Alphabet Books from A-Z
I Can Read
Take 26 large sheets of paper (12” x 16”) and write a different letter on each page. Put pages between construction paper to make a book called “I Can Read My ABC’s.” Hole punch and bind with book rings. Invite children to bring in words from food labels, stores, catalogs, etc. that they can read. As children bring in their words, help them match up the first letter with the same letter in the book and glue on their words.
•Make a “Candy Land ABC” with candy wrappers after Halloween!
Alphabet in My Mouth
Use the words to “I’ve Got the Alphabet in My Mouth” ton make this book. First, take a close up digital photo of each child with their tongue sticking out. Next, cut letters out of construction paper and glue to the tongue on their picture. Write words for each page to go with the picture, such as “I’ve got D /d//d/ in my mouth.”
•Make a book called “I’ve Got the Alphabet in My Hand” by taking photos of children making sign language letters.
Alphabet Art
Write large letters of the alphabet on paper. Give each child a letter and challenge them to create a picture around their letter. “What does your letter look like? Does it remind you of something? Can you use your crayons to turn it into that object?”
Body Letters
Let children make letters with their bodies. Take pictures and then put the letters together to make a book.
•Divide children into groups of 3 or 4 and let them lay on the floor to create different letters. Take photos make a book.
Themes and Seasons
Make alphabet books that coordinate with various seasons, themes, or holidays. If you are studying the ocean make a “Ocean ABC Book,” or when it’s spring make “ABC’s of Spring.” Alphabet books of your state or town are another great learning opportunity.
Singing Sounds
Music is MAGIC! These songs are a delightful way to put letters and sounds in children’s brains. You can use them at circle time to start your day, or use them for a “brain break” when children need to release wiggles. Make up your own movements, or let children create dances for the songs.
ABC Kick Box (Better Bodies and Brains CD)
Let’s all jump up and kick box the alphabet. (Dukes up, shoulders back, elbows in and make small circles with fists.)
Jab with your right hand and say the letter;
Then punch across with your left as you make the sound.
Back on your right foot to begin.
A - /a/
B - /b/
C…Z
Speed bag and make little circles. (Up, down, left, right.)
Upper cut. (Punch up by forehead.)
Hook. (Bring fist down and then hook and come up.)
This time we’re going to say the alphabet backwards starting with Z.
We’ll jab with our left hand and say the letter;
Then punch across with the right as you make the sound.
Back on your left foot to begin.
Z - /z/
Y - /y/
X…A
Phonercise (Better Bodies and Brains CD)
Time to Phonercise. We’re going to put our arms in the air and say a letter.
We’ll touch our shoulders and make the sound. Then we’ll touch the ground and say a word that starts with that sound.
A (Hands up in the air and say “A.”)
/a/ (Hands on shoulders and make the short /a/ sound.)
____ (Say a word that starts with “A” as you touch your toes.)
B…Z
Activities: Use different categories to phonercise. You could do foods, animals, vocabulary from a unit of study, things in your state, etc.
Do body blending. Touch your head and make the beginning sound in a word. Touch your waist and make the middle sound. Touch your toes and make the final sound. Blend the sounds and say the word.
Do body math. Hands in the air and say a number. Touch your head and say “plus” or “minus.” Touch your waist and say a second number. Touch your knees and say, “equals.” Touch your toes and say the answer.
Alphabet Remix (Move It! Learn It! CD)
Sing the regular ABC song. (Fold hands and sing sweetly.)
“Remix!”
I say, A B C D E F G! (clap twice) (Dance from side to side.)
H I J K L M N O P (clap twice)
Q R S,
T U V,
W X Y and Z.
Now I know my ABC’s.
Next time, won’t you rap with me? (Make rapper hands and bend over and dance.)
A (blow out of the side of your mouth)
B (blow)
C (blow)….Z
Now I know my ABC’s (blow).
Now you’re ready to read with me! (blow)
Cheering Letters (Move It! Learn It! CD)
We’re going to cheer letters by making a V with our arms in the air for letters that start at the top dotted line. We’ll put our arms out straight in front of us for letters that start at the middle dotted line. We’ll squat down with our hands on our hips for letters with a tail.
