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About Anna from The Measured Mom

Anna taught eight years before she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children - a girl (5) and three boys (4,2,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter's morning at kindergarten. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

G is for Goat Letter of the Week Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 17 Comments

Letter of the week crafts for preschoolers is a super fun way to teach your little one the alphabet at home.

If you’re doing preschool at home, these ideas are easy for anyone to create with their preschooler and create memories that will last forever!

Let me show you how easy it is to make this g is for goat.

First, let’s gather up the supplies you will need. We also give you a template to use.

You will need:

a letter G cut from construction paper (see pattern: G is for Goat pattern – crystal and company)

nose, beard, horns, ear, hooves — easy to make yourself, but if you’d like a pattern, use the one above (with the exception of the ear — just make a long
wide tear drop)

a pair of googly eyes

glue stick

a piece of colored construction paper

black marker

Letter of the Week Craft Step by Step Tutorial:

1. Flip the G over and apply glue to the back.

2. Glue the G to the center of the paper so that there is space above and below it.

3. Glue on the nose. Be sure to leave space below it for the mouth.

4. With the black marker, draw a long line from the nose and add a smile.

5. Add the beard. You can see that my two-year-old’s drawing of a mouth is much different than my four-year-old’s. 🙂

6. Attach the goat’s horns.

7. Now add the ear.

8. Finally, give the goat some hooves.

And here is what they look like by age of the artist.

Super fun!

ACTION RHYME FOR LETTER G:

Here are Grandma’s glasses. (make circles with thumb and index finger and hold up to face like eyeglasses)
Here is Grandma’s hat. (make a triangle on head with hands)
This is the way she folds her hands (fold hands)
And lays them in her lap. (set hands in lap)

SONG FOR LETTER G:

“Galumph!” went the little green frog one day.
“Galumph!” went the little green frog.
“Galumph!” went the little green frog one day,
And his eyes went “blink, blink, blink!”

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER G:

Grumpy Goat, by Brett Helquist

I just love when I find a book that fits in perfectly with the craft! This is a new book (published 2013) about a friendly little farm with a new resident: a grumpy goat. Goat has never had friends and chases away any animals who try to get close to him. But one day he discovers a dandelion alone in the grass. He trims the grass, waters the flower, and begins to enjoy the company of the other animals. But one day the dandelion turns gray, and a breeze blows it away. Goat is devastated. Until… can you guess the ending?

George and Martha books, by James Marshall

If you’ve never read the George and Martha hippo books, please reserve them from your library before you leave the computer! This series of books is the kind I’d read even if my kids weren’t around. The stories are funny, the chapters short and the pictures hilarious. Highly recommended!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by James Marshall

We love James Marshall’s versions of the classic fairy tales. Here’s a line: “To tell the truth, Goldilocks was one of those naughty little girls who do whatever they please.” Marshall’s one-of-a-kind illustrations and lines like this one make the fairy tale seem new. My kids ask for it again and again.

More Letter of the Week Crafts:

Want to download all 26 letter crafts, instructions, templates and supply lists at once? You can do that here.

Want more letter of the week crafts? We have 104 activities you can download which include crafts, recipes, handprint art and worksheets for every letter of the alphabet. Grab it here.

F is for Frog Letter of the Week Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 19 Comments

Are you teaching your little one his ABC’s? We have a super fun way to make learning the alphabet hands on. Check out our letter of the week crafts for preschoolers.

We’re going to show you how easy it is to make an f is for frog craft using our easy to follow template.

You will need:

letter F cut from green paper (see pattern: F is for frog – pattern)

frog legs cut from green paper (see pattern)

round green stickers (optional)

round white circles for eyes

small black stickers (or paper circles) for the center of the eyes

red yarn

school glue

glue stick

black paint

large white paper (we used 12 x 12 inch)

Letter of the Week Step By Step Tutorial:

1. Glue the F to the paper. Make sure it is off-center toward the left.

2. Add round circles to the letter F so that you will have a speckled frog. This step is optional — plain frogs are great too. 🙂

3. Add the black stickers (or glue the black circles) to the larger white circles and attach them to the top of the F.

4. Attach the frog legs.

5. Use the school glue to make a stream of glue on the paper, coming from or near the open space at the top of the F. Carefully press down the red yarn for the frog’s tongue.

