Matching Game

• Pick 10 matches (A/a, B/b…) to beginning with. Increase or decrease if it is too hard or too easy.
• Place the cards face down. The first player turns over 2 cards. If the cards match (A/a) then they keep the cards. If they do not match, they turn the cards back over and the next player takes a turn. Play continues until all matches are made. The person with the most matches wins.
• Possible play: Upper/lower case; Letter/1^st sound picture; picture/word.

Snap!

• Place the sticks letter down in the container.
• The first player picks a stick and says the letter and/or the sound the letter makes. If they say it correctly, the player gets to keep the stick. If incorrect, place the stick back into the container. The next play takes a turn.
• If a player picks “snap” the player must then put all the sticks back into the container.
• Play continues until the timer goes off, you reach X number of sticks, or remove “snap” and play until all sticks are taken.

Sentence Strip Clothes Pin Match

• The student matches the clothes pin with the letter on it to the letter on the sentence strip.
• Ask the student the letter name and sound for each as they match.
• If the student struggles to match the upper- and lower-case letters have them match just upper to upper or lower to lower.
• If the student knows the letter but cannot find the match on the sentence strip they can also point and say the alphabet song to find the letter they need.

Letter Wheel

• The student matches the clothes pin with the letter on it to the letter on the letter wheel.
• Ask the student the name and sound for each letter as they match.
• If the student struggles to match the upper- and lower-case letters have them match just upper to upper or lower to lower.
• If students are working on beginning sounds, use the wheel with the pictures. The student matches the letter to the picture that starts with that letter.

Roll and Read

• The first player rolls the dice and finds the line with the corresponding number on the board. The student reads the line of letters. The next player takes a turn.

Other ways to play:

• If the student correctly reads the letters, they place a counter on that number. If that number is rolled again the player that rolls it loses a turn. The player with the most counters at the end wins.
• Students say the sounds the letters make instead of the letter names.

Color Letter Tiles

• The student puts the letters in order from a to z.
• If students are struggling but they know the letter, have them say the alphabet song to be able to put them in order.
• If students do not know the letter to put them in order, give them an alphabet chart to look at.
• Have the student say the letter name and sound as they put them in order.
• When finished have them say and point to the letters in order.
• Be silly: see if the student can say the alphabet backwards z to a.

Letter Naming Friends

• Students use the letter naming friends to read letters.
• Let students choose a friend when playing the roll and read game.
• Students can use the letter naming friends when reading the letter chart.
• Students can point to the letters with a naming friend when using the color letter tiles.

Sand

• Place sand on a paper plate.
• Say a letter and have the student trace the letter in the sand while saying the letter name and sound three times.
• If the student does not know the letter show the district letter card of the letter.
• Repeat with several letters.

Whiteboards

• Say a letter and have the student write the letter on the whiteboard. Have the student say the letter name and sound three times. The student can then draw something that starts with that letter.
• If the student is unable to write the letter use the district alphabet cards to show the letter. Try this letter again after doing a couple more letters.
• If the student can write the letters easily, try saying the sound and have the student write the letter.

CVC Word Pictures

• Show a picture to the student.
• Ask the student to tell you the beginning sound of the picture.
• Place 5 letters in front of the student with the letter the picture starts with.
• Ask the student to find the letter that the picture started with.
• If the student can say all the sounds in the word, ask them to find those letters.
• This could be combined with the whiteboards/magnadoodle or sand. Have the student write the letter instead of finding it.

Magnadoodle

• Say a letter and have the student write the letter on the Magnadoodle. Have the student say the letter name and sound three times. The student can then draw something that starts with that letter.
• If the student is unable to write the letter use the district alphabet cards to show the letter. Try this letter again after doing a couple more letters.
• If the student can write the letters easily, try saying the sound and have the student write the letter.

Plastic Sheet

• Choose a letter for the student to write.
• If the student does not know the letter use the district alphabet cards to show the letters.
• The student puts a piece of paper on top of the plastic screen and writes a letter with a crayon.
• Have the student trace the letter with their finger over the bumps three times while saying the letter name and sound.
• Repeat with several letters.