A (Arms straight out in front of you with feet extended.)
B (Arms straight up in the air in a “V” shape.)
C (Arms straight out in front of you with feet extended.)
D (Arms straight up in the air in a “V” shape.)
E (Arms straight out in front of you with feet extended.)
F (Arms up in the air in a “V” shape.)
G (Squat down on the ground with hands on your hips.)
H….Z
A-Z to “Glory, Glory to Old Georgia”
Activities: Make sign language letters when you sing this song.
Write “invisible” letters in the air with your index finger as you sing.
Make pom poms from lunch sacks. Cut down 1” strips from the top of the sack stopping at the bottom flap. Roll up the flap to make a handle and tape in place. Fluff up the strips.
Spell word wall words or vocabulary words by cheering them.
Give me a “t.” “T”
I’ve got a “t,” you’ve got a “t.”
Give me an “h.” “H”
I’ve got an “h,” you’ve got an “h.”
Give me an “e.” “E”
I’ve got an “e,” you’ve got an “e.”
What’s it spell. “THE!”
Gooooo Letters! (Move It! Learn It! CD)
Drums…. (Pretend to play the drums.)
Goooo A! /a/ /a/ /a/ (Roll arms and right fist in air as you make the sound.)
Goooo B! /b/ /b/ /b/ (Roll arms and left fist in the air with sound.)
Goooo C! ….Z
Letters in My Hand (Move It! Learn It! CD)
(Tune: “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)
(Make sign language letters)
I’ve got A - /a/ /a/ in my hand.
I’ve got B - /b/ /b/ in my hand.
I’ve got C - /c/ /c/ in my hand,
And I can sign.
D….Z
Letters You Should Know A-M
(Move It! Learn It! CD)
(Tune: “BINGO”)
There is a letter you should know
What can that letter be, oh?
/a/ /a/ It’s an A!
/a/ /a/ It’s an A!
/a/ /a/ It’s an A!
The letter A you know.
B….M
•Make sign language letters or have children write the letters as you sing.
Who Let the Letters Out?
(Kiss Your Brain CD)
(“Who Let the Dogs Out?”)
Who let the A out?
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
Who let the B out? etc.
•Here’s a great idea for a school program. Let children decorate old T-shirts with dots. Make puppy headbands. Pin a different letter to each child. Children come out of a doghouse as their letter is sung in the song.
The Alphabet in My Mouth
Kiss Your Brain CD)
(“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.
I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth,
And I can read.
I’ve got A - /a/ /a/ - in my mouth.
I’ve got B - /b/ /b/ - in my mouth.
I’ve got C - /c/ /c/ - in my mouth,
And I can read.
Hint! Sing using sign language.
Sing and Sign (Sing to Learn CD)
(“Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Children repeat each line.
Where is A? (Hands behind back.)
Here I am. (Make sign for “a.”)
What do you say, A?
/a/, /a/, /a/.
Continue using other letters
and making the manual signs.
Letter Box (Totally Reading CD)
(“Polly Wolly Doodle”)
I wish I had a letter box
To put my A in.
I’d take it out and go
/a/ /a/ /a/
And put it back again.
Continue singing other letters and making manual signs as you sing.
Happy Birthday Letters
(Totally Reading CD)
Yo, A,, it’s your birthday.
Let’s all read
Like your birthday.
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
•Let children break dance when the letter that their name begins with is sung in the song.
Alphardy (Sing to Learn CD)
A for apple. /a/ /a/ /a/
(Pretend to eat apple.)
B for bounce. /b/ /b/ /b/ /b/ /b/
(Pretend to bounce a ball.)
Continue naming letters and
making motions.
Seven Little Letters
(Is Everybody Happy? CD)
(“Five Little Ducks”)
Seven little letters went out one day,
Over the hill and far away.
When the teacher called /f/f/f/f/
Only the letter f came back.
(Child wearing “f” skips to the teacher.)
The Vowel Song
(Is Everybody Happy? CD)
(“Are You Sleeping?”)
A makes two sounds. (Echo each line.)
/A/ and /a/.
/A/ for apron, /a/ for apple.
/A/ and /a/.