6. Dip your thumb in the black paint and make dots for the flies.

And here they are!

RHYMES FOR LETTER F:

Here’s a fun song that fits perfectly with our craft! Sing it to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”:

The frog lives in the pond,
His tongue is oh so long.
It reaches high to catch a fly,
And then he sings this song.
Ribbit, Ribbit, ribbit
Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit
Hi, ho just watch him go
His tongue is oh so long!

When we learned about the letter F a few months ago my boys sang this this all the time. Especially when they got free plastic hats from the fire station. 🙂 Sing it to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot.”

I’m a little firefighter on the go.
Here is my helmet,
Here is my hose.
When I see a fire, hear me shout:
“Turn on the water and put the fire out!”
SHHHHHHHHHH!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER F:

Too Many Frogs! by Sandy Asher

This is a fun story with adorably goofy pictures. Rabbit lives by himself and has things just the way he likes it: no fuss and no clutter. Each evening, he reads quietly by the fire. Until Froggie shows up. Each night he returns to hear the story — making himself a snack, piling up the pillows – and then showing up with his entire frog family. It’s all just too much fuss and clutter for Rabbit. But when he turns Froggie away, he finds that he misses having someone to listen. At the end of the story he embraces this different way of life. We loved this one!

The Birthday Fish, by Dan Yaccarino

If you haven’t read this book, please get it from your library as soon as you can – it’s too great to miss! More than anything else, Cynthia wants a pony for her birthday. She’s so sure she’ll get it that she’s picked out the name: Marigold. But on her birthday she gets a terribly disappointing gift instead… a goldfish. She is about to dump the gift down the drain, when it speaks up and promises to grant her a wish if she brings it to the lake instead. Over the long walk to the lake the two become friends. And as they turn around for home, Cynthia gives the fish a name – can you guess what it is?

Firefighters A to Z, by Chris Demarest

Do you have a preschooler who’s crazy about firefighters? This is one of our favorites, written by a volunteer firefighter. He takes you through a day in a firefighter’s life from A to Z. This action-filled story features bright letters to begin each page. Your preschooler may enjoy naming them as you turn the page.

More Letter of the Week Crafts:

Want to download all 26 letter crafts, instructions, templates and supply lists? You can do that here.

Want more letter of the week crafts? We have 104 activities you can download which include crafts, recipes, handprint art and worksheets for every letter of the alphabet. Grab it here.

Letter of the Week Crafts E is for Eagle

By Anna from The Measured Mom 16 Comments

Do you have a preschooler who is learning his alphabet?

We love doing letter of the week crafts for preschoolers. And this craft does not disappoint!

Let me show you how easy it is to make this E is for eagle alphabet craft with your preschooler.

Let me show you just how easy this is to make. I love that it is perfect for many preschool ages. You can assist kids as young as two years old and these are great for all the way up to Kindergarten.

This craft is also great for building motor skills…. as you read on you will see what I mean.

Letter of the Week Step By Step Tutorial:

You will need:

letter E cut from black construction paper (see pattern: E is for Eagle pattern)

egg shell cut from white construction paper (see pattern)

eagle beak cut from orange construction paper (see pattern)

eagle head cut from white construction paper (see pattern)

tracings of your child’s hands, cut from brown construction paper

large colorful paper (we used 12×12 inch scrapbook paper)

googly eye

a few egg shells, cleaned and dried

newspaper

toy hammer

glue stick

tacky glue

1. Attach the paper egg shell to the bottom of the paper using a glue stick.

2. Glue the paper hands about two inches above the egg shell as shown. Note: your child will be gluing a lot of pieces during this project, and it’s easy to put the glue on the wrong side and end up with a backward project. Teach your child how to lay out the piece as it should be, then flip it over and glue on the back. It will save you some headaches. 🙂

3. Add the black letter E to the top of the handprints. Try to tuck it underneath the top of the egg shell.

4. Add the white head to the top of the “E” so that it starts to look like an eagle. By the way, baby eagles are all brown — and if scientific accuracy is important to you, make this brown. I decided I wanted my kids to know it was an eagle, which they would not have known had I not made it look like an adult.

