Halloween is the perfect time to play games. Have fun practicing letter sounds by playing the Halloween game below. Here is what you do:
1. The teacher/parent gives a copy of the following worksheet (or something similar) to their student:
2. The teacher/parent thinks of one of the pictures on the page and doesn't tell the student.
3. The teacher/parent gives a clue for what Halloween picture they are thinking of on the page. For example, "This Halloween picture begins with the B sound."
4. The student is to figure out what the teacher/parent is thinking of by looking at the pictures on the page.
5. The student might say, "Is it a bat?" When they know what the word is, they get to circle or cross out the picture.
6. The teacher continues to give clues until all of the pictures on the page have been crossed out.
Happy Halloween!!
Try printing off some dot-to-dots for your student. Kids love connecting the dots to make a picture. I found some really great dot-to-dots online that you can print off.
I really like that the student has to connect the letters of the alphabet on the worksheet. I also like that what the student makes is the letter that the picture to the right starts with. For example, "P for Pirate". This is a great way to practice letter sounds.
The website where I found the dot-to-dot pages was: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/HalloweenCostumBeginingSoundDottoDotPages.html. The website has a whole list of other Halloween Costume Character dot-to-dots that would be fun for the this time of year. Although they do not have all the letter sounds, this can still be great practice. Have fun printing out these spooky dot-to-dots!
FYI: You can find more dot-to-dots similar to these Halloween ones on the following blog: http://muckmonsters.blogspot.com/search/label/abc%20dot-to-dot.
I love finding great educational websites. One I found recently is called abcteach. The website is: http://www.abcteach.com/. My favorite part of this website are the free materials that you can print off. You will find a list of the free activities on the home page.
Under the 'Free Materials' list I clicked on PreK/Early Childhood. Then I clicked on ABC Activities and found a great list of flash cards, coloring pages, and worksheets.
Under the Reading Comprehension tab, I clicked on Pre-K/Kindergarten and found short books and word wall flashcards to practice. The books are simple and have sight words in them. They are perfect for beginning readers.
This website can be used as a great resource in helping you get your child on the path to reading success! Have fun discovering all that this website has to offer.
Going on a family road trip any time soon? If so, you may want to try this letter sound game in the car. It is very similar to the alphabet game, if you've ever played that one before. I just changed the rules a little bit. Here's how you play:
1. Decide on a letter sound you would like your student to practice. Then say the following sentence: "I went on a road trip and I brought a ________" You must fill in the blank with something that begins with the letter sound you decided on. For example, if the letter sound you chose was C, you might say the following sentence: "I went on a road trip and I brought a caterpillar". The item does not need to be something that you actually brought with you.
2. Then your student takes a turn. They must say the word you said and another word that begins with the letter sound. For example, "I went on a road trip and I brought a caterpillar and corn."
3. Then the third person (if there is one) takes a turn by thinking of another word that begins with c and must remember the other two previously mentioned. For example, "I went on a road trip and I brought a caterpillar, corn, and a computer."
4. The game finally ends when someone either cannot think of a word that begins with the letter sound chosen or forgot one of the words already mentioned.
This game is the perfect game to play on a long road trip. Not only is it time consuming, but it is also educational!
I have a baby daughter, so I am always looking for toys she likes. One thing that she loves is her toy mobile that hangs from her pack 'n play. It keeps her entertained for extended periods of time. I made the connection the other day that it would be really easy to make a letter sound mobile. Maybe a 5 or 6 year old wouldn't be as mesmerized with a mobile as a baby, but they would probably enjoy making one. Here's what you do:
1. Get a sturdy hanger.
2. Decide on a letter sound your student needs to practice and write it on a piece of paper (about as big an a large index card). Then tape it to the middle part of the hanger.
3. Find pictures in the newspaper or in magazines that begin with that letter sound. Cut them out. Hole punch each picture at the top.
4. Get some thin string (I used floss) and tie each picture from the hole to the hanger.
5. Hang the letter mobile somewhere where your student can see it and be reminded of the letter sound frequently.
FYI: I have found that regular paper tears easily while putting it on the string. You may want to try using paper or pictures that are a bit thicker, like cardstock.
This is an easy activity for kids. Have fun making your mobiles!
Does your student enjoy finding Where's Waldo? If your student does, they may also enjoy hidden pictures. Finding hidden pictures can be a great way to practice letter sounds.
I found a book full of hidden pictures in The Everything Kids' Hidden Pictures Book. You can check out some of these hidden pictures at: http://www.netplaces.com/kids-hidden-pictures/perfect-pets/heidis-hamster.htm.
FYI: Not all of the hidden pictures in the book have you looking for things that begin with the same letter sound. In this case, you may ask your student, "Look at the hidden picture. Can you find anything that starts with p? Can you find anything that starts with h? Can you find anything that starts with r?" etc.
Have fun looking at these crazy hidden pictures!
