Using activities that support clear learning objectives, preschool teachers can implement lesson plans that help young children learn the letter G.
Learning Objectives
- The students will identify the letter G.
- The students make and recognize the hard G sound.
- The students will correctly trace and write the letter G.
- The students will identify objects that begin with the G sound.
Handwriting and Phonetics Activities
- Create a letter G poster board which shows both the upper and lower case G. Glue pictures of objects cut from magazines that begin with the letter G. Introduce the children to the letter G along with simple objects that begin with the letter G.
- Demonstrate the hard G sound and ask the children to make (repeat) the hard G sound.
- Ask students what things they can think of (objects, names, etc.) that begin with the letter G.
- Have children practice tracing the letter G in both upper and lower case, using letter G worksheets. A good example of such a worksheet is available on the First Preschool website.
- With either pencils or crayon, let students practice making the letter G in both upper and lower case on blank sheets of paper.
Object Sorting
For this cognitive learning activity, place toy or real objects which begin with a hard G in a box or other container. Examples include: gift, goose, can, grasshopper, grapes, ghost, gorilla, golf ball, groundhog, gate, glue. Along with these items, place objects beginning with various other letters. As you pull each object out, students will sort (recognize) those that begin with a G from those that do not.
Music, Movement, and Circle Time Activities
- For a circle time activity, ask each child to identify an animal that starts with a G. Next ask the child to move like and make the sound that the animal makes.
- Teach the children the song “I’m a Little Groundhog” (submitted by Jenni to the Everything Preschool website), sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”.
I'm a little ground hog, short and stout.
On ground hog day I pop my head out.
If I see my shadow I don't come out.
I stay down in my hole and pout.
- Read Good Night, Gorilla, a board book by Peggy Rathmann [Putnam Juvenile, 1996]. Explain G is for gorilla and begins with a hard G sound.
Art and Cooking
- Children will decorate the letter G in this simple craft. Print out and copy this letter G template which can be found on the DLTK’s Crafts for Kids website. Provide glitter, tissue paper, cheerios, crayons, and any other appropriate items. Allow them adorn the letter any way they see fit.
- Make sugar cookies and let children cut the dough using letter G cookie cutters. Bake, discuss, and serve.
G is for Garden Lesson
Planting a small garden with preschool aged children is a great way to implement a “G is for Garden” theme as well as introduce small children to gardening. The easiest plants for children to grow are sunflowers, lettuce, radishes, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, nasturtiums, carrots, potatoes, bush beans, and pumpkins. These seeds are painless to grow and have a short growing season. Seeds can be grown in the soil in the playground or indoors in any container allowing for proper drainage.
Adding these simple activities will greatly enhance preschoolers’ language learning. The key is to have fun with lesson planning. Be creative in seizing moments of opportunity to teach.