5. Add the eagle’s beak. Remember to lay it out first and then flip it over to put glue on the back.

6. Use the tacky glue to attach the eagle’s eye.

7. Here’s the really fun part! Smash the egg shells with a toy hammer.

(Warning: this will get messy.)

7. Apply tacky glue all over the egg shell. Then attach broken egg shell pieces.

Here are some finished projects based on skill level.

And, if you don’t want to do the egg shells you can skip that part. It’s still super cute.

RHYME FOR LETTER E:

There are many different versions of this popular counting song. We like this one:

One elephant went out to play,
Up on a spider’s web one day.
She had such enormous fun
That she called for another elephant to come.
“Oh, elephants!”

Two elephants…

Three elephants…

The web went creak,
The web went crack,
And all of the elephants
Came running back!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER E:

But No Elephants!, by Jerry Smath

This was one of my favorite books from childhood, and I still think it’s adorable. Grandma Tildy does not want a pet, but agrees to buy one from the pet salesman every time he visits. “But no elephants!” When winter hits the salesman leaves his elephant by her door — when she finally relents and brings him inside, there’s a ton of trouble. But the kind elephant brings about a happy ending.

Edward the Emu, by Sheena Knowles

Edward is tired of being an emu. Every day he finds a new animal cage and pretends to be that animal. After sharing a cage with a seal, lion, and snake. Edward returns to his own cage – only to discover a new emu has taken residence there. “Hello, I’m Edwina! It’s nice meeting you. You’re the best thing I’ve seen since I came to the zoo!” The funny pictures and catchy rhymes make this a wonderful story.

Edward’s Overwhelming Overnight, by Rosemary Wells

This creator of the popular Max and Ruby books has countless other gems, and Edward is one of them. In this book he plays at a friend’s house but must stay overnight when a snowstorm comes. Poor Edward is too sad to play. He won’t eat, and he can’t sleep. In this book and its companions, Edward Unready for School and Edward in Deep Water, we learn that not everyone is ready for the same things at the same time.

For more preschool resources for the letter E, visit this page.

More Letter of the Week Crafts:

Want to download all 26 letter crafts, instructions, templates and supply lists? You can do that here.

Want more letter of the week crafts? We have 104 activities you can download which include crafts, recipes, handprint art and worksheets for every letter of the alphabet. Grab it here.

D is for Doghouse: Preschool Letter of the Week Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 13 Comments

Are you working on the letter D with your young learner?

We love letter of the week crafts around here! You will adore this d is for doghouse craft!

I like this craft because it reinforces the “D” sound a number of ways: Along the letter the kids made dots. Inside the doghouse is a picture of a dog. A door covers it.

Your kids will like it because the opening door makes it an interactive craft that they could have fun with even after they are done creating it.

Let me show you how easy this is to make.

Here is everything you will need.

You will need:

a blank piece of white paper

letter D printed onto construction paper (see printable: D is for Doghouse patterns)

the inside of the letter D – don’t throw it away!

construction paper heart (see printable) OR a printed picture of a dog (also on printable)

Do-a-Dot marker

glue stick

tape

black marker (and other colors if desired)

fun doggy stickers for decorating

Letter of the Week Step By Step Tutorial:

1. Glue the letter D onto the center of your piece of white paper.

2. Use your Do-a-Dot marker to fill in the dog footprints along the D. If you’re not familiar with Do-a-Dot markers, you can get them at your local craft store or online. Using them in this way gives your preschooler some great fine motor practice.

3. Glue down the dog picture from the printable — he’s in the letter D doghouse! OR, if your child is capable of simple drawing, follow the instructions below.

4. Your child will probably do best if you model this for him. Be as clear as you can. My daughter (just finishing kindergarten) was the guinea pig, and my instructions were not as clear as they were for her brother (age 4), as you might notice in the final pictures.

