- Between the Lions alphabet chart
- letter “Aa” card
- two boxes, one filled with uppercase magnetic letters (“A,” “C,” “L,” “T,” and “Z”) and one with lowercase magnetic letters (“a,” “c,” “l,” “t,” and “z”)
- two empty baskets or boxes labeled “Aa” and “Other”
- lowercase
- match
- uppercase
Foundational Skills/RF.PK.MA.1.d: Recognize and name some uppercase letters of the alphabet and the lowercase letters in one’s own name.
Head 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 Sort “Aa”
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
Skill Focus: Compare and Contrast, Letter Recognition, Matching and Sorting, Vocabulary
Educator Prep: Print out the Between the Lions alphabet chart or create an alphabet chart on chart paper.
Point to the letter “Aa” card and have children tell you what is on the card (uppercase “A” and lowercase “a”). Have children look in the box as you say, In this box, there are many different uppercase letters. Let’s find all the uppercase “A” letters and put them in the “Aa” basket. We’ll put all the other letters in the basket that says “Other.” Have children sort the letters. Encourage children to say a word that begins with the letter “Aa” each time they find an “Aa.”
On another day, repeat the process as you search for lowercase “a.”
Adaptation: For groups with children who easily recognize their letters, you may want to challenge children to identify all the letters in the “Other” box. Have them name a word that begins with each letter they name.