Letter Tracer Pages

DLTK-teach.com is a great resource for learning activities. I recently ran across their tracer pages and had a great idea. I have been printing them off and laminating them. I print them double sided--so A and B are on the same paper, C and D, and so forth. Then I laminate. Then my girls can use either a dry erase or a wet erase marker and practice letters. You can also use a permanent marker and erase with finger nail polish remover, but I am not the type to hand my kids  permanent  markers. 

This is a great thing to have on hand for learning time. It is also great when you are cooking something in the kitchen and your child needs something to do.

Simple for Mom: Do a Dot Letter

Since I have a newborn at home, I need activities that can be fast for me to prep yet fun for my 3 year old to do. She loves do-a-dots right now. One day, I quickly wrote this block letter M out on a paper, gave her the do-a-dots, and let her decorate the M (the first letter in her name). She fully loved it!

Letters: Angled Lines

The other day, I had McKenna (3) practicing her pre-writing skills as Raegan described in this post:

Pre-Writing Skills

Once she was doing a good job at connecting the dots, we started to practice writing letters. We did the straight lines (like T) and curved lines (like C) with no problem, but the angled lines proved tricky (like A). Since she had done well with the connecting the dots, I had her first write the letter by connecting the dots like we had done in our pre-writing skills practice. It really helped her see how you create the letters with the angle. You can see the progress in the photo I took above (with my phone). So if your child has a hard time with the angled line letters, give this a try! 

It could also be applied to straight line letters. Or you could do a series of dots to follow for the curved lines. 

Beginning Sounds Caterpillar

This is a time of year I seem to equate with insect activities. I don't know why, but it is the way my head works. Maybe I am looking forward to saying good-bye to them as the colder weather is in sight? :)

This activity helps focus on first sounds. It is very simple. Draw or create on the computer several circles. Draw or create a caterpillar head. Then print, draw, or find in magazines things that start with the letter C. Have your child color them/cut them out/etc. Have your child glue them into the caterpillar circles.

As your child does this, ask what each thing is and emphasize the "c" sound.

Simple as that!

Y is for Yarn

Last Monday, I talked about the simple activity of creating letters filled with something that starts with that letter. I showed you "G is for Grass." For Y, we did Yarn. 

Another benefit to this activity beyond letter recognition and beginning sounds practice is that it provides a tactile experience. That makes this a great sensory activity also!

G is for Grass

Decorating a block letter with something that starts with that letter is a great, hands-on way to focus on beginning sounds. Here we have a G that we have glued grass in. The big black blob is a picture of a goat. This is an activity that works well for a wide range of ages.

Talk about the letter and the sound that letter makes. List things that start with that letter. If your child is able, have your child list things that start with that letter. Then choose something to decorate your letter with that starts with the letter.

I will have another example for you Wednesday to give you another idea.

Simple Reading

Kaitlyn came home with these very cute ideas on helping children learn to read simple words in similar word families. In the picture above, you can see the teacher took a paint chip sample, cut out a hole, then printed out a strip of letters that can go along with the two letters to make various words (c-ap, g-ap, l-ap, m-ap, r-ap, s-ap, t-ap, z-ap). The child then moves the paint chip sample and reads the word that goes with the first letter. 

In this example, you see a fun way of incorporating a theme into your word practice. They were learning about the letter P and also farm animals. 

C is for Caterpillar

I find it ironic that one of my favorite themes to do is insects when I absolutely, positively, HATE insects. Maybe I like to make insect crafts because they aren't real? I don't know.

This is a caterpillar with C words. Draw or print a series of circles on a page. Then give your child C words to color, cut out, and paste on the caterpillar's body.

If you have a younger child (toddler or younger), you will want to cut out the circles for your child. Some preschoolers will not be able to cut out a circle, either.

If you have an older child, have him draw pictures of C words rather than giving him pictures to color.

As you do the activity, talk about the letter C, the sound it makes, and say the words of the pictures you are drawing and coloring as you go.

Beginning sounds

It's as easy as it looks. Once you've reviewed/taught a letter sound, start with pictures and have them sort them into the two beginning sounds. Don't have picture cards? Use SenTeacher.

