We are knee-deep in learning letter sounds in our house. My 5 year-old even now requests what he wants for lunch by giving me the beginning sound of each item. It’s a bit time-consuming, but I love that his little mind is churning.
We created a little song to sing that helps build beginning sound identification. It’s super easy and works great with one child or a whole class of kids.
Learning beginning sounds is one piece of the phonological awareness umbrella that will help children get ready to read.
GETTING READY
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Materials needed: brown construction paper, gingerbread man cookie cutter, scissors, picture of each child’s face, embellishments and a copy of the song
- Make a gingerbread cookie baker for each child in the room. If you are doing this activity at home, make a cookie for each person in the family. We just traced a gingerbread shape with a cookie cutter on brown paper. Cut a photograph of each person’s face and then the kids decorated with embellishments.
- Print out a copy of the words to the song (download for free here). You could also write the song on sentence strips or chart paper to display too.
- Lay out two cookies that begin with different sounds to begin.
TIME TO PLAY
Sing the song and insert a sound for one of the cookies being displayed. Have your child identify the correct cookie baker. Lay out two more cookie bakers and repeat.
DO YOU KNOW THE COOKIE BAKER SONG
to the tune “Do You Know the Muffin Man“
Do you know the cookie baker?
The cookie baker,
The cookie baker,
Do you know the cookie baker?
Her (or his) name begins with _____(insert sound such as /b/ or /t/)
Easy peasy! A super quick, fun and playful way to work on beginning sounds with kids.
This week’s Early Childhood Education Team theme is cookies. Visit the links below for more great early childhood activities related to a cookie theme.
But before you explore the treats…
P.S. For more great book recommendations and literacy ideas, we send out a weekly newsletter. You can see a sample here. If you like what you see, sign up to receive it for FREE each week.
Giant Gingerbread Cookie Writing Activity by The Educators’ Spin On It
Cookie Math Games for Preschoolers by Life Over C’s
Microwave Puffy Paint Gingerbread Men by Still Playing School
Mini Pear Banana Cookie Crisp by Capri + 3
What a fun song and activity! Our kids would really enjoy this.
What an adorable idea!