mode: Children can listen to the story. To pause on a page, click the "Pause" button.
Reading mode: Read or let children read the text on each page. To listen to the text, click on the "Speaker Icon." To listen to the words, click on each word. The "Quiz" button enables children to find and select the target letter in the text.
Printable Letter Storybook
Print out all letter booklet pages and assemble booklet. Look at the title page with children.
What do you think this story is about?
Let children answer.
Yes, this story is about ants. Can you tell me which letter "ants" begins with?
Let children answer.
Yes, "ants" begins with the letter A. Can you hear the sound of the letter A? /?/ as in ants.
Make the sound together with children. Continue to the next page. Read the story and emphasize the target letter sound(s) in the story. Let children find and select the letter Aa in the text.
Pass out copies of the book and allow children to follow along as the book is reread. Place a few copies of the book in the room for children to look through and read on their own or in pairs.