Sample Activities to Promote Letter Identification
Letter Rainbows
Distribute a letter rainbow mat and letter cutouts or magnetic letters to each student. Select letters that have already been mastered and one letter that students need to practice.
Explicitly model one of the activities below. Provide guidance and corrective feedback to students as they practice the activity with a partner or individually.
Activities: Student match magnetic letters or letter cutouts to the letters on the rainbow mat.
Visual discrimination
Match uppercase letter cards to uppercase rainbow mat
Match lowercase letter cards to lowercase rainbow mat
Match uppercase cards to lowercase rainbow mat
Letter names
The teacher names a letter. Students identify the letter and match it to the rainbow mat.
Intervention
Limit the number of letter cards or create a rainbow mat with only five to eight letters.
Variations
Font sort
Select two to five letters that students have already mastered. "Think aloud" with students as you describe each letter's shape and features. Include a discussion about similarities and differences between different types of fonts.
Use the font sort cards to model a sort between several previously taught letters. For example, if students are working on the letters b, d, and t, shows them how to choose a b, match it to the example, and place it in the b area.
Distribute font sort cards to students. The students complete the sort in small groups or individually. The activity can be differentiated for students by increasing or limiting the number of letters in the bag. For example, more proficient students may complete the font sort with six different letters, while less proficient students may sort two or three. Ensure each student is not working with more than two new letters.
As an extension activity, students can identify the letters used in the font sort in environmental print, a consumable book, newspapers, or magazines.