5. Tape the inside of the D over the picture so that it serves as a door.

6. Open the door to find the dog in the doghouse!

7. And here are our finished projects!

This was a simple craft, but my kids really had fun with it afterward. They all carried theirs around, opening and closing the doghouse doors to show anyone who was interested (and even those who weren’t :)).

ACTION RHYME FOR LETTER D:

Dinosaur, dinosaur, turn around
Dinosaur, dinosaur, touch the ground
Dinosaur, dinosaur, reach up high
Dinosaur, dinosaur, wink one eye
Dinosaur, dinosaur, touch your nose
Dinosaur, dinosaur, touch your toes
Dinosaur, dinosaur, slap your knees
Dinosaur, dinosaur, sit down please

NURSERY RHYME FOR LETTER D:

Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John
Went to bed with his trousers on,
One shoe off, and one shoe on;
Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John.

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER D:

Go, Dog, Go, by P.D. Eastman

This classic story (1961) is still a favorite of kids today. The dogs in cars are all in a hurry — where are they going? At the end of the story they are having a giant dog party on the top of a tree. If you read this to your child enough, he’ll memorize it – and as he starts to read, it will be one of the first he can read by himself.

Duck in the Truck, by Jez Alborough

This is my two-year-old’s favorite book which he pleads for every time we drive by the library (he doesn’t know he’s getting it for his birthday next month!). This is a rhyming story about a duck whose truck is stuck in the muck. All sorts of animals stop by to help him out. Rhyming books are so important for children. As your child gets to know a rhyming book, leave out the rhyming words and let him fill them in.

Press Here, by Herve Tullet

If you’ve never read this book, you’re in for a treat. Each page instructs the reader to press a dot, turn the page, or shake the book — turn the page and the dots have changed! This is a unique book that makes for a wonderfully cozy read-aloud.

More Letter of the Week Crafts:

Want to download all 26 letter crafts, instructions, templates and supply lists? You can do that here.

Want more letter of the week crafts? We have 104 activities you can download which include crafts, recipes, handprint art and worksheets for every letter of the alphabet. Grab it here.

C is for Car: Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 17 Comments

Letter of the week crafts are an excellent way to offer your kids preschool and early education activities at home.

C is for car is a super fun way to bring this letter to life.

Introducing the letters one at a time is a great way to go through the alphabet with your your young learner.

My kiddos have had so much fun doing these at different ages.

This craft can be done with children ages 2 to 6 years old.

I’ve learned that my boys love any craft that takes the shape of a vehicle. So it made sense to use a car craft to teach the shape and sound of letter C.

Let me show you how easy this is to make!

You will need:

a blank piece of white paper

large letter C cut from black construction paper (download the template)

small letter C’s cut from colored construction paper (download the template)

4 small circles for tires (trace the circles from the pattern or use dot stickers, as pictured above)

4 white hole reinforcements, optional

5-6 short yellow strips

black marker

glue stick

Letter of the Week Step By Step Tutorial:

1. Glue down the large letter C.

2. Glue down the yellow strips to make your road. Younger preschoolers will need guidance with this.

3. Now glue down the smaller C’s to make your cars.

4. Next, glue down the tiny black circles or use round dot stickers to make the wheels of your cars. We like to use dot stickers because I have a giant set left from my teaching days.

Kids love stickers, and it’s great fine motor practice to manipulate the small pieces.

I gave the older kids yellow dot stickers because I thought the black stickers would not show up against the road. My two-year-old used black, and I think it’s a better choice.

5. If you have white hole reinforcements, put them down in the center of the tires.

6. Finally, draw letter C’s behind each car for the smoke.

My four-year-old really got into this – as you can see! He said that the orange car was going faster, so it had a lot more smoke.

The next day he admired his picture on the fridge. “It’s a good thing the faster car is in front, or they would crash into each other.”

And here are the finished projects!

My two year old is not really drawing letters by himself yet, but you can see that he wrote according to his ability.

You can prepare toddlers and preschoolers for writing by having them write with their finger.