That site is AMAZING. Type whatever word you want, and it'll let you choose a picture, then provide a print out in card form. No need to develop your own format. Love it!

Crepe Paper Letters

This last week was Brayden's birthday. My Mom was over helping Brayden decorate for his party (he loves to put 2 foot sections of crepe paper all over the house). She put this giant letter "B" on the window. I thought that was fun, but didn't think much more of it.

I left it up, and started noticing how enthralled McKenna was with the giant letters on our window. It struck me that this is a great idea for something fun and different when teaching a specific letter! So if you do a letter of the day/week/month/whatever, you could put a large letter out of crepe paper up. 

It is fun and interesting because it is different. It is attention getting. I think this is especially effective for the two year old who is very interested in letters and just learning to identify them. McKenna talks about these large letters every time she sees them. 

U Words

This is something Brayden made in preschool last year. It is a simple activity to learn about the letter U, talk about rain, and do some fine motor practice while also working on gluing skills.

Age Range

Preschoolers through Kindergarteners. Some older toddlers might be able to do this, too. If you have an older child do this, challenge him by having him cut around the rain drop, not just a rectangle around the raindrop.

Supplies Needed

• Paper with umbrella on it
• Paper with raindrops with pictures of U items--including the letter U
• Scissors
• Glue
• Crayons

Activity

1. Have your child color the pictures. Be sure to talk about the words and the "U" sound they start with.
2. Have your child cut out the rain drops.
3. Have your child glue the raindrops onto the picture.

I for Igloo

This igloo craft was a lot of fun to make and I think it turned out really cute too!

 

What you need:  blank label stickers (I actually used mailing labels and cut them down to size), construction paper, scissors, glue, black marker
What you do:  Have your little one build a wall on the construction paper, using the labels.  Once they're finished, turn the paper over and draw a semi-circle on the back.  Either have them cut out along the line or you do the cutting for them.  To create the door, cut out a second semi-circle and have them color a black door, then glue the smaller piece on top of the larger one.  After gluing his igloo together, J added some snow to his picture.
This was honestly supposed to go with a winter unit I was going to do with J... but 3rd trimester exhaustion has set in so the unit didn't happen.  I ended up cutting out the upper and lower case letter I, letting him fill those in with "ice blocks" and decided reinforcement learning was enough this day!  J was quite proud of his final work of art.

This idea is from the Frugal Family Fun Blog.

"V" Is For Valentine

This is another activity Brayden did at preschool last year.

Start with a paper with a block letter "V" on it. 

Give the child some tissue paper to tear up. Then have the child glue the pieces into the "V." When you are done, you have a fun, textured V!

Chalkboard Letter Drills

I sat down with McKenna (20 months) the other day determined to make some progress on her telling me what letter I wrote on the chalkboard. As we got started, I really noticed that she couldn't say many of the letters well. So I changed my goal.

I wrote each letter of the alphabet--one at a time.

I started with A. It doesn't matter what you start with. Going A-Z works for me.

I said, "This is an A. Can you say A?" She would then do her best to repeat whatever I had just said. Some letters she got perfectly. If that was the case, I told her, "Good job! A!" then erased it and wrote the next letter.

If she didn't get it right, however, I repeated the letter. "L." I then pointed to my mouth while I said the letter so she could get a visual on what her mouth should be doing while she said the letter. Sometimes, like with the L, I said, "watch my tongue" in which case she of course started trying to grab my tongue.

As we did this, she became better at mimicking my sounds. I also noticed that there were certain letters she said very wrong but in a very certain way. This helps me know better what she is trying to say when she "babbles."

Sitting at the chalkboard for this was a nice setting. We could turn and look at each other and turn and look at the chalkboard. It gave her a focal point, and it also was interesting to her. She wouldn't have enjoyed it much if I had just sat in front of her. The chalkboard is a fun item.

You can take the same idea and extend it to be appropriate for whatever your child is working on--right on up to writing words.

Mummy "M"

Mmm...fun Halloween letter activity.

Age Range

Toddler and up. Young toddlers will need help.

