- Between the Lions alphabet chart
- highlighter marker
- letter card “Cc”
- name chart
- word card color
- color
- lowercase
- 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 (“Cc”) and Word (color) #2
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
ELA Focus Skills: Listening and Speaking, Vocabulary, Phonological Awareness
Educator Prep: Print out the Between the Lions alphabet chart or create an alphabet chart on chart paper.
Tell children they are going to continue to learn about the letter “Cc” and the word color. Use the “Target Letter and Word Routine” to review the letter “Cc” and the word color.
Target Letter and Word Routine
- Review the target letter with children by showing them the letter in the context of the target word.
- 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.
- Does it have straight lines? Curvy lines? Both straight and curvy lines?
- Hold up the letter card. Talk about the difference between the lowercase and uppercase letter. Have children find the letter on an alphabet chart.
- You may want to introduce children to the sound the letter makes, as you emphasize the /k/ sound at the beginning of the target word.
After completing the routine, have children find a space to lie down on the floor or let them remain standing. Then have them try to form a “Cc” shape with their bodies.
Adaptation: If you have limited space, you may want to have children form a “Cc” as they stand up and curl their bodies into the shape.
Educator Tip: If you have children who have a soft “Cc” in their names (i.e, Cindy, Caesar), you may want to explain that the letter “Cc” sometimes makes the sound you hear in color, but other times it has a different sound /s/.
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.