Literacy Kindergarten and Preschool

How these literacy learning centers are used can vary depending on what you teach. Four or five tables would focus on different literacy skills. The children would rotate every 10 - 15 minutes to each table. The teacher would work with one of the groups on a skill that requires a smaller grouping such as guided reading.

Literacy Kindergarten and Preschool - Center 1 - Alphabet Printing

1.  Alphabet Printing  - children practice printing letters that they have been introduced to throughout the year using a salt tray, at the sand table,  small dry-erase board, small chalkboard, magnnetic board or lite brite.

2. Tracing or Outlining Letters - children practice letter formation through tracing the outline using their finger.  They can also finger paint the outline or use a Q-tip. Playdough or wikki stix can form the letters by using the outlines. In the link below you will find letter outlines that can be used for this purpose.

Letter Outlines 

3.  Pudding Painting - fill a plastic bag with pudding and have the children form the letter on the bag and it will be displayed in the pudding. 

4.  Magic Letter Printing - children make the letters using color changing felts.  They form the letter and go over it with the magic marker and watch it change colors.   

5.  Bingo Marker Printing - bingo markers are inexpensive and great to use in this center.  Children outline the letter they wish to form with a pencil on a piece of paper.  They complete the project by either dabbing the letter or rolling on the ink using a bingo marker.

6.  Printing on Each Other - the children can print on each other's back or palm of their hand and guess what the letter is. 

7.  Alphabet Printing Book Reproducible - on the page in the link below:   

Note:  These worksheets are related to the Alphabet Program 
 The books below can be added to the ABC or Printing Center.  Pictures can be added or drawn at the top to represent the letter sounds on each page.  The members' area contains over 100 alphabet pictures and tracers that can be used .

Zaner Bloser Printing Book

Upper-Case Letters - Zaner Bloser

Upper-Case Letters - D'Nealian

8.  Alphabet Practice Sheet -  in the following link you will find a printing practice sheet.  This sheet could also be placed in the center.  It is best to laminate it first.  The children can then go over the letters with an erasable felt.  This way the sheet could be reused. 

Zaner-Bloser

D'Nealian

Literacy Kindergarten and Preschool - Center 2 - Alphabet Recognition

1.  Letter matching - match lower case to upper case or younger children can match the same letters.  These activities found on the page in the link below:

Letter Match

2. Matching funny letters to conventional letters - match conventional letters to funny picture letters found in the link below:

Funny Letters Matched to Conventional Letters

3.  Alphabet Ordering - children can place alphabet magnetic letters in the correct order using a dry-erase board or filing cabinet.  The alphabet bear cards could also be used.  Alphabet stamps are also good for this.

4.  Fun Font Sorting- On pages 32-45 in the Hide and Seek theme unit you  will find all the alphabet letters done in a variety of fonts.  The children can sort these accordingly as shown in the photo.

5.  Alphabet Dot to Dot - Alphabet pictures are found in the following links:

Alphabet Dot to Dot - Bug Theme

Alphabet Dot to Dot - Dinosaur Theme

Dot to Dot Alphabet - Family and Pets

Dot to Dot Alphabet - Nutrition Theme

Alphabet Dot to Dot - Ocean Theme

Dot to Dot Alphabet - Space and Robots Theme

Dot to Dot Alphabet - Plants

Dot Dot Alphabet - Transportation Theme

 Alphabet Graphing Game - children roll a die with letters of the alphabet you have worked on (you can purchase a wooden blank die at  educational store outlets or a craft store).  They could also pull out an alphabet card from a secret bag and replace it once they have graphed it.  The children color the alphabet letter that was picked.  Once one letter has reach the top the graph the game is over.  Teach children how to read the information on the graph.  Remind the children that they must read the name of the letter either rolled or chosen. 

Blank Graph

 For more suggestions click on the link below:

More Literacy Center Suggestions

 More Ideas found in the member's area and in each theme unit!