/E/ and /e/ - eagle and elephant…
/I/ and /i/ - ice cream and inchworm…
/O/ and /o/ - open and octopus…
/U/ and /u/ - ukulele and uncle…
Vowel Family (Just for Fun CD)
(Tune: “BINGO”)
Aunt Aggie had an allergy
and she would always sneeze-o (Pretend to sneeze.)
/a/a/a/a/a/ /a/a/a/a/a/ /a/a/a/a/a/
And she would always sneeze-o.
Grandpa Eddie stayed in shape
and he would exercise-o (Pretend to lift weights.)
/e/e/e/e/e/ /e/e/e/e/e/ /e/e/e/e/e/
He liked to exercise-o.
Baby Izzi had chicken pox
and she would always itch-o. (Scratch body.)
/i/i/i/i/i/ /i/i/i/i/i/ /i/i/i/i/i/
And she would always itch-o.
Cousin Otto’s throat was sore
And this is what he’d say-o. (Put hand on throat.)
/o/o/o/o/o/ /o/o/o/o/o/ /o/o/o/o/o/
And this is what he’d say-o.
Uncle Unk wore underwear
and it did stink-o. (Hold nose.)
/u/u/u/u/u/ /u/u/u/u/u/ /u/u/u/u/u/
And it did stink-o.
I Know An Old Man Who Swallowed a Letter (Totally Reading CD)
(I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly)
I know an old man who swallowed an A.
What would he say if he swallowed an A? /a/
What could he eat if he swallowed an A?
Apples, apricots, asparagus
Adorable A!
B -bologna, bubblegum, beans
(Beautiful B)
C - cookies, cabbage, carrots (Cool C)
D - donuts, dates, dumplings (Darling D)
E - eggs, egg plant, eggnog (Exciting E)
F - fish, French fries, figs (Fantastic F)
G – garlic, grits, grilled cheese
(Gorgeous G)
H – honey, hotdogs, hamburgers
(Happy H)
I – instant pudding, itty bitty food
(Incredible I)
J – jelly, jello, jam (Jolly J)
K – kiwi, kabobs, ketchup (Kind K)
L – lemons, limes, lollipops (Likeable L)
M – milk, macaroni, marshmallows
(Marvelous M)
N – nuts, noodles, nuggets (Nice N)
O – olives, omelet, onions
(Omnipotent O)
P – peanuts, pickles, pears
(Precious P)
Q – quince, quiche, quail (Quiet Q)
R – raisins, raspberries, ravioli
(Ravishing R)
S – sandwiches, salad, soup (Super S)
T – turkey, tofu, tomatoes (Terrific T)
U – upside down cake and ugly fruit
(Understanding U)
V – vanilla, vegetables, vinegar
(Vivacious V)
W – watermelon, waffles, walnuts
(Wonderful W)
X – x on a hot cross bun
(X-cellent X)
Y – yogurt, yellow cake, yellow pudding
(Youthful Y)
Z – zucchini, Zweiback,
He’s full, so that’s the end!
Alphabet Train (Totally Reading CD)
(Tune: “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”)
All aboard the alphabet train!
A, B, C, D,
E, F, G,
H, I, J, K,
L, M, N, O, P.
Q, R, S, T,
U and V.
W, X, Y,
•Clap your hands, stomp your foot, snap your fingers, or make other motions as you sing each letter.
•Try singing the Alphabet to “House of the Rising Sun,” “Amazing Grace,” and other tunes.
Alphabet Forwards and Backwards
(Keep on Singing and Dancing CD)
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V
W X Y and Z
Now, I’ve said my ABC’s.
Next time sing them backwards with me.
Z Y X W V U T
S R Q P O N M
L K J I H G
F E D C B A.
Now, I’ve said my ZYX’s,
Bet that’s not what you expected!
•Point to the letters on your classroom alphabet as you sing.
•Turn off the lights and use a flashlight to point to the letters.
•Sing this song as a transition activity.
Challenge the children to be sitting quietly, lined up, etc. before you finish singing.
Letter Puppets
Letter puppets are a great visual to add to alphabet songs.
A B C D E F G
Thanks for stopping by to see -
H I J K L M N O P
How much fun letters can be
Q R S T U V
W X Y Z-end it be!
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