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Welcome to Teacher Book Bags Exploring Letters in My World series, a set ofpublications offering a meaningful, hands-on approach to reallylearning letters.

Preschoolers are naturally curious about the world around them. They love to know howthings work, why everything is the way it is, and what the world means to them. As theyare playing and exploring throughout the day, your children are also learning a lot aboutletters and how they are used in speech. They will soon learn how that all relates toreading as well. Good reading skills are built on a strong foundation of letter/soundrecognition and application. As children are being taught their letters and sounds, they

learn and retain more when instruction is applied to meaningful situations. Hence, thegoal of this series is to reinforce beginning letter sounds through exciting, hands-onactivities that encompass all areas of your curious preschoolers world.

Within this series, you will find a unique variety of learning opportunities for each letterof the alphabet. Each book contains a suggested reading list as well as stimulatingactivities in seven different categories: Letters and Sounds, Handwriting, Math, Science,Social Studies, Crafts, and Simply Fun (this section includes ideas for dramatic play,cooking, and games). All of the activities are designed to use items you would normallyhave around your home or pages printed from your home computer.

As you begin to dive into the categories, you will see that there are usually 2-5activities for each area. Do not feel that you have to do every activity. The activitiesare designed to meet different learning styles and introduce different skills. Someactivities may not appeal to your child. Pick what best meets the needs and interests ofyour child as well as your time schedule. The activities can be completed in any order,and many could be used in learning centers or workboxes as well as adapted to include

older and younger siblings.

The highlights of this series are the mini lapbooks and mini pockets designed to showcaseeach letter of the alphabet. Each book in this series comes with all the directions andtemplates you will need for creating this adorable learning tool and keepsake.

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Although Exploring Letters in My World was designed with preschoolers in mind, it caneasily be used with any emerging or young reader. As your preschooler continues intheir education, these activities can offer fun ways to reinforce basic concepts.

We highly recommend using the website www.starfall.com in conjunction with this book

series. This is a free website devoted to helping children learn how to read. The ABCssection of the website would make a great addition to your preschool curriculum.(Please note, Starfall.com is an independent site and is not associated with TeacherBook Bag.)

Youve come to a very exciting destination on the road of educating your child - settingthe groundwork for reading! The path is winding with big stops along the way! Taketime to enjoy the excitement that your child will feel as they master each letter sound inpreparation for even bigger accomplishments. Youve begun the reading journey- holdon tight because youll reach your destination before you know it!

Wishing you many blessings,Liz CoombsJoEllen Hurst

http://www.starfall.com/http://www.starfall.com/

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Table of Contents

Suggested Reading List ...............................................................................................................5Letter A Mini LapbookInstructions and Templates (Introduction).............................................................................6

o Directions for Creating a Mini Lapbook ....................................................................7o Directions for Creating a Mini Pocket ........................................................................8o Suggested Lapbook Layout (with photos).............................................................. 10Creating Your Lapbook (Directions)...................................................................................11o Lapbook Cover ..............................................................................................................13o Letter A Poem.............................................................................................................. 14o Letter A Word Cards ............................................................................................... 15o Color Flip Book: Red..................................................................................................... 18o Letter A Bible Verse................................................................................................... 19o Letter A Sign Language ............................................................................................ 20

Letter A Additional ActivitiesLetters and Sounds (Directions)..........................................................................................22o My Letter A Book .....................................................................................................24o A Pictures Worksheet................................................................................................ 27Handwriting (Directions)........................................................................................................28o Letter A Formation ..................................................................................................... 29Math (Directions) ...................................................................................................................30o Apple Order ................................................................................................................... 32o Ten Apples Up On Top! .............................................................................................. 33Science (Directions)................................................................................................................34o Animal Sort ...................................................................................................................... 35o Parts of an Apple Tree................................................................................................ 38Social Studies (Directions).....................................................................................................39o

I Know My Address........................................................................................................ 40Crafts (Directions) .................................................................................................................41o Astronaut Kid .................................................................................................................. 42Simply Fun (Directions)..........................................................................................................43

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Suggested Reading List

** Please Note: This is a simple listing of books that relate to the letter A. Be sure tocheck out each book to see if it is a good match for your child. Also, keep in mind thatyour library will have additional books related to A topics that may be of interest toyour child.The Adventures of Abby Alligator(Alpha Tales) by Maria Fleming

Ten Apples Up on Topby Theo Lesig

If You Were an Astronautby Dinah L. Moche

Apple Farmer Annieby Monica Wellington

Alligator Boyby Cynthia Rylant

Snip Snap: Whats That? by Mara Bergman

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Looking for an organized way to store each of your mini lapbooks? See thetip on page 9 for a creative solution!

