Letter E Lesson Plans for Preschool Age Kids

Make letter
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Letter identification is a crucial preschool skill because it sets the stage for learning how to read. Most preschools teach the letters one at a time, giving the students several days to practice identifying the letter and sounding it out, as well as writing it. Instead of simply showing your students the letter "E" and having them repeat the sound it makes, bring the vowel alive with a variety of art and literacy activities instead.

Tear strips of colored masking tape and tape them to your floor in the shape of an "E." Make the letter large enough that your child can interact with it. Give your preschooler small cars and let him drive them along the "E," which will build recognition, but will also lay the foundation for your child to start writing letters. Accomplish the same goal by encouraging your child to trace the tape with his finger.

Make "E"-shaped cookies. Help your preschooler use a letter "E" shaped cookie cutter to cut out several sugar cookies. Bake the cookies and then let your preschooler decorate them with frosting and sprinkles. As you decorate the cookies, practice making the "E" sound together, which will help your child make a connection between what the letter looks like and what sound it makes.

Provide each preschooler with a blank piece of paper and age-appropriate magazines. Ask the students to find pictures of things that start with the letter "E," cut them out and glue them to the paper. Examples include words like elephant, egg and envelope. This will help them practice the sound that letter "E" makes, as well as build their knowledge base of what words start with the letter "E."

Make the letter "E" with hands-on activities. This will give students a visual representation of what the letter looks like and it will boost retention since the students will be actively engaged. Give preschoolers moldable items such as clay or pipe cleaners and ask them to make the letter "E" with them. Practice the sound the letter "E" makes as the students work and see if they can point out anything else that starts with the same sound.

Encourage preschoolers to make the letter "E" with items in the classroom. Perhaps they could make the letter with craft sticks, cotton swabs, small sticks, blocks or strips of paper. This allows preschoolers to identify the letter "E" while using familiar objects.

Sara Ipatenco has taught writing, health and nutrition. She started writing in 2007 and has been published in Teaching Tolerance magazine. Ipatenco holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education, both from the University of Denver.

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