Skills Learned

Letter and fine motor

Supplies

• Construction paper
• Letter "M"
• White Crepe paper
• Glue

Activity

1. If you are working with a toddler, cut out the "M" before you start.
2. If you are working with a preschooler or older, have her cut out the "M" herself. 
3. Have your child glue the "M" to her piece of construction paper.
4. Have her glue crepe paper over the "M" to turn the "M" into a Mummy!

Sand Letters

There are so many variations to this idea. You can do this in flour, shaving cream, and sand, just to name a few. Since it is summer time (or supposed to be if it ever stops raining), I thought a sand activity would be fun. I have some beach sand in the house I planned on using, but it turned out to be the first sunny day in almost a month, so we headed outside.

SUPPLIES

• 
  
  Sand
• 
  
  Child
• 
  
  Container for sand if inside (like a cookie sheet or baking dish)

ACTIVITY

Have your child write letters in the sand.

For Kaitlyn, my 3 year old, I had her write simple letters like H, I, L, T, E, F--letters that involve only straight lines. She also does well with circles, so I had her do O and Q. She wanted to try some harder letters, and for those I held her hand and helped her make the movement.

For Brayden, my 5 year old, I had him do any letter that came to mind and also had him spell words. He can write all upper and lowercase letters on paper, so this activity in its simple fashion is too easy for him, but writing out simple words was just right. It was an activity to provide variety and texture beyond simply writing on paper all the time.

For McKenna, my 14 month old, I had her just play in the sand and perhaps gain something simply by listening in on her siblings.

Cupcake Letters

This is a fun and tasty way to teach your children about letters and reading words.

AGE RANGE:
You can do this as soon as you want your child eating cupcakes.

SKILLS TAUGHT:
This activity focuses on letters. You can make it as simple as letter recognition on up to spelling and reading words.

If you want to include your child in making the cupcakes, you can also turn this into a math and baking learning activity.

SUPPLIES:

• Cupcakes (from scratch or from a box)
• Frosting (from scratch or from a can)
• Ability to write letters on the cupcake using frosting. I used a cake decorating tip. If you don't have one, you can try putting frosting in a baggie, cutting one corer, and squeezing it out.

PREP:

• Make cupcakes
• Make frosting if needed
• Write letters on cupcakes

ACTIVITY:
There are lots of possibilities for this activity. For the Baby/Pre-Toddler crowd, you can simply show your child the letter on the cupcake and say the letter along with the sound it makes.

For the Toddlers, you can do the same as for the baby/pre-toddlers, but as your child starts to know the letters, ask her what letter it is. Some toddlers will also be able to tell you the sound of the letter.

For Preschoolers, do the same as above, but quizing the letter and sound it makes. As appropriate, you can make words. Put the C, the A, and the T together and help your child read it. Then remove the T and put an R in its place.

You could also spell your child's name and show him what that looks like.

When learning time is over, eat the cupcake if desired.

Egg Carton Caterpillar

Ages: 18 months +

Materials:

• styrofoam or cardboard egg carton
• finger paints
• paint brush
• newspaper/roll of paper for drop cloth
• pipe cleaners
• sharpie
• art apron

Preparation:

1. Cut egg carton in half (top and bottom).
2. Prep child with art apron/smock. We love this one from IKEA, it's $2.99, which honestly can't be beat, and it covers all the way down the arms. (*warning, does not keep curious toddlers from putting paint in their mouths, see below picture for example)
3. Lay out newspaper or a roll of plain paper as a drop cloth. We have this from IKEA, which comes on this holder, perfect for table-top cabinets. Normally I like to make due with stuff already at home, but these art supplies were a worthwhile investment and make a great, inexpensive gift set.