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Please Note:The mini pocket is optional and isnot necessary for the creationof the mini lapbook. It is simplya way to store additionalmaterials as your child learnsabout the letter A.

ooking for an organized way to store each of your mini lap pockets? Seethe tip on page 9 for a creative solution!

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Attach your lapbook to a notebook using DUCT TAPE!A special thank you to Shannon Ratcliffe of Canada for heridea of using duct tape to insert a lapbook into a notebook.As you look at the pictures of the lapbook, you will notice ahole-punched strip of duct tape on the left side of thelapbook. The tape allows the lapbook to be easily insertedinto a notebook for quick reference and easy storage. To

learn how to add duct tape to your pockets and lapbooks,please visit this page on Shannons blog:http://littlehomeschoolonthehill.com/2008/03/19/new-use-for-duct-tape/. She offers step by step directions withpictures.

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Suggested Layout for Mini Lapbook

Lapbook Cover Inside Top of Lapbook Inside Top and Bottom ofLapbook

Lapbook Attached to PocketInside a 7 x 9 inch Binder

Sign Language Activity-Glued to Back of Pocket

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Creating Your LapbookListed below are the directions and templates you will need to create your Letter AMini Lapbook.

1. Lapbook CoverThe cover of your mini lapbook is actually a fun craft for you and your child to dotogether. As your child turns their letter A into an angel, they will have practicewith coloring, cutting, and gluing.To begin, print the A is for Angel template. Cut out each of the pieces for yourchild. Using the picture as an example, have your child assemble and glue their angelonto the cover of their mini lapbook. Please note that the heart should be cut inhalf on the center line to form the wings. Encourage your child to add color to theirangel. For added fun, let your child cut and glue on yarn for hair and place wigglyeyes onto the face.2. Letter A PoemPrint the poem Alan the Astronaut and glue it into your lapbook. This poem ismeant to be shared aloud with your child to help them see and recognize the Aletter sounds. Encourage your child to find and circle/highlight all of the capital andlowercase As in the poem. Talk about the different sounds that A can make.3. Letter A Word CardsA very simple way to help children learn to recognize the letter A and the sounds itmakes is to associate it to familiar words. Print the Letter A Word Cards onto

cardstock. Cut out each of the cards and share them with your child. Talk to yourchild about the different sounds the beginning A makes in the words.

Print the Letter A Words pocket onto cardstock. To make the pocket, cut on thedotted lines and fold on the gray lines. The horizontal gray lines are all folded intoward the pocket. The vertical gray lines are folded in an accordion style (first linetoward the pocket, second line away, third line toward). Glue the pocket to yourlapbook. You can now store your Letter A Word Cards in your pocket.

4. Color Flip Book: RedThis simple flip book will help you practice the color red with your child. Print the RedFlip Book template page. On this page, you will find the flip book template as wellas some objects in your childs world that are usually red. Have your child color theobjects and then paste them into their flip book. As an alternative, you could haveyour child identify red objects from a magazine and paste those into their flip book.

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5. Letter A Bible VerseHelp your child learn and practice a Bible verse with each new letter learned! Printthe Letter A Bible Verse template. When cutting out the letter A, be sure not tocut on the center area that joins the A to the box. Once cut, fold the A and thebox so that the A is on top of the box. Cut and glue the Bible verse (or write

another of your choice on the blank box) and glue it to the flap under the A.6. Letter A Sign LanguageUse this simple printable sheet to help your child learn the appropriate sign for theletter A. Print the Letter A Sign Language template and cut it out along the solidlines. If you are creating just the lapbook, glue the sign language template to theback of your lapbook. If you are adding the pocket to the back of your lapbook,you will glue the sign language template to the back of your pocket.

