Next year, each of my newsletters will bring you and your children rhymes, activities, and resources that feature a different letter of the alphabet.  Many of you introduce the alphabet to your children one letter at a time by sharing activities that reinforce each letter over the course of several weeks. I hope this will support your teaching and give you some new ideas to enhance your alphabet instruction.

BEACH TIME!
Give each child a plastic Zip-lock bag. Help children add a bit of sand to fill the bottoms of their bags. Then add some tiny seashells. Next, squirt a small amount of shaving cream into each bag, followed by a few drops of food coloring. Children can close their bags and gently massage the shaving cream and coloring to create “waves.” Finally let children carefully open their bags to drop a few small plastic fish or other sea animals into the “waves.” Follow up your activity by reading Elisha Cooper’s book, Beach.

BUBBLE-PACK PAINTING
Give each child an 8 by 11-inch sheet of plastic bubble wrap (used for packing). Let children paint the bubbles with tempera paint. Before the paint dries, children can press a piece of 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper onto the bubbles to create fun prints.

BEAUTIFUL BINOCULARS
Give each child two empty toilet paper rolls and help him/her glue the rolls together to form “binoculars.” Punch a hole on the outside end of each roll. Tie a string between the two holes. Let children decorate their binoculars with glitter, sequins, or stickers to make them as beautiful as possible. Show children how to hang the binoculars around their necks as they take a nature walk. Note: Use this activity only with children who are old enough to handle strings responsibly.

BOUNCING BALLOONS
Glue onto a sheet of cardboard five baby-food jar lids with their open sides up; the lids should form a small semi-circle. Fill each lid with a different color of tempera or finger paint. Let each child dip the fingers of one hand into the lids, one finger per lid/color. Then have children press their fingertips onto a sheet of white construction paper, making prints. When the prints have dried, children can draw lines from each print, creating balloons with strings.

A BED FULL OF BUGS
Give children slices of whole wheat bread. (This is the bed.) Help children spread butter, cream cheese, or any other spreadable onto the bread. (This is a blanket.) Finally let children place raisins, cereal bits, or small pieces of fruits or vegetables onto of the blanket. (These are the bugs!) Enjoy this fun snack.

YOUR WORD CORNER
Here are some words you will need.
See them, say them … hey, you can read!!
big
blue
bed
book
Write the words on a chart and review them. Then read aloud each sentence below. Try each word in each sentence. Let children tell you which word fits.
The sky is a _________color.
An elephant is _____________.
I read a good ________________.
I sleep in a ________________.

Explore Letter B

Beautiful B

Look at me
What do you see?
What words can you say
That start with a B?

by Susan LaBella