Learn About Letters Together: Target Letter (“Ss”) and Word (sound) #1

  • Between the Lions alphabet chart (or similar)
  • highlighter marker
  • letter card “Ss”
  • name chart
  • "Sounds We Hear" chart
  • word card sound
  • curved
  • lowercase
  • sound
  • straight
  • uppercase

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.

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.

Learn About Letters Together: Target Letter (“Ss”) and Word (sound) #1

© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.

ELA Focus Skills: Letter Recognition, Name Recognition

Educator Prep: Print out the Between the Lions alphabet chart or create an alphabet chart on chart paper.

Use the “Target Letter and Word” routine to introduce the letter “Ss” and the word sound.

Target Letter and Word Routine

Introduce children to the target letter by showing them the letter in context of the target word sound.

  • Hold up the target word card. Point to the letters as you say the word.
  • Talk about the meaning of the word.
  • Point to the first letter of the word as you say the name of the letter aloud. Highlight the letter in a different color.
  • Cover all of the letters following the first letter on the word card. Focus children’s attention on the letter.
  • Ask children what they notice about the shape of the letter. Ask, Does it have straight lines? Curved lines? Both straight and curved lines?
  • Hold up the letter card. Talk about the difference between the lowercase and uppercase letters. Have children find the letter on an alphabet chart.

Take It Further: Have children look at the “Sounds We Hear” chart. Can they find the letter “Ss” in the title?  Hold up the sound word card. Match letter by letter to show that the word is the same on the card and on the chart.

Educator Tip: Guided and independent letter, sound, and word practice continues to take place in center activities. It is helpful to set up the literacy center immediately after the direct instruction and repeat instruction before children work in the literacy center identifying letters. 

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