Page Title

Pre-school Theme Day

Letter “G” Day

To help my 3 year old son learn that the alphabet was more than just a song, we had letter days. Having them individually helped him to recognize that each letter is different just like each shape is different. After our theme day we’d review that letter for the week until the next theme day.

Print out the Family Theme Day Planner and decide which activities you’d like to do and in what order.

SONGS:

The obvious choice for letter days is the “ABCD...” alphabet song - http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/a004.html

Many different Children’s Music Recordings have other alphabet songs (like Sharon, Lois and Bram), check your children’s collections to see what you have on hand.

There are songs that emphasize the sound of each letter, too (One sounds like “Farmer in the Dell” but says “G says gah, and G says jah, every letter makes a sound, G says gah and jah”).

SCRAPBOOK ACTIVITIES:

COLORING PAGES:

You can find many free colouring pages online by using your favourite search engine and typing in “Alphabet Coloring Pages ” (you can often find alphabet pages with favourite characters on them too like the Sesame Street Characters) or print out my “Big G Little g” Colouring Page.

While colouring the page, emphasize the shape by helping your child trace it with his/her finger and emphasize the sound (for Letter G day emphasize the sounds “gah” as in “ghost” and “jah” as in “gem”).

BOOKS:

Raid your child’s bookshelves to find any alphabet books.

Go to the library with your child to find some alphabet books.

Go to the library on your own to find alphabet books to have already on hand for your theme day. Many libraries allow you to go online and search for titles based on subject (search for “alphabet” under “Children’s Books”). Reserve them if you can to save time.

Try to find some of these fun alphabet books:

· The Bouncing, Dancing, Galloping ABC, by Charlotte Doyle and illustrated by Julia Gorton, G. P Putnam’s Sons, 2006 – Fun illustrations about various actions decorate this alphabet book.

· G is for Goat, by Patricia Polacco, Philomel Books, 2003 – Pencil and watercolor illustrations adorn this simple alphabet book about goats.

· Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet, by David McLimans, walker & Company, 2006 - Each letter is shaped into a black and white illustration to represent each of 26 endangered animals. A little box of information about each animal is provided on each page as well.

· The Guinea Pig ABC, by Kate Duke, E.P Dutton, 1983 – Each page offers one word and a large capital letter with cute little guinea pigs that illustrate the word.

· Over Under In the Garden: An Alphabet Book, by Pat Schories, Farar, Straus and Giroux, 1996 – Each page offers a garden picture and one word of something in the garden that starts with each letter of the alphabet (Acorn, Black-eyed Susan, Catnip, Dogwood, Eggplant...)

CRAFT:

Letter G Collage:

Materials: A copy of my Gg worksheet, old magazines, child-safe scissors, washable glue stick, damp facecloth for sticky fingers.

Step 1: Look through old magazines with your child and together look for things that start with the letter G.

Step 2: Help your child cut out the letter G pictures from the magazine to make a pile of pictures to glue on the Gg worksheet.

Step 3: Show your child how to glue the pictures onto the collage and then let him/her glue the pictures on the paper however he/she likes.

Step 4: When the collage is dry display (fridge, bulletin board, child’s door) or glue into Family Theme Scrapbook.

Letter G Sticker Collage:

Materials: Coloured paper, stickers of things that start with the letter G (or of the letter B if you can find some alphabet stickers).

Step 1: Have your child pick the colour of paper to use for the background

Step 2: Give your child the stickers or cut outs and let him/her stick or glue them to the coloured paper however he/she wants.

Glitter Glue Picture:

Materials: Glitter glue, a copy of my Gg worksheet , face cloth for dirty fingers, newspaper or plastic for covering the table, old t-shirts or art smocks .

Step 1: Have your child pick the colour(s) of glitter glue he/she wants to use.

Step 2: Remind your child that glitter glue starts with the “ga” sound.

Step 3: Show your child how to squeeze the glitter glue to make lines and dots on the worksheet.

Step 4: Let your child squeeze glitter glue all over the worksheet.

Step 5: Let it dry (it takes a long time to dry) and then display.

FOOD:

SNACK:

Serve up some guava for a snack (or if a new fruit seems too daunting for your little one add guava with other fruit, milk, yogurt and juice in a blender to make a smoothie).

Grapes make the perfect G snack.

Grapefruit is another G fruit you can serve up for a snack if your child likes it that is (mine don’t).

Make some homemade guacamole by mashing up an avocado with some sour cream, lemon or lime juice, a pinch of cumin and a pinch of salt (you can add chopped tomato and jalapenos for more adventuresome palates) and serve with corn chips or crackers or veggies for dipping.

