This month for Mother Goose Time we are reviewing the Alphabet. But we are not reviewing them in the same way that we usually do. By that I mean we are not reviewing the letter by what is at the beginning of the word. Mother Goose Time is placing the letters of the Alphabet in certain words for the daily theme. This may seem like it makes it difficult to review the letters. But it is actually quite brilliant! I want to share with you how I used this unusual approach for the children in my classroom. For younger children, you do not concentrate on anything but letter recognition. For example, the daily theme word was SHIP. The letter H was the letter for the day. You have the younger children practice making the letter H in the air and in sign language and then point it out in various books. This allows them to be exposed to different types of print and to learn another way to communicate. It also impresses upon them the motions of drawing the letter H before moving to paper. The older children you use the words and letters of the day to help with blending and letter sounds. During circle time, you can break down the word into syllables and have the children blend them back together. If a child is ready you can use the words to help teach them to read sentences. Mother Goose Time included different ways to encourage the practice of writing the letters within the lesson planning book. For example, on Day 10 the daily theme was Sunscreen. The letter for that day was the S. Science Discovery was filling up ziplock bags with sunscreens or different lotions and gels and having them trace or press the letters into the bags. Now I am usually very excited about these types of activities, but with the children I have in my group……it would be epic! They would probably pop the bags and we would all end up covered in whatever was inside the bags. Taping the bags to the table is usually a good idea and I highly encourage the use of this activity. It you have any leftover sand from previous activities that can also be used to practice letter writing.
We have been moving and setting back up and let me tell you I am exhausted! But I will be writing and showing what came in the July curriculum box and revealing the culture we will be exploring to go along with the theme! |