The table was set up with colorful paper, markers, glue, scissors, popsicle sticks, and a basket of tiny wooden alphabet letters. As the children gathered, Aleah showed excitement by saying, “Wow, so much letters!” While Huxley turned to the educator and asked, “C
an I find letters of my name?” With encouragement, he carefully selected each one and proudly connected them to words he knew: “H for hat, U for umbrella, X for x-ray, L for lollipop, E for elephant, Y for Yak. The educator responded with praise, “Excellent work!” Calen joined with them and said to his peers, “I will color the letters of my name yellow!”
The educator encouraged him to spell it and he goes “C-A-L-E-N!.
I noticed how curious the children were as they explored the letters, showing their growing interest in print. Huxley’s ability to link each letter to a word demonstrated his emerging phonological awareness and vocabulary growth, while Aleah’s joyful reaction showed her recognition of symbols and letters. With Calen’s idea of wanting to color the letters of his name, he showed his interest in personal expression and supported his fine motor skills and creativity.
I wonder how the children will continue their interest in letters- will they start putting them together to form words or use them in storytelling. My next step is by adding new resources like name cards, picture prompts, or loose parts to deepen their exploration. I will offer them opportunities to use their letter creations in storytelling, pretend play and shared writing, helping them see letters as meaningful tools for communication.