For the letter C, put cornmeal on a baking sheet and show your child how to write a C with his index finger. Gently shake the tray to start over.

NURSERY RHYME FOR LETTER C:

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile.
He had a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

SONGS FOR LETTER C:

(sing to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”

Clouds are floating,
Clouds are floating,
Up so high, up so high.
Floating up above us,
Floating up above us,
In the sky, in the sky.

(sing to the tune of “Eensy Weensy Spider”)

The fuzzy little caterpillar
Curled upon a leaf,
Spun her little chrysalis,
And then she fell asleep.
While she was sleeping,
She dreamed that she could fly.
And later when she woke up
She was a butterfly!

BOOKS FOR LETTER C:

Cars! Cars! Cars! by Grace Maccarone

This is the perfect book about cars for young listeners. With the funny dog drivers and short, rhyming text, it’s a quick and fun read. A bonus is that it’s one you won’t mind reading over and over!

Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkia

This classic story (from 1938) is about a cap salesman who runs into trouble when monkeys steal all of his hats. How will he get them back? This is a wonderfully funny story to act out with your preschooler.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Some books will never lose their appeal, and this is one of them. It teaches the days of the week, counting, and the life cycle of a butterfly (though not exactly scientifically correct) — with beautiful illustrations and a great story.

More Letter of the Week Crafts:

Want to download all 26 letter crafts, instructions, templates and supply lists? You can do that here.

Want more letter of the week crafts? We have 104 activities you can download which include crafts, recipes, handprint art and worksheets for every letter of the alphabet. Grab it here.

A is for Alligator Preschool Craft with Printable

By Anna from The Measured Mom 35 Comments

Are you looking for education resources that you can use with your preschooler? I am over the moon thrilled to begin sharing a letter of the week activity for preschoolers with you.

I homeschool four of our boys. We use Sonlight’s awesome preschool curriculum which is full of memory making literature experiences. A few years back I became hungry to add more alphabet crafts to our routine for my youngest. This got me thinking, if I am looking for these activities for kids, you are too! I just did not have time to create the curriculum or activities from scratch.

It only made sense to reach out to fellow mom blogger Anna who has her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. Her passion is to teach reading. It is absolutely a blessing to have her here!

Anna has created a letter of the week craft for the entire alphabet and in each post she includes books, songs and play ideas that we can incorporate with this craft.

Over the course of the last few years we’ve also added in handprint art, larger book lists, handwriting practice and more! All of these links for letter A are at the end of this post.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Letter A template printed on colored paper

Alligator teeth template and printed letter A’s – or A’s cut out of magazines or foam letters

2 white circles (I used a circle punch)

green construction paper squares

black marker

scissors

glue stick or bottle

1. Apply glue to the letter A. I prefer glue sticks because they’re less messy, but my kids did need to reapply the glue as they worked.

2. Attach green “scales” to create your alligator.

3. Cut out the alligator teeth. Depending on the age/ability of your preschooler, you may need to help with this. My 2-year-old, 4-year-old, and almost 6-year-old were doing this craft together. My youngest insisted on doing some cutting himself — but as he cannot cut on lines yet, I did most of the cutting for him.

4. Glue the teeth inside the alligator’s mouth. This was a bit tough for my 2-year-old, who didn’t quite get how to line the teeth up along the mouth. I was so busy helping him I forgot to get a picture of this step – whoops!

5. Draw a black circle or oval inside each white circle for the eyes.

6. Attach eyes to the alligator.

6. Feed letter A’s to the alligator by gluing them inside his mouth. You can cut these out of magazines, use stickers, or use the printable.

My daughter, who is just finishing kindergarten, drew them herself. Your preschooler may want to do the same.

7. And here our are finished projects 🙂

Here are just a few ideas to expand your letter A exploration:

Fingerplay for letter A:

Way up high in the apple tree (arms stretched up high)
Two little apples smiled at me (point to cheeks)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (pretend to shake tree)
Down came the apples (make downward motion with arms)
Mmm, they were good! (rub stomach)

Song for letter A (my kids love this one):

Oh, I wish I was a marching army ant.
Oh, I wish I was a marching army ant.
Oh, I’d marchy way up high,
Until I could touch the sky.
Oh, I wish I was a marching army ant.

