Teaching students to recognize uppercase and lowercase letters
Abstract
For some preschool and kindergarten students, it can be a challenge to learn to recognize the letters of the alphabet. This effective practice highlights a creative technique that engages students on many levels, making it easy and fun to remember letters. Sherry Martin, a second year AmeriCorps member with America Reads – Mississippi, shared this effective practice in September 2006 via the America Learns Network.Issue
Traditional methods such as singing alphabet songs and pointing to alphabet letters on a wall chart aren't always successful in teaching children the letters of the alphabet.Action
Materials Needed- Two different colors of construction paper (one dark colored, one light)
- String or yarn
- Die cuts or large cutouts of the alphabet
- One hole puncher and one pair of scissors for you to use
Strategy
Step 1
Using die cuts of alphabet letters, cut out large uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet on dark colored construction paper (one letter on each page.) If your students need to work on specific letters, be sure to include the uppercase and lowercase forms of those letters, along with some letters they already know.
Confirm that you have made enough letters for all of the students in the group and that you have created the uppercase and lowercase form of each selected letter.
Step 2
Glue each letter cutout on a single page of the light-colored construction paper.
Step 3
Place construction paper with the glued letters on the floor so that all the students can stand in front of them and see them. Then review each letter's name and sounds.
Step 4
Punch two holes at the top of each page and tie a string through the holes so that the students can wear the letters around their necks.
Step 5
Ask all of the students to stand up. Hand each one a letter and ask the students with the capital letters to walk around the room, search for, and then introduce themselves to the student with the corresponding lowercase letter. You can also ask the students with lowercase letters to look for the capitals, or just have all of students look for their match simultaneously.
When both students agree that they match, have them shake hands. You can also ask students who "meet" their match to say the name of the letter, to say the sounds that letter makes, and to come up with a word or two for that letter. Once they've done that, they can raise their hands and have you come over and listen to their letter sounds and words.
If the students determine that they do not match, ask them to say, "Nice to meet you, Letter __" to one another and then move on. Encourage these students to search the room together for their respective matches.
*Note
America Learns literacy experts recommend posting a large chart of the uppercase and lowercase letters you're using in this activity so that students can reference it during the activity to determine which letters they're supposed to look for and to confirm that they've "met" the right letter. As your students become more familiar with the alphabet through this and other activities, you can begin using this activity without the chart.
Context
Sherry Martin, author of the September 2006 America Learns National Strategy of the Month is a second year AmeriCorps member with America Reads - Mississippi. Sherry tutors in the Natchez-Adams School District, where she has been working for the past eight years. Prior to joining AmeriCorps, she worked in the district's Parent Center, where she would help parents identify enrichment materials for their children. Sherry's supervisor writes that Sherry is "an incredible tutor" who "tries different approaches to meet the needs of the students she tutors."
One of America Learns' core activities involves facilitating nationwide tutor-to-tutor and mentor-to-mentor learning. The practical, easy-to-use strategies that tutors and mentors share via the America Learns Network can be implemented in a variety environments. America Learns' internal experts and partners also create new strategies to address the challenges that tutors and mentors experience in the field — from content issues to interpersonal and social-emotional development issues.
Citation
September 2006 America Learns National Strategy of the Month: "Nice to Meet You, Mr./Ms. Letter" by Sherry Martin (America Reads - Mississippi).
Online at: http://americalearns.net/strategy.htm.
Outcome
Letter recognition is an essential step in preparation for reading, and a good foundation helps ensure a smooth transition to reading age-level appropriate materials.Posted On
September 27, 2006For More Information