November in Kindergarten is the start of literacy magic! Kiddos are beginning to understand and practice tracking print more independently. They are grasping letter-sound knowledge and building their fluency there, and they are mastering proper letter formation in handwriting. If you've never taught Kindergarten, trust me when I tell you, its magical! The beginnings of being able to read is an incredible sight to be seen, and I feel so lucky to have been able to be a part of such an important process in so many children's lives.
In addition to the huge push of phonemic awareness that is so critical to the reading process, November is also when I've always started to hone in on alphabetic principle. By this time, we have our Fundations Drills down pat and are ready to really put those skills into practice.
This is exactly why I created A Horn of Plenty of Letters- A Thanksgiving themed, hands on center that focuses on beginning sounds.
Pictures are used on each fruit and vegetable so students can practice their phonemic awareness skills by hearing the word and isolating the beginning sound. Then, they can begin to map the sound to a letter. Differentiate with FIVE different recording sheets to best meet the needs of your students!
I found this adorable cornucopia in the Target Dollar Spot (because everything wonderful is always found in the Target Dollar Spot!). Students pulled a card from the cornucopia, said the picture word, isolated the initial sound, then chose the letter that corresponds with that sound. Since we are still amidst learning letter formation, I began with the tracing recording sheet. I always begin a brand new center in a guided group run by myself or another teacher in the room. Then, after some practice with guidance, I move it the following week as an Independent center.
It was a fun activity and my little kinder loved seeing both what kind of fruit or vegetable they got as well as deciding what was on the picture. Laminate the cards for easy cleaning between turns OR just have the teacher pull the cards! This can still be a COVID friendly activity.
You can download A Horn of Plenty of Letters here!
What are your favorite November literacy activities? Comment on this post and let's swap great idea!
Keep your head in the clouds!