(from DLTK-teach.com)

Favorite books for letter A:

Henry’s Awful Mistake, by Robert Quackenbush

This wonderful story was one of my childhood favorites. I’m afraid that buying it new might be impossible (unless you want to pay waaay too much money), but do check your library! Henry the duck is having his friend Clara over for dinner, when he sees an ant. He tries to smash the ant with a frying pan, but it gets away. In all his efforts to get the ant, he smashes a hole in his wall, breaks a pipe, and floods his house. A little dramatic, but a great story — and it has a nice ending. 🙂

“I Can’t!” Said the Ant, by Polly Cameron

Here’s another book that’s hard to find new, but your library should carry it. Younger children might not appreciate this because the pictures are not colorful, but your older preschooler might love the story and all the interesting rhymes. The teapot falls and needs help getting up… all the items in the kitchen try to help. “Get a batallion! said the scallion…” I’m a huge fan of rhyming books for kids. They are so important for getting your child ready to read.

Ants, by Melvin & Gilda Berger

Please, snatch up any of these little readers from Melvin & Gilda Berger that you can find. This kind of nonfiction is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. When I was teaching these types of books made reading nonfiction possible for my earliest readers.

Apples, by Samantha Berger

My 4 1/2 year old is just learning to read, and this was the first book he could read by himself. He was so proud! If your child can read numbers, he can read this book. On each page is a famous work of art featuring apples. “1 apple…2 apples….3 apples…”

Tools for Teaching Preschool at Home:

Buy all 26 weeks of Letter of the Week Crafts for Preschoolers here.

Love hand print art? Check out our 26 weeks of hand print art that goes with each letter of the alphabet!

B is for Butterfly: Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 28 Comments

We love letter of the week crafts at our house when our preschoolers are learning their alphabet.

We love doing contact and tissue paper crafts at our house.

They’re simple, but beautiful — and they adorn our windows for months!

You will need:

butterfly pattern — cut from black construction paper (get it here: B is for butterfly pattern)

two pieces of clear contact paper (about 9×12 inches each) — I strongly recommend Con-Tact brand. A good place to find it is online, in the shelf liner section of Walmart or Target, or in the back of Michaels. If you don’t already have a roll, don’t be afraid to buy it just to do this craft. You’ll find lots of uses for it!

colored tissue paper cut into small (about 1-inch) squares

adult scissors

masking tape

1. Peel off the backing of one piece of contact paper.

Secure it to the table with masking tape, sticky side up.

2. Lay your butterfly onto the sticky contact paper.

Make sure its head is facing to the right.

This is so that when you display the butterfly, the “B” will not be backward.

3. Now your child can apply the colored tissue paper squares however he wants. No problem if the tissue paper covers part of the black construction paper. This will be the back of the craft.

Encourage older children to cover all the sticky inside of the butterfly.

You can see that I strapped my 15-month old into his high chair so that he could make a butterfly. This is one of the first crafts he’s been able to do with the big kids. He was very careful about placing the tissue paper squares onto the sticky paper. He loved it!

Of course, he’s just a little guy, so his attention span lasted for about two minutes. No problem — this was fun for him, gave him some fine motor practice, and made him very happy to be included.

You can see how this craft is great for kids of different ages.

My Five loved to carefully lay her tissue paper in neat rows. I have done this sort of craft with children up to third grade, and they loved it too.

4. Cover the finished butterfly with the other piece of clear contact paper.

Carefully set it on top, and rub your fingers over the paper to seal the craft together. I was nervous the first time I did this sort of craft with the kids, but it’s actually very hard to mess up.

5. Trim around the outside edge of the craft with a scissors. You should leave at least half an inch around the outside.

As you can see, I cut a lot closer, and the projects did not stay well-sealed.

Aren’t they beautiful? If today were a sunny day you’d see how lovely they look in the window. However, we actually had snow flurries when we we were doing this craft. Yes, in mid-April.