Activity:

1. Squeeze paint out onto paper. I chose to limit us to 2 colors, one of which was our color for this week--yellow. For moms who value 'pretty' projects, this is a simple way to keep an art project from turning into a brown and black mess of colors.
2. Help your child paint the egg carton (to be the caterpillar body) with the paintbrushes. Have fun, stop when your child loses interest or begins eating the paint, whichever comes first.
3. Set egg carton aside to dry.
4. Carry child with arms out away from your body to the nearest bathtub and run water. Rinse and repeat ;) (for ease of clean up I rinsed the art smock in the bathtub with Tobias and hung it over the shower head. When he was back to his normal color his clothes were still clean because of the smock, hooray!
5. After a nap (or the next day) cut the egg carton in half long-wise and take a sharpie to draw eyes and a mouth for the caterpillar.
6. Poke small holes in each division for legs on either side of the body. Cut pipe cleaners in half and thread each one through the body so there is a little leg sticking out on both ends. Repeat this for the antennae on the head. Allow your child to choose the color or ask them to find a particular color for you. This is a good way to informally test your child's color knowledge.

and later when we were all cleaned up and the caterpillar was ready for some legs and antennae. Notice that look of concentration :) He's such a firstborn.

Circles and O's

This is a simple activity you can do to learn about several different things. You can talk about colors, the shape circle, or the letter O. I also thought you could turn this into an Olympic rings on the flag activity. Brayden did this (pictured) at preshool.

AGE RANGE

Toddler and up. You might find this appropriate for some pre-toddlers, also.

SUPPLIES

• Paper
• Paint
• Paper Cup
• Plate to put paint on

PREP

• Gather supplies
• Prep work area (tablecloth or whatever you use to protect your work space)
• Prep child (aprons or whatever you do to protect clothing)
• Pour paint onto plates (one color per plate)

ACTIVITY

• Have your child dip the paper cup into the end (open end down)
• Have your child stamp the paper with the cup

EXTENSIONS
You could do this with a variety of items, including cookie cutters.

Teaching Baby Letters

This idea evolved over a few days. We have these Sassy Counting and Spell Bath Appliques. McKenna (9 months old) likes to play with them during her bath. After bath time, I let her hold on to one as I take her to her room and get her dressed. She has eczema, so I spend at least 15 minutes just on lotioning her after a bath, so I really have to provide her with things to keep her happy and still while I do so. And thus, this activity was born. It can be done anytime, but I think just at each diaper change will give you plenty of practice time.

AGE RANGE
I would start this as soon as baby is old enough to hold on to these letters. Activities are hard with babies because you don't see results as quickly as you do with toddlers, but I promise the day does come when you see the fruit of your labors. This would be appropriate for as long as your child is in diapers, and perhaps at times even beyond that.

SUPPLIES

• Sassy Counting and Spell Bath Appliques (or any letter that is safe for your baby to hold and suck on--you know she will suck)
• Baby
• Parent

ACTIVITY
I am going to assume you are doing this at the changing table, but you can do it anywhere.

1. Choose a letter to store at the changing table/station. Choose a letter your baby can possibly say. For example, most baby start babbling consonants such as "d", "m", and "n"--not "q", "v", or "t". Choose a letter appropriate for your child.
2. Place baby on changing table.
3. Hold up the letter. Let's say you are doing B. Hold the letter so baby can see it and say, "This is a B. The B says "Buh." One of my favorite letter movies--okay, my absolute favorite--LeapFrog: Letter Factory has a catchy tune for what each letter says, "The B says, "buh" the B says, "buh." Every letter makes a sound. The B says, "buh." I sing this song.
4. Then give the letter to your child.
5. As you are changing the diaper, say "Buh-buh-buh" over and over as your child shows interest.
6. Change the letter as desired, but don't think you need to do it often. You can stay on the same letter for as long as your baby shows interest in it.

After two days of doing this, McKenna started to purposefully say the letter sound I was saying. We only did it at diaper changes.

EXTENSION
As your baby grows into a pre-toddler, you can add things like what the letter stands for. "This is a B. The be says 'buh.' Be is for Bear, and Ball, and Brayden."

As your pre-toddler starts to talk more, you can ask her to repeat a word B is for.

As your pre-toddler moves to toddler age, you can give her a few words and ask her which on starts with B. You can also ask her to think of a word that starts with B.

CONCLUSION
This is a simple activity that can both make diaper changes a little easier for you and teach your child about the letters of the alphabet!