- Between the Lions alphabet chart
- letter cards (26)
- tape
- alphabet
- hunt
- letter
MA Standards:
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.
Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners during daily routines and play.
Head Start Outcomes:
Literacy Knowledge/Print Concepts & Conventions: Recognizes print in everyday life, such as numbers, letters, one’s name, words, and familiar logos and signs.
Approaches to Learning/Persistence & Attentiveness: Maintains interest in a project or activity until completed.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 5: Listen to and use formal and informal language.
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 7: Develop familiarity with the forms of alphabet letters, awareness of print, and letter forms.
Explore Together (indoors): Letter Hunt
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
Educator Prep: Before gathering children, place the letter cards around the room for children to find. Print out the Between the Lions alphabet chart or create an alphabet chart on chart paper.
Display the alphabet chart at children’s eye level. Review the alphabet. Slowly read the letters of the alphabet aloud as you point to each one. Have children name each letter after you.
Tell children you hid all the alphabet letters around the room and that you want them to go on a letter hunt to find all twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
Explain that each time they find a letter, you will help them tape it on the alphabet chart.
Point to the alphabet chart and ask, How will we know if we find a matching letter? If children are unable to answer, model finding a letter and placing it on top of the alphabet chart to compare the shape.
Sing “A-Hunting We Will Go” (letter version) as you go around the room with children and, if needed, assist them in finding letters. Be sure all children find at least one letter.
Reflect and Share Together
Once children have found all the letters, bring them together to discuss the alphabet and the letters. Talk about and list all the different places that children have seen letters and ask, Are there any other places where you have seen letters? You may need to prompt with questions about the bus, cereal boxes, or on their lunch money. Add these to the list.
A-Hunting We Will Go (letter version)
A-hunting we will go,
A-hunting we will go,
We’re off to find some letters
Around the room we go!
Adaptation: If you have older children who already know some of their letters, ask them to say the name of the letter when each one is found.