RHYME FOR LETTER B:

Here is the beehive. (show your closed fist)
But where are the bees?
Hiding inside, where no one can see.
Here they come, out of the hive.
One, two, three, four five… (lift each finger as you say the numbers)
They’re alive!
BZZZZZ! (Tickle your child.)

SONG FOR LETTER B:

Did you know that one of the best predictors for kindergarten teachers about their students’ success is if they come to school knowing nursery rhymes? If you haven’t started teaching your preschooler nursery rhymes, it’s not too late!

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One for the master
And one for the dame.
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.

BOOKS FOR LETTER B:

Butterfly, by Susan Canizares

I’m a huge fan of these science emergent readers. They have big pictures and a little bit of text — just right for toddlers with short attention spans, but fun enough for preschoolers. They’re also great first nonfiction books for kids learning to read. Check out Susan Canizares’ books on Amazon – you really can’t go wrong!

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can you?, by Dr. Seuss

The fun animal sounds and never-ending rhymes make this a fun book and an important one for learning, too. It can be tiresome to read your child the same book over and over, but it’s so important — especially when listening to the book a hundred times helps your child learn to rhyme.

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

This book, published in 1948, is still a favorite. Little Sal and her mother are picking berries on Blueberry Hill. On the other side of the hill are Little Bear and his mother. Somehow the little ones get mixed up and end up following the wrong mother. All is resolved at the end of this engaging story.

Grumpy Bird, by Jeremy Tankard

Here’s a newer book (2007) about a grumpy bird whose animal friends help to pull him out of a bad mood through exercise and a little companionship. We always giggle when we read this one!

Letter of the Week Curriculum for Preschoolers

Want to do preschool at home with your little one? Grab our complete Alphabet Preschool Curriculum, which is an instant download. In this pack you get 104 activities with printables, templates and instructions for making a craft, hand print art, snack, uppercase and lowercase tracing pages and do a dot pages for each letter of the alphabet.

Z is for Zebra: Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 10 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, and it’s been so fun sharing letter of the week crafts and learning ideas with you at Crystal & Company!

This is our final week in the series. We’re wrapping it up with letter Z — for zebra, of course!

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: Z is for Zebra

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

large letter Z cut from white paper (see this pattern: Z is for Zebra pattern)

black nose (see pattern)

triangular ear (see pattern)

googly eye

small black strips

glue stick

black marker

plain construction paper

1. Glue down the Z in the center of the paper. Add the black nose.

2. Add the googly eye.

3. Give your zebra a triangular ear.

4. Glue the stripes all the way down the zebra. (Your preschooler may need help making the stripes go in the right direction.)

5. Use a black marker to add the zebra’s mane.

I just love them!

RHYME FOR LETTER Z:

Say this rhyme in a sing-song chant. Be sure to say that last line with a shout!

Zoom, zoom zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’ll be there very soon.
So if you’d like to take a trip
Just step inside my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’ll be there very soon.

10 – 9 – 8 -7 – 6 – 5 –
4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – BLAST OFF!

SONG FOR LETTER Z:

Sing this to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”

Oh do you know the zookeeper,
The zookeeper, the zookeeper?
Oh, do you know the zookeeper
Who works down at the zoo?

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER Z:

If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr. Seuss

I couldn’t leave out this classic rhyming tale by Dr. Seuss. Kids will enjoy this zany story about a little boy named Gerald McGrew – and all the changes he’d make to the zoo.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip C. Stead

I just fell in love with this beautiful story about a kind old zookeeper named Amos. He takes time for each of the animals – and he is their dear friend. But one day Amos is sick and can’t be at the zoo. So the animals come to him! The award-winning illustrations will steal your heart!

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (5,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

Y is for Yak: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 12 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom — and I can hardly believe it, but my preschoolers and I are almost done sharing weekly letter of the week crafts with you at Crystal & Company! This week we found an adorable craft over at Pinterest: Y is for Yak. Be sure to read to the end for rhymes and books to go with the letter Y.