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A is for AngelLapbook Cover

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Alan the Astronaut

After a long ride in the rocket,

Alan arrived on the moon.

He met an ape and an alligator

Who asked, Are you going homesoon?

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Letter A Word Cards

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Letter A Word Cards

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Letter A Word Cards Pocket

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Red Flip Book

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Letter A Bible Verse

Cut this out as onepiece. Do not cut the

center area that joins theA to the box.

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Letter A Sign Language

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1.Sharing BooksChoose a couple books from the Suggested Reading List to sharewith your child as you learn about the letter A.2.Word CardsDisplay and discuss the words on the Aa Word Cards (from thelapbook).

3.A HuntGo on an A hunt! Hide the Aa Word Cards around your home.Depending on the interests of your child, you can make the hidingplaces as simple or as tricky as you want. Have your child find allthe A words that they can. When they find the cards, have thembring them back to you and share the A words together! Foradded fun, play again and set a timer to see how many words they

can find in a specified time period.4.My Letter A BookPrint and assemble the My Letter A Book by cutting apart thepages and stapling them together. (You can choose whether to mixthe short A and long A sound pages or separate them.) Thisbook contains all of the words from the Word Cards in apredictable reader format. Your child will enjoy feeling like a big

kid as they read the pages of this book. (Please note, while yourchild may not actually be reading the words, they are learning basicpre-reading skills such as text/picture correspondence, left to righttracking, and recognizing that letters form words and words formsentences.) We encourage you to read this book with your childmultiple times during your study of the Letter A.

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5.A Pictures WorksheetPrint the A Pictures worksheet. Assist your child in identifying eachpicture. Emphasize the beginning sound of each picture. Haveyour child circle all the words that begin with A.

6.If I Were an AstronautEncourage your child to finish this statement: If I were anastronaut, I would . . . Depending on the age of the child, you mayhave to prompt (start their thinking) with an example or two of yourown.

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1.Letter A FormationPrint and cut out the large letter A. Cut out strips of aluminumfoil and let your child build the letter A by laying the strips on theletter A. Use this to practice the correct strokes for writing theletter A.2.Apple Jacks AUsing the large letter A from the above activity, let your childdecorate the letter by gluing on Apple Jacks cereal.3.Jumbo Floor LetterCreate a large letter A with masking tape on the floor. Give yourchild an apple and let them roll the apple on the A in the sameway as if they were writing the A.

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1.Apple OrderPrint and cut the Apple Order page. Label the apples 1-10 (orcontinue to 12). Have your child put the numbers in order from1 to 10 and then from 10 to 1. For an added challenge, presentonly the numbers 1, 3, 4, and 8. Challenge your child to find themissing numbers and place them in the right order.

2.Hide and Seek AppleThis is a great game to reinforce your childs listening skills as wellas number awareness. Have your child cover their eyes as youhide an apple in a place where your child cant easily find it. Give

your child specific verbal directions to find the apple. For instanceyou may say:Walk 3 steps forward.Turn left toward the couch.Walk 4 steps forward.Look under the cushion.

Begin by giving your child one direction at a time, allowing them

time to complete the action before moving on to the next. Asyour child gets better at following the verbal clues, begin givingthem multiple directions at one time like Walk 3 steps forwardand turn toward the couch.

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3.Ten Apples Up on Top!After reading this book with your child, have them practice puttingthe numbers 1-10 in the correct order. Print and cut out the 10

numbered apples. Using a large sheet of paper (or two regularsheets taped together) turned lengthwise, have your child draw apicture of their head at the bottom. Then give your child the 10apples and a glue stick. Have them glue the apples on top oftheir head in the correct order from 1-10.

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Apple Order

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1.Animal SortLet your child practice their classification skills with this fun game.Print and cut out the animal picture cards. You will also need toprint the three background scenes ocean, safari, and farm. Haveyour child place each of the animals on their appropriatebackground.2.All About AntsMany young children are fascinated by ants! Look for ants insidewalk cracks, under rocks, and in dirt. If available, let your childuse a magnifying glass to closely examine the ants. Visithttp://www.pestworldforkids.org/ants.html andhttp://www.infowest.com/life/antbody.htm to learn more aboutdifferent kinds of ants and the anatomy of an ant.3.Parts of an Apple TreeReview the beginning sound of apple with your child. Then discusshow apples grow on apple trees. If possible, observe a real appletree outside. Talk about the different parts of an apple tree andwhat those parts do:

Print the Parts of an Apple Tree page. Assist your child in cuttingout the labels and gluing them in the correct boxes.