A bowl of granola plain or with milk or yogurt is a nice crunchy G snack.

Granola bars would be an easy G snack to serve.

Graham crackers are an easy snack that starts with the letter G.

Grapefruit juice is an easy G drink to serve with your snack.

Ginger ale could be served as a special treat for a drink on Letter G day.

LUNCH:

Goat’s cheese on toasted multi-grain bread makes a different lunch.

DINNER:

Make some goulash (go online for an easy recipe of this beef and noodle recipe). Serve it up with garlic toast and green beans on the side.

DESSERT:

Make some gingersnap or gingerbread cookies for a G dessert or any kind of ginger cake.

For a super easy treat serve gummies.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

ALPHABET CHART:

Materials: A copy of my Alphabet Chart (from Letter A day displayed on your fridge or on a bulletin board), a copy of the Cut-out Gg Card, markers or crayons, child-safe scissors, glue-stick, face cloth for sticky fingers.

· Step 1: Lead your child to the Alphabet Chart on your fridge, bulletin board or taped to a wall and review the Letters A to G

· Step 2: Have your child colour the Cut-out Gg Card.

· Step 3: Help your child cut the letter Gg card out.

· Step 4: Have your child apply glue to the back of the Gg card and glue it on the Alphabet Chart (or you can have your child use tape).

· Step 5: Review what letter it is and what sound it is throughout the week by pointing to the chart.

LETTER TRACING:

Fill a pie plate with sand, sugar or salt and teach your child how to trace the letter G in the sand. When you are finished tracing dump the sand in a re-sealable bag to use on another day.

FLASH CARDS:

Review the entire alphabet by using a set of flash cards (found at book stores, educational stores, even craft stores) or make your own by writing each letter on an individual index card.

FOR FUN:

ONLINE GAMES:

There are many different websites that offer games for preschoolers. You can find them by looking up your child’s favourite television characters. Here are two from the Sesame Street website:

Big Bird’s Letters is a simple game because it only involves your child pressing any letter on the keyboard and then the letter appears along with a picture that starts with that letter:

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player?p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_id=gamePlayer_WAR_sesameportlets4369&p_p_uid=dd838f23-486b-11dd-bf7b-df62be721a24

Letters to Big Bird is another alphabet game to play together. In this game Big Bird literally receives a letter in his mail box and your child has to click on something on his shelf that starts with that letter:

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player?p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_id=gamePlayer_WAR_sesameportlets4369&p_p_uid=bf02fb88-163e-11dd-98c7-b9f43dcf5330

I SPY:

Play “I Spy With My Little Eye” only trying to find things that start with the letter G.

LETTER WALK:

This is similar to “I Spy” in that you walk around your neighbourhood and try to find things that start with different letters of the alphabet. For Letter G Day find things that start with G. You can also do this while in a car or bus etc..

TOYS:

If you have an alphabet puzzle this theme day is the perfect time to play with it together.

Play with any other educational toys that focus on the alphabet.

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES:

AUDIO VISUAL:

Search through your child’s DVD/ video collection (or visit your local library before hand or the Video Store) to find your child’s favourite shows with a focus on teaching the alphabet.

Try to find these titles:

· Blue’s Room: Alphabet Power, Viacom International Inc., 2005 – This DVD has two episodes of blue’s Room and two of Blue’s Clues. The first two shows deal with the alphabet and the last two more with writing and reading.

· Pocket Snails: Letter Adventure, Soaring Star Productions, 2004 – These two simple shows are about three snails who live in a little boy’s pocket who help him learn the alphabet by taking photos of them in Letter Land. One show highlights the Upper Case letters and the other is identical except it showcases the Lower Case letter. There is no focus on the phonetic sounds of the alphabet in these shows but the repetition makes it a good show to reinforce letter recognition.

· Rock n’ Learn: Alphabet Exercise, Rock ‘N Learn, Inc., 2005 – this show has a song for every letter of the alphabet that also incorporates movement like S for Spin and T for Twist.

· Sesame Street: All-Start Alphabet – There’s So Much to See Between A and Z!, Sesame Workshop, 2005 – This fun DVD has capital A and Z interviewing people at a mall about the alphabet while also highlighting each letter with individual skits from the show Sesame Street. Adults might enjoy it because it includes segments with Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, and the Dixie Chicks to name a few of the celebrities featured.

· Sesame Street: Learning About Letters, Children’s Television Workshop, 1986 – This is a great video using classic clips (that I remember as a child) throughout as Big Bird and friends search for things that start with each letter of the alphabet.

· Sharon, Lois & Bram ABC’s: Alphabet sing & dance-along, elephant Records, 2003 – this one reviews the alphabet using different songs about things that start with different letters.