- construction paper
- glue
- magazine pictures—many of them should be things that go up (airplanes, birds, balloons, baseball, elevator, etc.)
- markers
- small coat hangers or straight edge for mobile base (pencil, craft stick, stick)
- string
- tape
- word card up
- up
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.
Up Mobile
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
Skill Focus: Creative Expression, Fine Motor Skills, Letter Recognition, Word Recognition
Educator Prep: For each child prepare a square with outlined letters that read UP. Children will color in the block letters for their mobiles.
Display the up word card. Read each letter together. Then read the word. Ask children what they think the word up means. As children discuss, talk about things that go up, for example, airplanes, stairs, or ramps.
Distribute the UP squares and ask children to color in the “U” and then the “P.” Then help them write their name on the back of the square.
- Explain that these UP labels will be part of their mobiles that they will hang around the room.
- Turn attention to the pictures and tell children you want them to find three things that go up.
- Once children have chosen three pictures have them tape a piece of string to each picture.
- Help children tie the other end of the string onto the hanger. Hang the mobiles around the room.