Apple Tree Parts and Their JobsThe roots hold the tree in the ground and absorb water and nutrients from theground. The trunk supports the tree and carries water and nutrients to the rest

of the tree. The branches hold the leaves and apples, and carry water andnutrients to the leaves and apples. The leaves absorb sunlight which gives thetree energy to grow. The apple is the part of the tree we eat. It also containsseeds for new apple trees.

http://www.pestworldforkids.org/ants.htmlhttp://www.infowest.com/life/antbody.htmhttp://www.infowest.com/life/antbody.htmhttp://www.pestworldforkids.org/ants.html

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Animal Sort Cards

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Animal Sort Backgrounds

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Animal Sort Backgrounds

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1.Alabama and ArkansasShow your child a map of the United States. Talk to them abouthow the United States is made up of 50 different states. Helpyour child find Alabama and Arkansas on the map. Talk about thestates locations. Use the following website to share interestingfacts about the states with your child. http://www.50states.com2.I Know My Address!Explain to your child the importance of knowing their address.Share how every address is unique and tells exactly where someonelives. Just like with their phone number, be sure to talk about withwhom we do and do not share our address. Share with your childtheir street address as well as the city and state where they live.You could even point the location out on a map. This is something

that will take repeated exposure and practice to memorize. For anadded extension, print the house template and write your addressbelow the house. Have your child decorate the house to look liketheir home or a home they would like to live in. Hang it up for areminder and way to practice their address!3.If You Were an AstronautShare the book If You Were an Astronautwith your child and then

let them spend the next hour pretending to be an astronaut. Havethem dress the part by wearing a white t-shirt, boots, and a helmet(you could also make your own helmet from aluminum foil). Hangpictures of the moon and other planets for your little astronaut totravel to. Help your child create their own rocket ship using chairsand a little imagination! Be sure to practice walking on the moon!(See the Crafts section for an idea for making moon boots.)

http://www.50states.com/http://www.50states.com/

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1.Astronaut KidMaterials:

Astronaut templateSmall picture of your childs faceGlue

Print and cut out the astronaut template. For added durability,print this template onto cardstock. Cut out a picture of your childsface and glue it onto the astronauts helmet. Let your childdecorate their astronaut suit. Hang this on your learning wall toremember that A is for astronaut.2.Apple Tree PaintingOn a sheet of white paper, have your child paint a brown tree

trunk. Next have them paint their hand green and make ahandprint at the top of the trunk to symbolize the branches andleaves of a tree. Using red paint, have your child paint apples ontotheir apple tree. Encourage them to add more details to theirpainting like clouds, grass, birds, etc.3.Moon Boots for your AstronautFor this activity, you will need two sponges which are larger than

your childs feet. Cut openings in the sponges for your child to fittheir feet snugly inside. Your child now has moon boots for hisspace adventures!

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1.Amazing AcrobatLet your child be an amazing acrobat! Help them with fun stuntslike somersaults, cartwheels, head stands, bridges, and otheracrobatic feats. Be sure to tie this into the acrobats they wouldmeet at a circus. You could even encourage them to put on theirvery own acrobatic show for the family!2.Make Astronaut FoodHeres a quick and easy treat to make that will help your childunderstand what it would be like to eat if they were an astronaut.Mix cup of instant pudding and cup of milk in a small plasticbaggie. Have your child knead the bag until all the powder is goneand a smooth texture has formed. Snip the corner of the bag and

let your child suck out the yummy treat.3.Ants on a LogCreate this yummy and healthy snack with your child. Have themspread peanut butter on a celery stick and place raisins on top torepresent ants. Enjoy your treat!4.A Food Tasting PartyThere are many foods that begin with the letter A: apples,

applesauce, apple butter, acorn squash, American cheese,avocados, apricots, and more. Purchase some of these foods foryour child to sample.