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: Y is for Yak

I like the credit the sources of my crafts when they’re not original, but I couldn’t track down the creator of this one. We loved it – and my boys had a lot of questions about yaks as we completed the craft!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter Y cut out of brown construction paper (see this pattern: Y is for Yak pattern)

two large tan circles (see pattern)

two small black circles (see pattern)

large tan oval (see pattern)

two tan horns (see pattern)

glue stick

black marker

red marker

white construction paper

1. Glue down the Y in the center of the white paper. Add the horns on either side.

2. Make the eyes by gluing down the large tan circles first. Then add the small black circles on top.

3. A little farther down, glue down the oval for the nose and mouth.

4. Use the black marker to make two lines for the nostrils.

5. Add a big red smile!

Aren’t they fun?

SONGS FOR LETTER Y:

Most of us love this silly favorite!

Yankee Doodle went to London
Just to ride a pony.
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni!

I know I’m stretching it here, but the letter “Y” is a seriously hard letter to find in children’s songs!

You put your whole self in,
You put your whole self out.
You put your whole self in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER Y:

Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka

This simple story of just 34 words is a unique story of friendship. When two boys meet on the road, one timidly offers friendship. (“Yo!”) As they continue to talk in one or two words a piece, the boys excitedly agree to be friends – sealed with a “Yow!” This is a great story about friendship — filled with letter Y words!

Extra Yarn, by Mac Barnett

This book won a Caldecott Honor Award (honorable mention for best pictures). It’s a gentle story about a girl in a dreary, black-and-white world who finds a box of colorful yarn. Her town is transformed as she covers its inhabitants with beautiful knitwear.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

R is for Rainbow

S is for Snake

T is for Tree

U is for Underwater

V is for Vase

W is for Watermelon

X is for Xylophone

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

L is for Lollypop (apples)

M is for Monster Bars (a sweet homemade treat)

N is for Nest (a nest for a sweet candy treat)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (5,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

X is for Xylophone: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 9 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, and for the last 23 weeks I’ve shared weekly learning activities for the alphabet here at Crystal and Company. It’s time for Letter X!

It’s a tough letter, but we found a popular letter of the week craft and even a couple of songs and books to go with it!

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: X is for Xylophone

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

xylophone sidebars printed on plain white paper (use this pattern: X is for xylophone pattern)

four colored strips (use page 2 of the above pattern for sizing)

two small black strips (see pattern)

two small black dots (see pattern)

1. Find the largest colored strip. Glue it across the bottom of the bars.

2. Keep adding all the paper strips until you’ve reached the top of the xylophone.

3. Glue down the two black strips in the shape of an X. Add the black circles at the ends of the mallets.

And here they are!

SONGS FOR LETTER X:

You’ll be happy to know I’m not going to give you songs about x-rays and xylophones! Instead you’ll find some rhymes with letter X within the words.

Here’s a preschool favorite.

Six little ducks that I once knew,
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones too.
But the only little duck with the feather on his back,
He led the others with a “Quack quack quack, quack quack quack, quack quack quack,”
He led the others with a “Quack quack quack!”

And here’s another classic song which is really fun to sing:

A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
Heigh ho, the derry-o, a hunting we will go.
A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
We’ll catch a fox and put him in a box,
And then we’ll let him go.

Jessica’s X-Ray, by Pat Zonta

My kids loved this story because of the real X-rays printed on mylar, sprinkled throughout the book. When Jessica breaks her arm, she’s taken to the hospital to get a cast. While there she gets a tour of the hospital and learns all about X-ray technology. This book is actually written by a professional X-ray technologist!

My Mom Has X-Ray Vision, by Angela McAllister

Kids will love this silly story told by a boy named Matthew, who is convinced his mom has X-ray vision. How else would she always know what he’s up to? The lively illustrations by Alex T. Smith combine with the fun story to make this an engaging book.

For many more ideas for the letter X, visit this page.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

R is for Rainbow

S is for Snake

T is for Tree

U is for Underwater

V is for Vase

W is for Watermelon

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

L is for Lollypop (apples)

M is for Monster Bars (a sweet homemade treat)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (5,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

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