- Between the Lions alphabet chart
- letter card “Tt”
- modeling clay
- pipe cleaners
- plastic straws cut into long and short pieces
- across
- medium
- short
- straight line
- tall
- top
MA Standards:
English Language Arts/Foundational Skills/RF.PK.MA.1.dHead Start Outcomes:
Literacy Knowledge/Alphabet Knowledge Recognizes that the letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named.PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 7 Develop familiarity with the forms of alphabet letters, awareness of print, and letter forms.Letter Shaping (“Tt”)
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
Educator Prep: Print out the Between the Lions alphabet chart or create an alphabet chart on chart paper.
Display the letter “Tt” card. Trace over both the lowercase and uppercase “Tt.” Point out that both the uppercase “T” and the lowercase “t” are made with straight lines. Ask, Which letter is taller?
Have children form an uppercase “T” with their two index fingers. Talk about how the top horizontal line (simplify as “the line that goes across”) is balanced right on top of the vertical line (simplify as “the tall line” or “the line that goes up and down”). Have children form a lowercase “t” with their two index fingers and talk about how the horizontal line crosses the vertical line part way down.
Model how to shape pipe cleaners or roll “snakes” of clay with the palms of your hands to form the letter “Tt.” Have children form their own letters “Tt.”
English Language Learners: If children are having trouble understanding what is meant by straight line, guide their fingers as they draw the line themselves. Have children trace the drawn line with their fingers as you have them say the word straight.