February

Objective:

• Goal: Improve letter recognition speed and accuracy.

Materials:

• Erasers

• Mouse covers: To attach to the erasers, making them fun and visually appealing for students.

• Alphabet strip

• Counters: Two different colored counters for marking letters on the alphabet strip.

• Whiteboards: For students to write the letter they choose.

• Dry-erase markers: For writing on the whiteboard.

Activity Overview:

The activity follows a turn-taking format where students practice writing, recognizing, and naming letters of the alphabet quickly. 

Instructions:

1. Set-Up:

   • Place the alphabet strip in the center for easy reference.

   • Ensure each student has a whiteboard, dry-erase marker, and eraser with the fun mouse cover.

2. Taking Turns:

   • Student 1 looks at the alphabet strip and selects a letter. They then write that letter on their whiteboard.

   • Student 1 shows the letter to Student 2, who must name the letter within three seconds.

3. Responses and Tracking Progress:

   • If Student 2 names the letter correctly and within three seconds, Student 1 places a counter on the corresponding letter on the alphabet strip.

   • If Student 2 is incorrect or takes longer than three seconds to name the letter, Student 1 wipes the letter off the whiteboard using the mouse eraser (symbolizing the mouse "eating" the letter).

   • Continue alternating turns until all letters on the alphabet strip are covered with counters.

Extensions and Adaptations:

• Sound Correspondence: Instead of just naming the letter, have students also say the sound that the letter makes. This can help reinforce phonemic awareness.

• Word Connection: After saying the sound, ask students to name a word that begins with the selected letter. For example, for the letter “B,” students could say “bat.”

• High-Frequency Words: Add an extra challenge by asking students to name a high-frequency word that starts with the letter. This can help connect letter recognition with early reading skills.