The beginning of the school year is filled with assessments and teaching classroom procedures. Why not add some back-to-school reading activities that your kids will love? Bonus: You’ll gain a lot of insight into what your students already know and what they need to learn.
Make sure you read to the bottom of this post because The Reading Crew has teamed up to offer you a mega package of freebies to make your back to school reading block a breeze!
I want to set my students up for success with a strong letter recognition foundation. Many of my kindergarten students can identify some letters of the alphabet. (The average number is 14 for those who love a research-based statistic!).
However, some of my students struggle to master this skill. Research has shown that “students who struggle with gaining alphabet knowledge tend to be the students later diagnosed as having reading disabilities (Gallagher, Frith, & Snowling, 2000).
All of this makes this the perfect back to school reading skill to start off instruction.
An alphabet arc is an arc with the upper or lowercase letters of the alphabet arranged in order. This might seem simple, but there are a ton of effective, engaging, and simple activities that stem from this one sheet of paper!
To begin, have students match plastic letters to the outlines of the letters on the arc. Practice matching them in sequence, first forwards and then backward. Sing the alphabet song as you move the letters. Have students say the letter and the sound as they move them. As they move the letter to the correct spot, they should also name the letter. See how the possibilities are endless? But wait! There’s more.
Already interested? Download your free alphabet arc HERE.
Runaway Train
Have students place their finger on the letter A and begin naming each letter. To prevent the train from running away hold up a stop sign during the activity. The students will stop, providing the letter name. At this point, you could follow up with such questions as, “What letter comes before ____? What letter is after ______?” The students will begin touching and naming the letters when you lower the stop sign.
Want more ideas? Read my blog post HERE.
The Reading Crews giveaway will run 7/30/21 until 8/2 /31. We’ll announce the winner on Tuesday morning, August 2nd. The lucky winner will receive a copy of each resource featured. This prize has over a $700 value!
Back to School Reading Skill: Letter Recognition
As a former special education teacher turned reading specialist, teaching students letter recognition is always my starting point. Being able to name and quickly recognize all letters is a critical step in learning to read. Adams (1990) noted that children who can identify letters with speed and accuracy have an easier time learning about the sounds associated with letters than those struggling with alphabet recognition. In addition, accurate letter recognition forms the basis for developing decoding skills.
I want to set my students up for success with a strong letter recognition foundation. Many of my kindergarten students can identify some letters of the alphabet. (The average number is 14 for those who love a research-based statistic!).
However, some of my students struggle to master this skill. Research has shown that “students who struggle with gaining alphabet knowledge tend to be the students later diagnosed as having reading disabilities (Gallagher, Frith, & Snowling, 2000).
All of this makes this the perfect back to school reading skill to start off instruction.
5 Back to School Reading Activities that Target Letter Recognition
I love starting the year with fun, engaging activities that pull students in and allow them to see the fun in learning to read. I also want them to experience a feeling of success, so repetition is often key. Here are 5 activities that target letter recognition that will make your students cheer!Alphabet Arc Mats
An alphabet arc is an arc with the upper or lowercase letters of the alphabet arranged in order. This might seem simple, but there are a ton of effective, engaging, and simple activities that stem from this one sheet of paper!
To begin, have students match plastic letters to the outlines of the letters on the arc. Practice matching them in sequence, first forwards and then backward. Sing the alphabet song as you move the letters. Have students say the letter and the sound as they move them. As they move the letter to the correct spot, they should also name the letter. See how the possibilities are endless? But wait! There’s more.
Already interested? Download your free alphabet arc HERE.
Alphabet Arc Activity Cards
When you pair these 20 alphabet arc activity cards with an alphabet arc you’ll create instant lessons that teach letter recognition and letter fluency. Your students will love these alphabet arc activities and games! Here’s a sneak peak of one example.
Runaway Train
Have students place their finger on the letter A and begin naming each letter. To prevent the train from running away hold up a stop sign during the activity. The students will stop, providing the letter name. At this point, you could follow up with such questions as, “What letter comes before ____? What letter is after ______?” The students will begin touching and naming the letters when you lower the stop sign.
Want more ideas? Read my blog post HERE.
Alphabet Chart
No time to pull out the alphabet arc mats and plastic letters? Simply display this alphabet chart in your classroom. Point to the letters in random order as the students say the letter name. Students can then find them on their own alphabet chart.
Printable Alphabet Flashcards
You can also use this deck of letter cards containing all the letters of the alphabet. Flip through them quickly, having students call out the letter name. Students can complete this letter recognition activity in 60 seconds or less. See how fast they can complete the task. Your students will love trying to beat their latest time! Short on time and need to squeeze more activities into your day? Then show a letter card to each student before lining up. The student must say the letter name. If you’d like to differentiate this letter recognition activity based on students’ needs, have some students give letter names, others the sound, and the most advanced can provide the word beginning with that sound. Check out 7 Simple + Fun Activities that Improve Letter Recognition in 5 minutes for more ideas.
Missing Letter Deck Cards
After students can place all the letters in the correct sequence quickly and accurately, it’s time to move on to the missing letter deck. The decks are similar to flashcards but have a letter missing from a 3 letter alphabet sequence. Begin by using the deck in alphabetical order. Hold up the card, have students name the two letters on the card, and then say the missing letter. (Students can refer to alphabet strips if needed.) As students progress, you can shuffle the cards and present them in random order. Students will love seeing how fast they can name the missing letters!
The Ultimate Alphabet Arc Bundle for Letter Recognition
You can find these 5 back-to-school reading activities in my Ultimate Alphabet Arc Bundle for Letter Recognition Intervention. This bundle creates instant lessons at your fingertips. Combine one of the 12 different alphabet arcs with an alphabet arc activity card to create engaging and effective games for your students. Use them now as your favorite back to school reading activity and later as the perfect intervention tool!Back to School Reading Giveaway Info
Now for the fun you’ve been waiting for! Register with the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win the Ultimate Alphabet Arc Bundle and 23 more resources for a total value of over $700! I promised you an amazing freebie in the intro and this is it!
The Reading Crews giveaway will run 7/30/21 until 8/2 /31. We’ll announce the winner on Tuesday morning, August 2nd. The lucky winner will receive a copy of each resource featured. This prize has over a $700 value! 